Step Into A Futuristic Spaceship In Hong Kong At The Artifact Bar

Step into the world of spirits, Japanese cuisine, and a luxurious dine-and-drink experience when you enter the Artifact Bar in Hong Kong. Located, speakeasy-style, inside a food hall in central Hong Kong. The bar is Ideal for those looking to catch up over drinks after work or simply try something new when they are visiting the heart of Hong Kong. Artifact restaurant is a 14-seater counter dining setup for neo-Japanese food helmed by Chef Sato Kiyoshi. The term artifact is often used to describe an object that represents a time in the past, a specific place, or the remains of a culture. While the restaurant is a chef’s table-style restaurant with a menu based on seasonality, the bar is an experience inspired by futuristic dystopian themes centred around voyages.

The bar is hidden underground for a good reason, away from the food hall and the bustling sounds of Central Hong Kong, inside BaseHall 2 of the Jardine House. As you descend into space, the entryway gets narrower to mimic the experience of ascending into a vessel for space travel. Designed by Nelson Chow of NCDA, this new bar is the beginning of a grand adventure. The bar is helmed by J Frank, bar manager, and the creative vision of Beckaly Franks, Ezra Star, and Michael Larkin.

Inspired by the patterns and geometry of an underground cistern or reservoir, the interiors of Artifact are a more futuristic adaptation of the columns and arches found in old water tanks underground. The design choices are a blend of practical meets luxe aesthetic. The walls are covered in tiles to block the noise from the food hall outside and create the feeling of being confined in a vessel. The smooth arches located along the walls, the concentric curvatures, and the low lighting combined make the bar one of the focal points. Located at the end of the entry hallway, the bar counter emanates a soft glow from a skylight giving the illusion of the setting sun and also offering patrons a sense of direction. Instead of windows, designer Nelson Chow and his team have installed glowing lamps on each table that lean into the warm and intimate ambiance.

The bar menu is focused on brown spirits from around the world and is designed to take patrons through time, the ocean, and the earth in a glass. While the spirit list will change, the focus of their menu will remain on brown spirits like brandy, gin, rum, and whisky. A subtle nod to this choice is also visible in the design with shades of brown being the colour choice for the walls and furniture. It’s unclear whether the vessel is a ship, a submarine, or a plane. This ambiguity upholds the mystery and adventure of Artifact Bar.

Earlier this month, the space was shortlisted for the UK’s Restaurant and Bar Design Award in the category of Standalone Best Asia Bars. Using a simple design concept in a 1100 sq. ft space the NCDA and Artifact team have pushed design boundaries in the hospitality scene.

Open Tuesday – Saturday. No.1 & 2, BaseHall 02, Shop 5 & 7, LG/F, Jardine House