Stockton – your secret new cocktail spot in Central

Maximal Concepts (the folks behind Fish & Meat, Blue Butcher and Brickhouse) have opened yet another cool bar and restaurant in Central – which means a new ‘it’ spot in town to check out!

Stockton is hidden (and we really do mean hidden!) down a dark alleyway off Wyndham Street, but don’t let the mysterious entrance deter you. Once you get inside, this places oozes old-world glamour, with dim lighting, vintage furniture, intriguing antiques and tucked-away private corners. Attempting to replicate the feel of 1890s London, it really does seem like you’re stepping into the past, with an exclusive, almost secret vibe. It’s the perfect place to come for a chilled out get-together with friends or an intimate first date (wink wink!) – if you can find it!

We began by sampling Stockton’s speciality, their rum and whiskey-based cocktails. These are serious drinks, guys – as Stockton’s tongue-in-cheek “house rules” state, you’ll definitely not be finding any Jagerbombs here… It’s waaaay too sophisticated for that! The unique thing about Stockton is the attention to detail and amount of thought that goes into each drink; I particularly loved the historically accurate stories behind each cocktail – an interesting, unique touch that really gets you engaged with their whole concept.

As Sassy’s alcohol guinea pig I was feeling a little apprehensive, but one sip of the Ribston Apple made me feel much more at ease! The sweet apple flavour with a hint of cinnamon was almost TOO easy to drink, but I loved its refreshing taste. Next was the Bajan Housewife – and you could definitely taste the alcohol in this baby! The Falernum rum that Stockton makes themselves had a more subtle, almost aniseed flavour to it than the original. Originally from the Bahamas, this spiced rum packs a punch; you could really taste the star anise and sous-vide lime, resulting in a limoncello-esque flavour. It was a little strong and tart for my liking, but if you like rum then you’ll probably enjoy this unique take on a cocktail.

After two drinks, I definitely needed something to line my stomach! We sampled a range of dishes from Stockton’s decadent food menu, beginning with their beetroot salmon gravalax. This was one of our favourite dishes; although simple, the flavours were light, clean and fresh, whilst the creamy dill sauce helped bring it alive.

Appetisers came thick and fast, including cracked mud crab in endive leaves, Stockton’s take on egg and soldiers (featuring a surprisingly subtle duck egg and uni dip), yellowtail crudo and country terrine – for a place that’s predominately a bar, they definitely do a pretty mean food menu!

The most noteworthy starter was the Scotch eggs, which judging from the frequency they keep popping up are clearly the next big thing on the Hong Kong dining scene. The crunchy exterior and requisite gooey yolk make these perfect bar bites, although we’d rather they were a little less drenched in the (admittedly yummy) paprika aioli, so we could taste more of the Scotch eggs themselves.

Our star dish was Stockton’s lobster salad. The hard work had been done for us (always a bonus!), with the lobster already scooped from its shell into tender bite-size pieces, which were dressed and seasoned perfectly. All we had to do was pop it onto slices of crispy toast, grab an extra bite of bacon or boiled egg, and get chomping – delicious!

We also really enjoyed the rock cod with chips, essentially a posh version of fish and chips. Very few restaurants in Hong Kong manage to get this seemingly simple British classic right yet Stockton delivered a fantastic crunchy batter/soft flaky interior combo in style!

Stockton only does two desserts at the moment… but what a two they are! The sticky toffee pudding was beyond amazing – thick, indulgent, lip-smackingly addictive toffee sauce and rich moist sponge, topped with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Forget your table manners, as you will definitely want to lick the plate clean with this one!

Meanwhile, the “Slice of Chocolate Decadence” was everything it says on the tin and more. Sinfully rich chocolate cake with that perfect slightly gooey texture… If neither of these desserts makes you feel just a little bit excited, you might want to check for a pulse!

With desserts came another cocktail, the whiskey-based Athole Brose. This was also very strong… I definitely couldn’t have finished it without feeling pretty tipsy! Somewhat reminiscent of eggnog, its milky finish and hint of cinnamon again made this drink unique and unusual.

Overall Stockton makes for another tres trendy bolthole from Maximal Concepts. Its cool concept and exclusive ambience is pretty unique in Hong Kong – the cocktails are well thought out and they clearly have some skilled mixologists at work! The food is also strong enough to stand on its own (we’ve heard they will be adding more dishes soon too!), so Stockton really does tick all the boxes for a cool night out. Like all the best secrets, this is one that you just won’t be able to keep to yourself!

Stockton  G/F, 32 Wyndham Street, Central, Hong Kong
2565 5268  www.facebook.com/…