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Tatler Asia
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Tatler Asia
Home tour: Inside Bar Leone boss Lorenzo Antinori's new Hong Kong home
The layout is unusual—'basically a massive living room', as he describes it—with plenty of space to host friends. 'For the first time, I can have a communal dining table [at home] and invite friends over; the space definitely has this very liveable sort of vibe,' he says. Everywhere you turn, there are treasures to be spotted. Posters of Wong Kar-wai's seminal 2000 film In the Mood For Love ('my favourite Hong Kong movie') and the 1968 sci-fi classic 2001: A Space Odyssey ('Stanley Kubrick is one of my favourite directors') are part of a collection of framed prints in the living area. A shelf acts as a divider between the space and the bedroom. It houses both books—one volume is an Italian translation of The Art of War by Sun Tzu, the Chinese military text dating back to the 5th century BC that Antinori says offers advice applicable for modern-day business—and paintings by family members; several relatives on his mother's side of the family are artists. By his bed are photos of his parents and a frame depicting a religious icon, a gift from his mother, who's a devout Catholic. 'I'm very close to my family—wherever I have lived, in Hong Kong or South Korea, I always have [these items].' Don't miss: Home tour: Inside an Italian farmhouse-inspired retreat in Happy Valley, Hong Kong Above Antinori with 'The Savoy Cocktail Book'—he worked at the famed London hotel's American Bar—and 'The South American Gentleman's Companion', a cocktail guide originally published in 1951 (Photo: Zed Leets/Tatler Hong Kong) Above A close-up of knick-knacks in the home (Photo: Zed Leets/Tatler Hong Kong) Antinori wanted to give the home what he calls a vintage, nostalgic edge. Some of his favourite things—art, film, music—come from the Seventies. His favourite movie, the 1997 indie flick Boogie Nights, is set in the era, and its aesthetics strongly inspired his decorating choices. 'I love the Seventies—they were a cool time because pop culture was extremely loud and visually impactful,' he says. 'There are a lot of elements from that period that I tried to bring into this space.' That influence is evident in the palette: think burnt orange, forest green and acrylic accents. Above Lorenzo Antinori (Photo: Zed Leets/Tatler Hong Kong) Above A view of the coffee in the dining room (Photo: Zed Leets/Tatler Hong Kong) A neon sign that reads 'Bar Leone' lights up the space with a bright tangerine hue; the sofas are in the same shade; a Tiffany-style stained glass lamp, an emulation of the prized originals produced by the American artist and designer Louis Comfort Tiffany in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with green, orange and yellow glass, glows softly in the corner. Now read: Step inside 3 Hong Kong chefs' and restaurateurs' kitchens at home Above Photo: Zed Leets/Tatler Hong Kong Above A close-up of books in the home (Photo: Zed Leets/Tatler Hong Kong) Antinori has applied the same design philosophy behind his bar to his home. 'We wanted Bar Leone to be a nostalgic space, almost like a trip back to a time in the past. We got a lot of references from the Seventies and Eighties. That's why some people feel like it has been there for a while. When I was thinking about this space, it was the same idea.' He wanted the home to feel 'a little bit chaotic', he adds, 'almost like it's coming out of a movie by [ Boogie Nights ' director] Paul Thomas Anderson or Wes Anderson.' To bring this vision to life, he enlisted Tiffany Kwan, founder of the interior design firm Studio TK, who also worked with him on Bar Leone. Above Photo: Zed Leets/Tatler Hong Kong Above Photo: Zed Leets/Tatler Hong Kong We wanted Bar Leone to be almost like a trip back to a time in the past. When I was thinking about this space, it was the same idea - Lorenzo Antinori - Above Photo: Zed Leets/Tatler Hong Kong After finally settling in, there are still 'a few other pieces that I need to put up'. A home is a place where one never stands still, he says. 'It's almost a dynamic place. I will always think of new elements that I want to introduce.' Much like the bar, the home has become a reflection of Antinori's personality. 'Bar Leone is a very personal project. I managed to fill it with things that I love, the things that remind me of home, the things that are connected to my roots. It's the same here; there are certain pieces that I have had in my apartment in Rome with my family, like the religious icon by my bed, the books, frames and prints. 'I think it's important to preserve this element of heritage that showcases our background and who we are. Otherwise, we just live in an empty box.'
