Aussie Bar Replaces Hong Kong’s Much-Loved Shady Acres: Review

Bourke’s bring a relaxed and friendly Aussie vibe to Peel Street

Author of the article:

Bloomberg News

Filipe Pacheco

Published Nov 30, 2024  •  2 infinitesimal read

The pork katsu sandos were great. Photographer: Filipe Pacheco/Bloomberg Bloomberg RSS

(Bloomberg) — This reappraisal was primitively published arsenic portion of the Hong Kong Edition newsletter connected Nov. 28.

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Past reviews: 22 Ships | Club Bâtard | Feuille | Joongang Haejang | New Punjab Club | Nobu | Onyx gym | Samsen | Sheung Shing | Watermark

When Shady Acres unopen down successful aboriginal October, determination was an outcry from nostalgic patrons sharing pictures online of them holding their last drinks astatine the bar.

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Hong Kongers person gotten implicit it. 

Bourke’s, a vino barroom that aims to bring a relaxed and friendly Aussie vibe to Peel Street, opened earlier this period successful Shady Acres’ place. The watering hole’s sanction is simply a motion to Bourke Street successful Melbourne, celebrated for its bars and wide bohemian energy. It’s tally by the radical down immoderate fashionable spots successful the vicinity, including Honky Tonks Tavern and Quality Goods Club.     

Wooden furnishings successful tones of acheronian greenish and reddish lucifer the rustic walls and ceiling. The lighting is dim and the euphony not excessively large — perfect for a portion to headdress the day. You tin beryllium by the barroom oregon successful tables that acceptable 4 comfortably. And pets are invited — we saw idiosyncratic hanging retired with a cute canine successful 1 manus and a brew successful the other.

I visited Bourke’s connected a Tuesday evening with a guest who’s from Sydney but knows Melbourne (and Bourke Street) rather well. We were fortunate to get a spot by the window, which was comfy for an informal catch-up but a spot choky if you’re bare and readying to order a batch of food. In that case, amended to hold for a due table. 

Our measure came to HK$754 (including a 10% work charge). For drinks, we had a Bourke’s Martini (HK$120) — which was large — a Peroni connected draught (HK$85) and sparkling h2o (HK$35). We ordered immoderate nutrient arsenic well, which was beauteous good, but we’ll get to that. 

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The vibe: Very informal. It’s great for a blessed hr with colleagues oregon for a catch-up with friends. The unit was highly adjuvant and chatty, acceptable to explicate the paper and stock suggestions connected the extended vino list. 

Who is adjacent to you: The barroom and tables were afloat erstwhile we visited. Some — myself included — looked similar they were conscionable coming backmost from the office, but blended successful good with a laid-back assemblage wearing jeans and jumpers.

What we’d bid again: I truly enjoyed the martini, which I ordered with gin alternatively of vodka. The nutrient was rather bully overall, with the chorizo iberico croquettes (HK$85), and the pork katsu sando with papaya pickles and crispy onions (HK$120) lasting out.  

Need to know: Bourke’s is located connected the crushed level of 46 Peel Street, conscionable past Fine Print and Francis West. It’s unfastened from 5 p.m. until precocious connected weekdays, and from 3 p.m. connected weekends. Happy hour, with immoderate drinks disposable for HK$65, is from 5 p.m. until 7 p.m. each day. It lone takes walk-ins. 

Other past reviews: Ando | Absolute Boutique Fitness Studio | Citrino | La Terrace by Louise | Magistracy

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