Penicillin
Agung Prabowo said in 2021 that Penicillin brews the pulp, seeds and skin of its squeezed lemons into a sparkling lemon "wine".
Why go
Agung Prabowo and Roman Ghale, the founders of the bar The Old Man, opened Penicillin in the former Buddha Lounge on Hollywood Road.4 Prabowo told The Brighter Side of News in 2021 that he wanted it to be the Noma of bars in Hong Kong.
2 The house puts the aim plainly: The ultimate mission of PENICILLIN is to become Hong Kong's first 'scrap-less' bar – in other words, a bar that produces minimal waste by the end of the night.
3 The drinks use local and upcycled ingredients, with ferments made in a climate-controlled enclosure called the Stinky Room.1 Agung and Laura Prabowo ran it in 2026, when it was No. 49 on Asia's 50 Best Bars.1
Tatler wrote in May 2026 that the idea shows in the glass: a bar where the mission statement actually improves the drink.
5 It describes The Original, made with waste-shell vodka, spiced cherry tomato and salted coconut cordial, as tasting like medicine in the best possible way.
5 Hot, Flat & Crowded mixes mango-curd gin, salted burnt butter and grilled purple cabbage cream soda. Tatler says it shouldn't work
but somehow lands in perfect balance.
5 Nicholas Lin of The Drink Journal warned in December 2025 that if you're expecting easy fruit bombs, you might find some serves challenging.
6
Leo Ko, a Hong Kong bartender, told SCMP in 2024 that he would take out-of-town guests to Penicillin for the unique, sustainable concept and relaxed atmosphere of this bar.
7
What locals & experts say
- Tatler Asia (2026):
If the team offers you a taste of whatever's currently brewing, say yes.
5 - SCMP 100 Top Tables (2025):
The drinks are intriguing from the get-go.
8 - Standings: No. 49, Asia's 50 Best Bars 2026. Tatler Best 20 Bars, Hong Kong, 2026.15
Good to know
- Price: HK$125-200 a head in SCMP's 100 Top Tables, 2025.8
- Booking: it takes reservations (SCMP, 2025).8 Without one, expect to queue about 15 minutes on busy nights, especially Fridays (The Drink Journal, 2025).6
- Food: guests quoted by The Drink Journal in 2025 found the tables small and the portions tight. They called it
best as a stop for a few serious cocktails, or part of a bar crawl around Central.
6 - Timing: open every evening until late, to 2am except on Sundays (Time Out, 2024).4
- Where: down a staircase at L/G, Amber Lodge, 23 Hollywood Road, Central. The phone is +852 9880 7995.51
Verdict
could-visit — Go for cocktails made from ferments and upcycled scraps in a Hollywood Road basement. Expect odd pairings that won't please every drinker. SCMP put the bill at HK$125-200 a head in 2025.