The Bar Leone team has taken over Rosewood Hong Kong’s old XX space. Here’s how Bar Camillo looks, how the menu works, and what to order.
Hong Kong’s two No.1’s are finally under one roof.
Bar Camillo, the new cocktail bar from Bar Leone’s Lorenzo Antinori and Justin Shun Wah, opens at Rosewood Hong Kong this November. It puts the team behind The World’s 50 Best Bars No.1 inside The World’s 50 Best Hotels No.1, both titles held two years running. It takes over the former XX space in Tsim Sha Tsui, a room most of us agreed was underused.
A Living Room, Not a Lobby Bar
The brief is an Italian salotto, the family living room where Italian parties take place. Punters can expect mid-century wood veneers, polished metal, mirrored walls, and a gold-and-alpine-green palette set against cream, as well as a long banquette that runs the length of the bar, the ideal spot for drop-ins and people-watching. Further in, lower seating and enclosed corners suit quieter conversation, and a terrace handles the one-more-drink stretch after sunset.
Antinori says he wants to strip out the formality of a traditional hotel bar and bring standalone-bar energy into a five-star address. Presiding over it all is Camillo, a cheeky, clumsy cartoon bartender who gets livelier as the night goes on (don’t we all?).
A Short & Punchy Menu
The list is kept short and split into three parts. The libations of Aperitivi di Benvenuto are dry, bright openers, while those of Cocktail della Casa are seasonal drinks rooted in the classics. We quite fancy the Playful Party Touches, which cover the late-night, high-energy end of the spectrum. The whole menu changes four times a year, with each edition pegged to a season and a specific year. This steady evolution is accentuated by the elegant Italian theme, which includes Italian chart hits on the playlist and striking art on the walls.
What We’ll Be Ordering
There’s plenty on offer for both purists and those who like a little innovation in the glass. Our picks include the bespoke negronis, which are ordered off menu, via a chit at your table, with which you choose the spirit, the garnish and a profile (floral, savoury or rich). Your curated elixir is then stirred tableside from a dedicated Negroni Trolley. Our call is to lean savoury (below) for the version you’re least likely to find on any other list in town. The trolley theatre does it justice.
If you’re fresh from the office, I’d siggest kicking off with anything from the Aperitivi di Benvenuto section. Bar Leone built its reputation on drinks that look simple and drink complex, and a dry, cold opener shows that thinking most clearly. It also sets up the Negroni instead of competing with it.
The Antinori Family Tree
Camillo is the newest branch of a fast-growing portfolio. Bar Leone opened in 2023, topped Asia within a year, and has since held the world No.1 spot. Montana, his Cuban-inspired bar with Sips’ Simone Caporale, opened in Soho in 2025. Bar Leone also has a sister bar in Shanghai. Before any of that, Antinori ran Argo at Four Seasons Hong Kong.
The question is whether Camillo keeps Leone’s famous walk-in queue or takes bookings.
Bar Camillo, Rosewood Hong Kong, Victoria Dockside, 18 Salisbury Road, Tsim Sha Tsui. Opens November 2026.
