ARGO — Restaurant in Hong Kong Island

I have visited a number of bars on 50 BEST World's Best Bars and Asia's 50 Best Bars list (October to December, 2024) whilst working in Hong Kong.  Argo comes in at number 58 in the world and 9 in Asia.  I am shocked that it is not way higher up.  Easily the best bar in Hong Kong.  I have travelled much of the world and this bar comes high on my list as somewhere I would recommend.  It didn't have the views like some bars but it was still intimate, dark and sexy.  I loved the decor.  You could still see some of the skyline.  The music was fabulous.  The staff were all pleasant and friendly.  I walked in as a solo female on a Friday evening, and luckily managed to grab a bar seat right by the window.  Service was outstanding.  I was looked after by a bartender named Andy.  I don't drink alcohol and Andy customized my complimentary welcome drink.  He was very good to check if I had any other dietary restrictions.  Real care for the guest.  You can page the menu for hours!  Some ingredients you would never expect in a cocktail.  I went with something different, the Kumquat & Hop Paloma cocktail.  I watched Andy make the drink.  What a cocktail, 0% ABV.  I had never tasted anything like it.  The hand cream was so unusual!  I had to rub the hand cream on my hands and then sip the cocktail.  It apparently enhanced the aroma.  Unique!  The cocktail was light, acidic and fragrant.  Simple, yet delicate.  I really appreciated that as a non-drinker, there were still options for me to choose from as many bars don't really cater for this, apart from a few soft drinks or juices.  They provide complimentary popcorn and olives which was perfect with the drink.  Alternatively, you can purchase something from the bar bites menu.  Lovely atmosphere.  Staff left you to enjoy your drink and relax, yet at the same time, they were attentive if you needed anything.  Believe me, if I could afford it, I would have sat for longer and had a few more cocktails.  It wasn't too pricey.  I was very happy with my drink, the service, music and atmosphere.  Lovely bar.  Some people were dressed up, others were casual.  Just look neat!  Trust me, I have visited several of the best bars in Hong Kong.  If you are short on time, put this at the top...

The half an hour wait wasn't a big deal but the two staffs at the counter were pretty haughty and dismissive.

Once seated the service inside was still subpar. They put the three of us at a table more suited for two which was a bit cramped. It wasn't until over an hour later when a staff randomly plonked a stool next to me (even though I didn't ask for one).

We ordered the egg waffle which didn't come for half an hour and when we asked the server he finally gave us plates and cutleries which is a pretty obvious sign he had forgotten to put in our order in the first place. He didn't apologise or even try and explain and it wasn't like he misheard us because I clearly heard him repeat the correct order initially. When I asked him pointedly did he forget our order he IGNORED me completely. The waffle arrived 5 minutes later. We never got apology or whatever throughout.

When my friend asked for the menu another server came back with the bill. Again, you'd expect better service and staff training here.

Drinks were OK but not amazing so that's quite similar to my experience here when they first opened with not much improvement since then. My friend's mocktail was downright foul apparently. You come here for the decor and ambience but that's about it.

At almost $200 for a drink pretty lousy deal even for a hotel bar that lacks the finesse and service a hotel bar should have. We saw lots of tourists and KOLs taking selfies non stop but barely touching...

Argo's new cocktail menu is launched and everyone is lusting to try!

𐀑 𓈒𓏸 ʟᴀᴢʏ sᴜᴢʏ My favourite one from the menu! Intriguing flavours of pickled cucumber with savoury hint of sesame oil. With a light spray of vinegar onto the beautiful clay cup really resembles sichuanese style cucumber salad.

𐀑 𓈒𓏸 ʙʟᴀᴄᴋ ᴅᴏᴛ ᴍᴀɴʜᴀᴛᴛᴀɴ ꜰʟɪɢʜᴛ Using clay pot which has previously stored both black and balsamic vinegars, Manhattan was aged with different length of time, paired with pickled grapes, pickled radish and orange peel, then served on a cool tray.

𐀑 𓈒𓏸 ʜᴇʟʟꜰɪʀᴇ ᴄʟᴜʙ 𐀑 𓈒𓏸 ʙʙǫ & ᴛᴏɴɪᴄ Not only sourcing local fresh ingredients as usual, @argobar has acquired techniques used for roasting & glazing charsiu for pineapple instead, giving extra depth to drinks.

𐀑 𓈒𓏸 xᴏ ɴᴇɢʀᴏɴɪ a gentle bittersweetness from the XO vermouth, joining with smokey notes from mezcal, gives multiple defined layers of aromas to the drink.

𐀑 𓈒𓏸 ᴏʟᴅ ᴛᴇᴀ ʜᴏᴜsᴇ ɢɪᴍʟᴇᴛ A refreshing drink with tea-smoked pear & unique aromas...