Tatler Asia
23-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Tatler Asia
Dining news: Prince and the Peacock introduce new summer menu, The Upper House unveils Green Room cocktail lounge, and more
Ando $ $ $ $ 1/F Somptueux Central, 52 Wellington Street, Central, Hong Kong Slice of the action Mandarin Oriental, Hong Kong is warming up its ovens for a four-day pop-up from June 19 to 22 with Daniele Cason of The Pizza Bar on 38th, flown in from its award-winning Tokyo perch. Held in a transformed chef's table setting on the second floor, the event previews the omakase-style pizza bar set to open permanently in late 2026 as part of the hotel's ongoing revamp. Lunch and dinner services will feature a degustazione menu (HK$1,888 per person) of seven Roman-style pizza alla pala topped with the likes of Warayaki tuna, duck sausage with zucchini and fennel, and Wagyu with black lemon. A Fior di latte dessert with lemon jam and Okinawa mango finishes things off, with optional wine pairings starting from HK$498. Expect 48-hour fermented dough, seasonal ingredients and pizza with a crisp, airy crust. Green light on cocktails Above The Upper House Green Room cocktails, including The Wild Card, The Everyman, Girl Next Door and The Dreamer The Upper House has quietly lifted the curtain on the Green Room, its once-whispered cocktail lounge now stepping fully into the spotlight with a refreshed drinks list and weekly after-dark programming. Bar manager Gail Lanorias leans into the ethos of 'complex but not complicated' with new signatures such as the Golden Child, a heady mix of sage-infused Nordes gin, rosemary syrup and pineapple, and the red bean-and-yuzu-spiked Star Crossed Lovers, topped with matcha soy foam. Designed with Wes Anderson-esque flair in lacquered green and Pevla stone, the space strikes a sweet spot between elegance and eccentricity. Fridays now play host to Moonlight, a late-night series featuring regional guest bartenders, Mono x Moonlight snacks and the occasional drag spectacle. Next up: Bar Us on July 11 and Hope & Sesame on July 18. The Upper House 88 Queensway, Admiralty, Hong Kong It takes (more than) two Bar Leone, Hong Kong's reigning champion of neighbourhood Italian cocktail charm, marks its second anniversary with a ten-day series of guest shifts from June 1 to 10 featuring some of the world's most celebrated bars. The festivities kick off with Miami's Café La Trova (June 1), where Cantinero legend Julio Cabrera brings Cuban flair to Bridges Street. On June 7, it's a double act with Viceversa's Valentino Longo and Overstory's Harrison Ginsberg, while the finale on June 10 sees The Connaught Bar's Giorgio Bargiani fly in from London, Martini in hand. Known for its cocktail popolari ethos, Bar Leone's anniversary programme doubles as a global roll call of bartending's finest, all served with a side of warm hospitality and a touch of dolce vita. Guest shifts begin nightly at 7pm, until the bottles run dry. Bar Leone $ $ 11-15 Bridges Street, Central, Hong Kong Indian summer Above Flower prawns bathed in coconut, mustard and cinnamon, amongst other dishes Above The quail pepper roast at Prince and the Peacock comes with quail eggs and lemon Prince and the Peacock, tucked within the stately walls of Tai Kwun's Central Magistracy, welcomes the warmer months with a new lineup of spring and summer dishes from chef Palash Mitra and team. The updated menu deepens its exploration of regional Indian flavours with plates like bhapa chingri , flower prawns bathed in coconut, mustard and cinnamon, and machli angeethi , where Indian Ocean mackerel is marinated in green herbs before being roasted over embers. There's fire in the quail pepper roast, cooled by boiled quail eggs and lemon, and flair in the Patiala shahi koftey , where soft cheese dumplings come studded with nuts and royal cumin. A sweet finish comes via bahapa doi , a steamed yoghurt flan with rose cookies, or the daily sorbet, a dairy-free nod to an ancient recipe, finished with cashew. Dinner is served nightly from 6pm. Prince and the Peacock Address: 2/F, The Magistracy, Tai Kwun, 1 Arbuthnot Road, Central, Hong Kong Pearls before twilight Above Qura Bar makes the most of peak caviar season at Regent Hong Kong Qura Bar at Regent Hong Kong is ushering in peak caviar season with a cocktail-forward twist on the classic tasting menu, available from June 2 to July 31. Partnering with France's Prunier, the team has built a four-course menu centred on sustainably sourced Oscietra caviar, five grams per dish, no less. Highlights include onsen egg with petits pois and vodka sauce, tagliolini with lemon confit and chives, and a sweet finale of marcona almond sponge with lime crème and coconut pearls. Each dish is designed to let the caviar's signature roasted walnut notes shine, with an optional pairing cocktail, Bloom & Sand, blending Belvedere vodka, elderflower and bitters for a Riviera-style finish. Bar bites such as the crispy potato croissant and cod croquette keep things casual, while Qura's art deco setting and harbour views do the heavy lifting on glamour.
