Rating: ★★★★☆

Address: 32 Wyndham Street, Central 中環雲咸街32號地下

Telephone: 2565 5268

https://www.stockton.com.hk/

https://www.facebook.com/MaximalConcepts

In a city as crowded as Hong Kong, it is no surprise that hidden gems often end up generating the most interest. Following the success of the secluded alleyway restaurant and bar Brickhouse, Maximal Concepts opens another charmingly mysterious bar called Stockton, which is located at the top of an obscure back-alley staircase near Fish and Meat.

Very dim lighting (almost too dim), large leather chairs and wooden cabinets immediately transport customers back to Victorian age England. Apparently, the drinks menu is an exhaustive booklet replete with fun facts and tasting notes. Unfortunately, during my several visits to this new haunt, I have not been once sobre enough to flip open the menu, and have just resorted to asking the friendly staff to bring us “any drink that tastes good”.

(1) This place may call itself a “restaurant and bar”, but it is, in practice, a whiskey bar, replete with a creative selection of dangerously delicious drinks. At this bar, I have sampled some of the finest whiskey based cocktails in the entire city, and my favourite amongst them is Brass Monkey ($150), a whiskey sour-inspired tipple that is so well shaken that it tastes like Thai silk on the palate, yet still retains a strong whiskey fragrance.

(There are other mouthwatering cocktails on offer, but I have not managed to take photos of them nor remember their names in my state of inebriation.)

(2) Like the rest of the Maximal Concepts outlets, the food menu of Stockton has its own character. The Scotch Eggs ($80) differ from the traditional recipe thanks to the drizzling of paprika aioli, but I find the layer of pork a tad too thin to give offer a good bite.

(3) The Soldiers & Egg ($90), toast served with a sea urchin and slow cooked duck’s egg dip, is an enjoyable and satisfying snack, but I wish there is more sea urchin in the dip for a stronger flavour.

(4) Cracked Mud Crab ($180), embraced by the sea fresh taste of the crab, is an utterly refreshing and delightful experience.

(5) The Beetroot Gravlax ($160) is heartening. The playful beetroot-cured salmon tastes wonderful, and the frisée salad is just the right companion for it.

(6) How can an English eatery lack fish and chips? The Rock Cod & Chips ($260) is promptly ordered – while the fries are chunky and fantastically crispy, the deep-fried cod fish does not win our approval. Fatty white fish such as cod turns out to be slightly overwhelming and greasy-tasting when deep fried.

(7) The Sticky Toffee Pudding ($90), which reminds me of something similar I had at Blue Butcher, is simply glorious – the pudding is soft, moist and lovely, and the icy vanilla ice cream gives this dessert endless depth.

(8) We round up with a Slice of Chocolate Decadence ($90), which is not only decadently chocolatey but also hit all the right spots.

As a whiskey lover, I find the whiskey based cocktails at this new haunt intensely satisfying – I only hope that the quality of the drinks here can be maintained!