Salon No. 10

It is a known fact that restaurants and bars along Arbuthnot Road in Central just do not do well. In the past five years, the sheer number of venues that have opened and closed are mind-boggling, with Café O and Kasbah being the sole exceptions. A couple of years ago, there was a slightly eccentric restaurant called Chez Moi along that stretch, which featured great French food and Life Aquatic motif. That, too, unfortunately closed, but the owners kept the space and opened an equally surreal bar, Salon No. 10. A stuffed peacock hovers by the door, while other inhabitants of the animal (especially avian) kingdom pop up everywhere, from owls on the cushion covers to framed portraits of ducks sitting on top of a desk. It is not unlike sitting in the home of an eccentric great-uncle, who has collected all manners of strange artefacts. The space is large and includes several different seating areas: our favourite is the nook by the door with the large window overlooking Arbuthnot Road. The cocktail list is long, and features very classic cocktails from Sazeracs to negroni sbagliato to one of the best dirty martinis in town.