The Bastard Club opened six months ago in the iconic Beaux-Arts style Pedder Building in Central, Hong Kong's business and shopping district.
Interior designer Joyce Wang invites us to witness a beautiful transformation with Club Bâtard, co-founded by Michael Wu, owner of The Fine Wine Experience, and Randy See, a Hong Kong restaurateur. This new place to be The wine bar is housed in one of the few remaining World War II buildings in the heart of Chinatown. It spans three floors and over 1,672 square meters, offering three distinct restaurants (Bâtard, Hop Sze, Le Clos), a whisky bar, and a spectacular wine cellar.
"When Hong Kong abolished wine taxes in 2008, it didn't take long for it to become a hub in Asia."explains Michael Wu. “When we launched Bâtard in 2019 with Randy, we decided to offer all wines at retail price without a restaurant markup, and it was an immediate success, with the place being fully booked months in advance.”
Delight the palace
Joyce Wang's contemporary design beautifully showcases the space and high ceilings, creating a comfortable and inviting lounge atmosphere. With Club Bâtard, she adds another gem to her portfolio of projects worldwide, which include the Mandarin Oriental and the Berkeley. The three floors incorporate marble, metal, and wood in a play of geometric glass and soft lighting. The aesthetic creates a truly intimate setting for wine connoisseurs and lovers of spirits and fine food.
The centerpiece is the state-of-the-art wine cellar, spanning over 230 square meters. Its glass facade extends across three floors, connecting them via a spiral staircase with illuminated display cases. This facility not only allows the sommelier team easy access to over 10,000 bottles of wine on offer, but also gives guests the freedom to make their own selection.
The other notable feature is the OBE whisky bar. Its three letters, meaning "Old Bottle Effect," are inspired by the natural aging of whisky after years of maturation in oak casks. This 35-seat bar, run by expert Diego Lanza, offers an extensive selection of whisky in a curved, floor-to-ceiling display clad in black metal. Its dimly lit space plays with shades of purple and jade green.
"All wines and whiskies are offered to members to be consumed at the club at retail price, without any restaurant markup. This represents a saving of 60 to 70% on usual restaurant prices.", explain the founders.
To tantalize the taste buds
The three restaurants are spread across three floors. Two of them have relocated from their former locations in Central to the Pedder Building. Le Bâtard, on the second floor, offers French cuisine to complement the world's finest wines. It seats 108, including two private dining rooms overlooking Chef Jun's kitchen. The space's Parisian brasserie aesthetic is reinvented here in a chic and stylish way with its curved leather banquettes, exotic wall tapestries, and tropical décor.
Hop Sze, located on the third floor, serves traditional Cantonese cuisine, created by chef Kuen Gor, and seats 88, including 6 private dining rooms. The space leans more towards Art Deco with its ochre, orange, and red hues, while the bar counter evokes the symmetrical harmony of Wes Anderson's style.
Le Clos, located on the first floor, is a new concept. The space draws inspiration from French vineyards bearing the Clos designation (a protected designation of origin wine) and offers Asian and Western culinary specialties. The aesthetic evokes Streamline Moderne, with its symmetrical geometry, windows, nooks, and arched interior doors, while also featuring a Miró-inspired mosaic floor and textures of wine red, burnt orange, and yellow. The bar elevates the space with turquoise leather seating that complements the green marble counter and its canopy-like glass roof.
The alliance between Joyce Wang, Michael Wu and Randy See is a great success. To enjoy all the benefits of the Bastard Club in Hong Kong, however, one must become a member, the membership fees for which amount to €6,025 per year (HK$128,000) and €188 per month (HK$1,500).
Bastard Club
1/F-3/F Pedder Building
12 Pedder Street, Central, Hong Kong (China)
