Coa

Coa is an agave bar on Shin Hing Street in Central, run by the owner-bartender Jay Khan. It is named after the machete-like tool used to harvest agave plants, and it holds what is described as the city's largest collection of agave spirits, around 200 bottles of tequila, mezcal and related drinks. Khan has visited every distillery represented on the list, which gives the bar real depth.

The bar arrived on Asia's 50 Best Bars list in 2019 with the Highest New Entry Award and went on to become the first bar to be named number one in Asia three times. In 2026 it placed 24th and received the Legend of the List Award, recognition of how consistently it has performed. Khan himself won the Bartenders' Bartender Award in 2020.

The signature cocktail is La Paloma de Oaxaca, a grapefruit-spiked mix of mezcal and tequila, and the only drink that has stayed on the menu since the bar opened. A newer favourite is the Smacked Cucumber, which combines smoky mezcal and tequila with cucumber and a soy-forward Chinese salad sauce, a clever nod to Hong Kong flavours. If you are curious about agave, ask the bartenders to guide you through a few neat pours, as the range goes far beyond the usual tequila brands.

Award-winning bars in Hong Kong fill up quickly, especially at weekends, so arrive early in the evening if you want a seat. Prices are in line with Hong Kong's leading cocktail bars. The bar also has a social side: in 2020 Khan launched Mezcal Mission, which donates money raised from educational tequila tastings to a local homeless charity.

If you are new to agave, start with one of the signature cocktails and then let the team suggest a spirit to try neat. Groups should arrive together, as seating is easier to arrange for a full party.

Coa suits couples, small groups and anyone interested in tequila and mezcal, whether experienced or new to them. Khan's group has since opened Coa Shanghai in 2022 and The Savory Project in Hong Kong in 2023, which won the Best New Opening Award a year later. Shin Hing Street is in Central, so it pairs easily with a drink at Bar Leone on Bridges Street or dinner nearby. Contact the bar by phone for current opening hours.