Tatler Asia
20-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Tatler Asia
Lorenzo Antinori and Simone Caporale to launch Montana, a bar inspired by Cuban soul and Miami disco in Hong Kong
Montana will open on Hollywood Road with live rhythms, rotisserie pineapple and razor-sharp classics from the minds behind Bar Leone and Sips Montana's concept wasn't sparked by a business plan, but by a bottle of tequila. 'It wasn't Lorenzo, Simone and a bottle of tequila,' recalls Simone Caporale. 'It was a bottle of tequila… then Lorenzo and Simone.' The Italian duo—Caporale, best known for Barcelona's Sips, and Lorenzo Antinori of Hong Kong's Bar Leone—first met more than a decade ago in London. 'We met in London,' says Antinori. 'Simone was at the Artesian and I was working at the Savoy.' They stayed in touch over the years, crossing paths through the industry and rekindling their connection in Madrid during the 2024 50 Best Bars ceremony. That's when the idea for Montana emerged, rooted in mutual admiration and a shared obsession with hospitality. 'Whatever we do, Lorenzo and I, we always do it based on what we feel in the chest,' says Caporale. 'Feelings don't lie.' Their new project, Montana, channels the energy of 1970s Cuban migration to Florida—a cultural blend of rhythm, rum and resilience. 'The Cuban cocktail culture created hundreds of cocktails that are not that famous, but they're delicious,' Caporale explains. 'But there isn't a bar in the world that tells the real story of the Cuban migration to Florida in the 1970s and '80s. So we said, 'Why don't we do that?'' Above Simone Caporale and Lorenzo Antinori bring over a decade of friendship, craft and rhythm to Montana, their first Hong Kong project together
South China Morning Post
17-04-2025
- Entertainment
- South China Morning Post
Hong Kong hosting World's 50 Best Bars is proof its drinks scene is on the up
It's an exciting time to be in Hong Kong for enthusiastic imbibers like myself. A few weeks ago, it was announced that the World's 50 Best Bars awards will be hosted in the city for the first time, on October 8. Advertisement Having previously hosted two editions of Asia's 50 Best Bars, in 2023 and 2024 (both at Rosewood Hong Kong), the city has been upgraded to welcome the world's finest bartenders, following in the footsteps of London, Barcelona, Singapore and Madrid. Not bad for a place that, post-pandemic, had struggled to convince wary tourists that we had some serious 'night vibes' going on. The image is helped by Hong Kong's own Bar Leone in Sheung Wan being crowned Asia's Best Bar in 2024, and runner-up in the world edition of the awards a few months later. It only seems fair to bring the party back to this side of the world. Bar Leone was awarded the best bar in Asia at the Asia's 50 Best Bars awards. Photo: World's 50 Best Bars And this year, when the world's most discerning drinkers descend upon Hong Kong, they'll have a new spot to flock to. Advertisement Timed perfectly for their arrival is a new project by Bar Leone's Lorenzo Antinori, who has teamed up with Simone Caporale of Barcelona's Sips, which was crowned World's Best Bar in 2023 and is currently ranked third.
