Top of Hong Kong’s glitzy new skyscraper offers Instagrammable cocktails

HONG KONG – It is perhaps no surprise that the bar at the top of Hong Kong’s glitzy new skyscraper, The Henderson, is carefully curated to generate echoes of “wow”.

Peridot, on the 38th floor and facing Victoria Harbour and Central’s skyline, sports a pale-green, cocoon-like interior that evokes the gemstone it is named after. 

Hundreds of small lights perfectly aligned from floor to ceiling add to the peculiarity of the place. The impressive bar in the middle of the room is a giant slab of green marble.

Its interior is done by design firm Studio Paolo Ferrari, known for its luxurious and immersive decors and behind projects including the futuristic Shebara Resort by the Red Sea in Saudi Arabia.

Mr Francois Cavelier, a mixologist who dedicated his career to French-Japanese fusion and formerly of The Peninsula and Rosewood, was hired to take the helm as beverage director.

Mr Lisandro Illa is the Argentinean chef behind the plant-based (and literally green) menu. He is also the co-founder of a Madrid-based art gallery focused on the link between culinary and visual arts.

On a late Monday afternoon, the place was packed. Of course, it would be.

It is at sunset that you can see and feel how the space changes as the sunlight vanishes outside. Once it is night-time, the interior illumination contrasts with the external lights of the city. Remember, the wow effect is part of the experience.

The bill came to HK$1,073.60 (S$180) for four drinks, two appetisers and service.

The vibe: Chic and casual, this place is definitely “more Dubai and less Hong Kong”. A DJ was playing the night my guest and I visited, but the music – including some 1980s classics – did not quite match the space. We would return to hear a musician at the keys of the futuristic-looking grand piano.

Who’s next to you: Groups of young professionals dressed in trendy clothes, many who would be at home at a vernissage in Central during Art Week, plus office workers who just got off the clock.

Can you conduct a meeting here?: Not really. The tables are fairly small, and the music was too loud when we visited. But you can certainly come for a happy hour drink with a visitor you want to impress. There is also a private room behind the bar for fancier gatherings

What we would order again: Any of the drinks – they were impeccable. My guest was delighted by the Durian’s Consent, which paid respect to the polarising fruit in a fine combination with Cuban and Jamaican rum. I enjoyed my Yuzu’s Reply, a bitter and citrusy combination of gin, Akayane yuzushu, Campari and lemon.

We both loved the golden sparassis mushroom fries, which were crunchy, flavourful and gorgeously presented.

Need to know: Peridot is at Summit 38, the 38th floor of The Henderson, 2 Murray Road in Central. From Mondays to Thursdays, it is open from noon to 1am; on Fridays and Saturdays, it is open until 2am. After 5pm, reservations are accepted only for parties of six people or more with a deposit. Guests are asked to be in smart casual dress (its website specifically notes no slippers or sandals, even for women). BLOOMBERG