The attention to detail earns the Jia Group restaurant extra points for style and food execution
As a heritage site, Tai Kwun pays excellent homage to history, but its dining options go beyond offering local eats. Madame Fu, Christian Rhomberg’s cocktail-focused dining establishment plays its part as the hip lifestyle hub set within the quarters of the vintage structure, serving Cantonese cuisine. Old Bailey, too, breathes new life into the destination, residing on the second floor of the new JC Contemporary artspace designed by Herzog & de Meuron. Both restaurants add new energy to their design within the landmark heritage site.
Most may prefer accessing the restaurant via elevator but—if you are able to—we suggest strolling up the dramatic swirling staircase that has taken social media by storm. Once you reach the second floor and pass a kitchen-inspired art piece, you’ll find Old Bailey, where the expansive lounge area and well-stocked bar invites guests for a casual cocktail before the meal.
The elongated main dining area stretches the same length as the restaurant’s outdoor terrace, where guests can unwind over cocktails while overlooking the city scene and the view within the Tai Kwun building complex. Like the building in which Old Bailey resides, the furniture design takes inspiration from Ming Dynasty, re-creating fine chairs and square tables that are neatly placed throughout the dining space. The abundance of natural light brightens up the space during daylight hours, while during dinner service the intimate setting, combined with dimmed lights and wood panelled walls and flooring, brings warmth to the overall ambiance.