QUINTESSENTIALLY | Insider | drinks

The worker’s hive of Tai Koo Shing seems an unlikely contender in the battle for the best view of Hong Kong by night. But don’t be put off by the towering office blocks – ascend to the 32nd floor of the newly-opened East hotel and you’ll discover Sugar, a stylish and chilled out escape from the chaos of Central and Lan Kwai Fong.

With a terrace to rival Central’s ever-popular Sevva and the kind of lighting scheme that made me think John Travolta and 80s disco, this is, without a doubt, one of the coolest hangouts on the eastern side of the island.

While the gents indulged in a cheeky cigar and Saturday Night Fever boogie on the psychedelic checkerboard stage, the rest of us bagged window seats with sheer views down to street level and across to Hung Hom. The great bottle and cocktail menu made for heavy heads the next morning, but it was well worth it, if only to soak in that awesome view.

We shared a bottle of Belvedere vodka, though other dangerously drinkable cocktails we tried included the Eastern Summer Punch (HKD 100) – a summery blend of vodka, lemon juice, passionfruit, pineapple, peach, mint and champagne, and the Lounge-Deck Smash (HKD 85). Muddling gin with all sorts of fresh fruit, including watermelon, grapes, mint and a dash of lemon, it was refreshing enough to cut through the sticky summer evening.

The fact the lounge was packed on a recent Friday night, when there’s normally a mass exodus out of Tai Koo Shing, tells you everything you need to know about the future of this up-and-coming area. Definitely a hot new summer favourite.

Sugar, 32/F East, 29 Tai Koo Shing Road, Island East, Hong Kong

For more information, please visit www.sugar-hongkong.com/en/Pages/index.aspx