Foxglove, Hong Kong, China

Secret bars are nothing new, of course, but very few have mastered the quirky yet elegant style of the newly opened Foxglove tucked away on Duddell Street, at the heart of the city’s Central district.

The speakeasy-style lounge bar is accessible only via an unmarked entrance hidden inside a walk through boutique of classic hand-made Fox umbrellas showcased Kingsman-secret-service-style within sleek brass-edged wall cabinets.

Inside, the creative interiors by Hong Kong designer Nelson Chow pay homage to a fictitious globetrotting English gentleman with a theatrical blend of gentlemen’s private club and intimate jazz bar. Think low-lit moody lighting, bespoke ink-blue leather and wood furnishings and a sculptural cream lacquer ceiling that wraps around the cocktail bar. Even the washrooms have been given a whimsical touch with ship cabin-style doors and mirrors.

The Narnia-like experience continues with two private rooms, again accessed via secret entrances. The first features an arched ceiling reminiscent of a vintage First Class train cabin, a dramatic blood red palette, walls lined with Fox umbrella stems, and classic car-inspired bespoke design lamps.  

Apart from the original cocktails (we were particularly taken with the ‘Bitter Truth’, a warming concoction of Kraken black spiced rum with Angostura bitters, orange and lime), the design highlight is the VVIP room decorated in an emerald green palette, with seductively comfortable leather club chairs, and walls and ceiling clad in book-lined shelves.