Top of Hong Kong’s glitzy new skyscraper offers instagrammable cocktails

[HONG KONG] It’s perhaps no surprise that the bar at the top of Hong Kong’s glitzy new skyscraper, The Henderson, is carefully curated to generate echoes of “wow”. After living in Dubai for five years, I felt a bit of a déjà vu upon stepping inside – and could not explain if I loved or hated the opulence. Peridot, located on the 38th floor and facing Victoria Harbour and Central’s skyline, sports a pale-green cocoon-like interior that evokes the gemstone it is named after. Hundreds of small lights perfectly aligned from floor to ceiling add to the peculiarity of the place. The impressive bar in the middle of the room is a giant slab of green marble. Its interior is done by the design firm Studio Paolo Ferrari, known for its luxurious and immersive decors and behind projects including the futuristic Shebara Resort by the Red Sea in Saudi Arabia. François Cavelier, a mixologist who dedicated his career to French-Japanese fusion and formerly of The Peninsula and Rosewood, was hired to take the helm as beverage director. Lisandro Illa is the Argentinean chef behind the plant-based (and literally green) menu. Illa is also the co-founder of a Madrid-based art gallery focused on the link between culinary and visual arts. (This fits in line with The Henderson’s ties to art, housing Christie’s and a restaurant decked out in artwork.) I visited with a guest on a Monday around 5.30 pm, ingenuously thinking the place would be empty, but it was actually packed. Of course it would be. It’s at sunset that you can see and feel how the space changes as the sunlight vanishes outside. Once it’s nighttime, the interior illumination contrasts to the external lights of the city. Remember, the wow effect is part of the experience. Our bill came at HK$1,073.60 (S$177) for two drinks apiece (at HK$170 per drink), two appetisers and service. The vibe: Chic and casual, this place is definitely “more Dubai and less Hong Kong”. A DJ was playing the night we visited, but the music (including some ‘80s classics) did not quite match the space. We’d return to hear a musician at the keys of the futuristic-looking grand piano. Who’s next to you: Groups of young professionals dressed in trendy clothes, many who’d be at home at a vernissage in Central during Art Week, plus office workers who just got off the clock. Can you conduct a meeting here? Not really. The tables are fairly small, and the music was too loud when we visited. But you can certainly come for a happy hour drink with a visitor you want to impress. There’s also a private room behind the bar for fancier gatherings What we’d order again: Any of the drinks – they were impeccable. My guest was delighted by the Durian’s Consent, which paid respect to the polarising fruit in a fine combination with Cuban and Jamaican rum. I enjoyed my Yuzu’s Reply, a bitter and citrusy combination of gin, Akayane yuzushu, Campari and lemon. We both loved the golden sparassis mushroom fries, which were crunchy, flavourful and gorgeously presented. Need to know: Peridot is at Summit 38, the 38th floor of The Henderson, 2 Murray Road in Central. From Monday to Thursday, it’s open from noon to 1 am; on Friday and Saturday, it’s open until 2 am. After 5 pm, reservations are accepted only for parties of six people or more with a deposit. Guests are asked to be in smart casual dress (its website specifically notes no slippers or sandals, even for ladies). BLOOMBERG