Coa
Jay Khan named Coa after the machete-like tool that harvests agave, the plant that both mezcal and tequila are distilled from.
Why go
Jay Khan grew up in Hong Kong and opened Coa in 2017, modelled on the drinking dens Jay frequented on his trips to Mexico.
2 He told DrinksWorld in 2024: Agave spirits are my absolute favourite.
5 The back bar holds about 200 agave bottles, the largest collection in the city.1 In 2023 Coa topped Asia's 50 Best Bars for the third year running, which Tatler called unprecedented.9 In 2026 it placed 24th.1
Come for the cocktails. Joanne Tsang, who writes the Clean Plate blog, drank the Bitter Melon Collins in 2025: It is a fragrant and savoury cocktail that tastes just like a Thai green curry, in the best way possible.
3 Ingrid Paredes, in 50 Best's 2026 profile, names the Smacked Cucumber among the newer drinks fans have taken to, for its mind-bending balance of smoky mezcal, tequila, refreshing cucumber and soy-forward Chinese salad sauce.
1 The bartender Jade Lau told the South China Morning Post in 2024 what she drinks on a night off: I would go to Coa for their Coconut Milk Punch.
4 The house recipe for that clarified punch runs from aged rum and dry sherry to coffee, coconut cream and tamarind.2
Go early on a weeknight. Coa takes no bookings: give your details to the door staff and they put you on a waitlist.2 Tatler found the room consistently full every night
in 2023. Tsang waited two to three hours on a weekend in 2025: getting into COA always feels like winning the lottery.
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Order this / avoid
- Drink: the Bitter Melon Collins. Joanne Tsang, 2025.3
- Drink: the Pepper Smash. Tsang, 2025:
this cocktail has a loud peppery and sour kick that is sure to give you a jolt.
3
What locals & experts say
- Rubin Verebes, Foodie (2026): Khan's bar is
crafting both classic and innovative Mexican-style cocktails that have now rendered the bar a tourists' favourite for drinks.
7 - Award: No. 1, Asia's 50 Best Bars, three times, the third in 2023. No. 24 in 2026.1
Good to know
- Booking: none. Join the waitlist at the door.2
- Timing: shut Monday, open evenings until late.8
- Where: Shop A, LG/F, Wah Shin House, 6-10 Shin Hing Street, Central. Khan's other Hong Kong bar, The Savory Project on Staunton Street, is a different room.1
Jeff's take (his words)
- Note: "Best cocktail bar in HK? A top in asia"
Verdict
should-visit — Go early on a weeknight for Jay Khan's agave cocktails, among them a Bitter Melon Collins one drinker compared to Thai green curry. Coa has topped Asia's 50 Best Bars three times and still fills every night. It takes no bookings, and the weekend wait runs to hours.