Yahoo
26-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Two Hong Kong Restaurants Achieve Top 3 Status in Asia's 50 Best Restaurants 2025
Together with No.1 Ranking at Asia's 50 Best Bars, Hong Kong Shines as a Culinary Powerhouse Celebrated chefs from Hong Kong who made it to the list of Asia's 50 Best Restaurants 2025, with The Chairman and WING ranked 2nd and 3rd on the list. (Credit: The Forks & Spoons, Forklore) HONG KONG, March 26, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Hong Kong has solidified its position as a culinary powerhouse in Asia, boasting three spots in the top three of both Asia's 50 Best Restaurants 2025 and Asia's 50 Best Bars 2024. Asia's 50 Best Restaurants 2025 were revealed at a ceremony in Seoul last night, Gaggan in Bangkok was named the best restaurant, while Hong Kong's The Chairman and WING secured second and third places, respectively, each improving their standings from last year. Vicky Cheng, Chef and Owner of WING, also secured the coveted peer-voted Inedit Damm Chefs' Choice Award. The achievement caps a remarkable 12 months for Hong Kong's gastronomy scene, which began when Hong Kong's Bar Leone stunned the hospitality world by debuting at number 1 on Asia's 50 Best Bars 2024, the first ever bar to do so. Danny Yip, owner of The Chairman, elevates Chinese cuisine to fine dining, showcasing its rich flavours and artistry. (Credit: The Chairman & Asia's 50 Best Restaurants) Danny Yip, owner of The Chairman, said: "I would like to dedicate this recognition to everyone in Chinese restaurants who harness the beauty of Chinese cuisine to connect with friends from all corners of the globe. We're thrilled to share our culinary journey on the international stage, inspiring others to explore the richness of our cuisine and the vibrant essence of Hong Kong's dining scene." Vicky Cheng, Executive Chef and Owner of WING, invites diners to experience the perfect fusion of flavours, where Chinese culinary art meets French fine dining. (Credit: WING) Vicky Cheng, Chef and Owner of WING, said: 'Being recognised among the best restaurants in Asia is an incredible honour for our team and a reflection of our commitment to pushing culinary boundaries, and we are proud to contribute to Hong Kong's rich culinary tapestry. We are excited to share our culinary story on such a prestigious stage, and this recognition fuels our passion to explore new gastronomic horizons.' Hong Kong has long been renowned by global gourmands and culinary tastemakers as one of the world's great gastronomic cities, known for its incredible breadth and depth of restaurants and cuisines. This latest recognition underscores Hong Kong's position as one of the world's best cities for food and drink enthusiasts, with a hospitality scene that continues to go from strength to strength and that remains at the forefront of creativity and innovation. Hong Kong's success at Asia's 50 Best Restaurants and Bars firmly establishes the city as a premier destination for gastronomic excellence. With The Chairman, WING and Bar Leone leading the way, the city showcases an unparalleled richness in culinary artistry and innovation. Food and beverage enthusiasts from around the world are encouraged to immerse themselves in the city's vibrant dining scene, exploring the celebrated establishments that make Hong Kong a true gastronomic haven. Looking ahead, Hong Kong will also host the World's 50 Best Bars 2025 for the first time on 8 October, at the iconic Kai Tak Cruise Terminal, ensuring that this extraordinary year will further elevate the city's reputation in the hospitality world. Key points at a glance: Top Rankings for Hong Kong Establishments: 3 establishments from Hong Kong are currently ranked in the top 3 of Asia's 50 Best Restaurants 2025 and Asia's 50 Best Bars 2024: The Chairman at no. 2 and WING at no. 3 for restaurants, along with Bar Leone, which holds the top spot at no. 1 for bars. This remarkable achievement solidifies the city's reputation as one of the world's great gastronomy hubs. Additional Honorees in Asia's 50 Best Lists: A number of the city's other establishments hold spots on current Asia's 50 Best lists. Asia's 50 Best Restaurants 2025 includes 7 Hong Kong Restaurants: The Chairman (no. 2), WING (no. 3), Caprice (no. 18), Neighborhood (no. 21), MONO (no. 24), Estro (no. 32) and Andō (no. 41) while the 51–100 long list features VEA (no. 53), Xin Rong Ji (no. 56), Testina (no. 60), Ta Vie (no. 64), Feuille (no. 93), and 8 1/2 Otto E Mezzo Bombana (no. 94). Recognition of Hong Kong Bars: Including the top-ranked Bar Leone, Asia's 50 Best Bars 2024 includes 9 Hong Kong bars: three-time number one COA (no. 4), ARGO (no. 9), The Aubrey (no. 10), Darkside (no. 17), The Savory Project (no. 19), Penicillin (no. 24), Quinary (no. 26), and Mostly Harmless (no. 45). About 50 Best: 50 Best is one of the world's leading authorities on international hospitality, showcasing worldwide trends and highlighting great restaurants and bars from all corners of the globe. The annual lists are compiled by votes by local industry tastemakers, and celebrate excellence in gastronomy, from innovative dishes to exceptional beverages. Media can download photos at the following link: Asia's 50 Best Restaurants 2025 Asia's 50 Best Bars 2024 Restaurant Photos: Bars Photos: Ceremony Photos and Press Materials from 50 Best: Ceremony Photos and Press Materials from 50 Best: For media enquiries, please contact: Ms. Holly ChanTel: 2807 6206Email: Ms. Natalie ChanTel: 2807 6216Email: Photos accompanying this announcement are available at: in to access your portfolio
