The latest dreamscape from designer Ashley Sutton, Hong Kong’s Maggie Choo’s transports guests back to the enigmatic old-world glamour of the Far East.
Those who have revelled in the creative dining and drinking spaces of award-winning Australian designer Ash Sutton, which include Iron Fairies outposts in both Hong Kong and Bangkok, The Mixing Room, and Dragonfly, will love his latest dreamscape, that of the decadent boudoir of Maggie Choo on iconic Hollywood Road.
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The hidden Chinoiserie-inspired cabaret and cocktail bar is the latest opening from Boutique Bars, a hospitality company creating immersive, one-of-a-kind nightlife experiences that promises to restore much-needed glamour (mind the dress code before you book) to the city’s live music scene.
Telling the tale of its namesake protagonist, who discovers a hidden door in the family antique store that leads to an abandoned bank building that she reimagines as a sophisticated speakeasy, Maggie Choo’s’ sultry interiors pair leather, imported teak and copper with colonial-era mouldings, vintage clocks, and a pair of iron spiral staircases – there’s even an antique vault door and a wall punctuated with vintage safety deposit boxes. The ambience is further accentuated with Art Deco-style lighting fixtures, plush green Chesterfields, hand-crafted timber tables, and a grand piano, with each carefully selected element creating an unashamedly sexy and intimate space that instils a sense of mystery, intrigue, and luxury.
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At the marble bank teller counter-turned-cocktail bar, with its intricate metalwork and vintage world map, guests can enjoy a range of cocktails while being serenaded by an ever-changing roster of performances, including choreographed dancers; emerging and established jazz and blues acts; and sets by resident DJ Harry Fitsch. The new venue’s cocktail programme sees classic libations given a modern twist, with highlights including Driven by Her Dreams, Jalapeno-infused tequila with Aperol, cilantro, grapefruit juice, and honey; and Delusion, thyme-infused pisco combined with pineapple juice and citrus.
Drinks can be paired with selections from the bar menu, which includes comfort classics like Pea Guacamole served with tortilla chips; Sweetcorn “Ribs” with coriander and chilli; charcuterie boards stacked with Apériloste chorizo, pepper-coated Galet, poultry terrine, and Jesus de Lyon sausage; and boards of St Nectaire, Scottish Cedar, Fourme D’ambert, and 18-month aged Comté cheese, served with shortbread biscuits and quiche jam.
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