A pandemic-inspired speakeasy will open at Central, spearheaded by the brains behind some of Asia’s 50 Best Bars in 2023 like Penicillin and The Old Man. The new venue, Lockdown, pays tribute to the social-distancing rules that saw the city’s restaurants close at 6pm, and bars and clubs down their shutters altogether.

Agung Prabowo and Laura Prabowo, the Hong Kong-based Indonesian duo behind Lockdown, draw parallels between Hong Kong’s Covid-19 restrictions and the Prohibition era in the United States between 1920 and 1933, when alcohol was banned. The bar’s design blends the aesthetic of the Prohibition era with modern Asian touches and features the world’s first special rotating bar station.

The entrance to the venue is inspired by its speakeasy concept, and is discreetly nestled next to a “toilet” on Hollywood Road, and symbolises the trying times Hong Kong and its F&B industry went through under the city’s three-year-long restrictions.

The interiors of Lockdown.
The interiors of Lockdown (© Lockdown via Instagram)

The 30-seater Lockdown blends the artistry of classic cocktails with the latest technology and trends in the mixology scene. Their cocktail menu features around 25 handcrafted concoctions divided into three categories: Experimental, Vintage and Remastered Classics. The food menu is designed to be shared and draws inspiration from indigenous Asian culinary techniques.

Header image credits: Lockdown

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From the Middle East to the Far East and a couple of places in between, Anjali has lived in no fewer than seven cities in Asia, and has travelled extensively in the region. She worked as a lifestyle journalist in India before coming to Hong Kong, where her favourite thing to do is island-hopping with her daughter. You can check out her musings on motherhood, courtesy her Instagram profile.

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