The Aubrey

The Aubrey, Hong Kong: Should You Book?

The Omakase Cocktail Experience at The Aubrey seats just four people — and that constraint tells you a lot about how this venue operates. Most of the 25th floor of Mandarin Oriental is open and animated, but the most sought-after experience in the building is deliberately small, quiet, and hard to share. If you want that four-seat bar, book it before anything else, because it fills well ahead of the rest.

The Aubrey replaced Pierre, one of Hong Kong's most decorated fine-dining rooms, on the same panoramic floor of the same hotel. That is a difficult inheritance, and the answer from the Maximal Concepts group was to build something categorically different rather than comparable. The result is a Japanese izakaya concept framed around serious drinking — shochu, awamori, umeshu, champagne, sake, with food that supports the drinks rather than competing with them for attention. If you are coming for a meal-first experience, adjust expectations accordingly. If you are coming for a considered evening where cocktails and Japanese small plates coexist, this is one of the better rooms in Central to do it.

Atmosphere is the first thing to get right. The main bar uses dark wood, brass accents, warm lighting, and 140 period artworks sourced specifically referencing the Aubrey Beardsley art nouveau aesthetic and Japanisme style. On Friday and Saturday evenings there is a DJ; on other nights the playlist stays upbeat but controlled. The Curio Lounge runs louder and livelier, better for groups who want energy. Cozy corners are available throughout the space for anyone who needs to hold a conversation without raising their voice. For a date or a business dinner where tone matters, arrive early in the week and request a quieter corner. Weekend evenings skew social and louder after 9 PM.

The Drinks Program

Beverage director Devender Sehgal runs one of Hong Kong's more considered Japanese spirits lists. The cocktail menu takes its names from chess, the Two Bishops (aged rum, rye whiskey, matcha, milk) and the Endgame (tequila blanco, Campari, vermouth) are among the signatures. Each shochu bottle on the list is distinct; no two are alike by design. The Champagne and Sake Bar in the Curio Lounge carries more than 50 champagne labels and 25 sakes including three sparkling sakes, plus a house champagne produced in collaboration with maison Hostomme in Chouilly. That level of programme specificity, a custom champagne, a curated shochu selection, a four-seat omakase bar, puts The Aubrey in a different category from hotel bars that treat wine and spirits as afterthoughts. For comparison, if you are looking for depth on the wine side rather than cocktails and Japanese spirits, Amber and Caprice both run more classically structured wine lists. The Aubrey's strength is spirits and sake, not bottles.

The Food

The kitchen draws on Ginza izakaya tradition and Edomae sushi-making techniques. At lunch, the bento served in a handcrafted box is the practical choice, a broad sample of the kitchen's range in a single order. The à la carte menu uses sustainably sourced ingredients and covers the standard range of Japanese small plates. The food is not the reason to visit The Aubrey ahead of other options in Hong Kong, Ta Vie and Forum both prioritise the plate in ways The Aubrey does not. Come here when the drinks program and the room are the draw, and treat the food as complementary. For a Japanese izakaya comparison outside Hong Kong, Flippers in Tokyo and Touhichi in Osaka give a sense of what the izakaya format looks like in its home context.

Booking and Practical Details

The Aubrey is one of the more accessible venues at this level in Hong Kong. Reservations: Book one to two weeks out for standard tables; the four-seat Omakase Cocktail Experience requires more lead time and should be arranged directly through the hotel. Dress: Smart casual is enforced, no shorts, torn jeans, singlets, flip-flops, or sandals for men. Location: 25/F, Mandarin Oriental, 5 Connaught Road Central, direct to reach from MTR Hong Kong or Central stations. Leading for: Date nights, corporate entertaining, and groups who want a drink-led evening with food that holds up. Less suited to diners who want the kitchen to be the main event.

For a broader look at where The Aubrey sits among Central's options, see our full Hong Kong restaurants guide, our Hong Kong bars guide, and our Hong Kong hotels guide. If you want to explore the izakaya format in other cities, Budonoki in Los Angeles and Fish & Bird Sousaku Izakaya in San Francisco are worth checking.