The Duxton enclave makes a perfect spot for clandestine hideouts and Cat Bite Club is the newest booze den on the block. First, look out for a grinning Cheshire cat outlined by red neon lights along Duxton Road. Then, head straight into Monument Coffee and behind those heavy curtains, you’ll find yourself in good company. Call it minimalist or intentionally unfinished, the space screams speakeasy.
But don’t discount this as yet another gimmicky watering hole. The proof is in the pudding, even the beautifully illustrated cyberpunk-esque menu is designed by Mark Reihill, who is known to design comics and world-renowned cocktail menus. And the bar programme is crystal clear about putting agave and rice spirits on a pedestal or perhaps even worshipped – if you’d have seen what I’ve seen on those backlit shelves – think soju that boasts 80 proof and never-before-seen bottles of tequila and mezcal.
Sourcing these unique spirits from different parts of the world, operating partners and bartenders Jesse Vida (former Atlas head bartender) and Gabriel Lowe (ex-bar manager of Paradise Lost in Bangkok) thread the needle between both cultural and culinary influences of Southeast Asia and Mexico to come up with thoughtful riffs on classics. Think multi-layered flavour profiles that are sophisticated to the palate yet unpretentiously presented without much theatrics.
