As callow as this might sound, I do believe there aren’t many problems a good bottle of wine can’t solve, and not a lot of stress a good cocktail can’t rid. Well…at least temporarily. Throw in a comfortable environment, some floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the Hong Kong cityscape and you pretty much have the perfect recipe to counter any gloomy day. But there is a problem. This perfect combination usually entails completely obliterating my wallet, and my wallet wants no obliteration.
Interior
Introducing Sky 726. There’s not a lot of mystery to the name of this restaurant. It’s very high up, on the 25th floor, and it’s on 726 Nathan Road. We came for brunch on a weekend and were immediately greeted with a super chic interior flaunting multiple eye-catching murals across the restaurant.
The venue is relatively small, but very wisely designed with the bar in the centre, the open kitchen on the side, and the floor-to-ceiling windows with panoramic views of Mongkok all work together to create an airy and spacious feel.
The whole establishment is incredibly artistic. Along with the bold, hand-painted murals, there is an Eiffel Tower sculpture made of rope and a crystal chandellier pieced together by hand, crystal by crystal, that all serve to prove just how much effort has been put into all the meticulous details that make the restaurant look so edgy.
Drinks
The unassuming bar is much more than meets the eye, housing an extensive list of wines, liquors and even craft beers. But what surprised us the most was its cocktail list, which spans six pages ranging from vintage classics to modern classics to the restaurant’s own creations. We had a taste of their original Gin & Tonic recipes including the Lemon & Thyme ($80)with Juniper Berry, Thyme & Lemon Peel and fresh lemon juice, as well as the Kaffir & Lemongrass ($80) with lemon grass, Kaffir lime syrup and fresh lemon juice. They weren’t anything extraordinary, but they were definitely refreshing, summery and well-balanced and the sheer size of it gives you a lot of bang for the buck. We haven’t had the chance to try any other drinks because we didn’t want to look too alcoholic, but we’re glad to know that their chief bartender has been experimenting with even more creations that we’ll be sure to come back to try. While $80 for a Gin & Tonic (albeit finely made and massive in size) isn’t particularly attractive in price, Sky 726 more than makes up for it with various killer happy hour deals like a glass of beer and a bar snack for $98 or a cold cuts and cheese platter plus two glasses of house wine for $248.
Food
The à la carte menu at Sky 726 is heavily French but their set menus offer a variety of other western dishes. The Weekend Brunch menu is a rather ordinary one, but has a selection wide enough to appeal to a pretty great range of people. Prices range from $148 to $268 per person depending on the number of courses you order and which dishes you go for, but $148 alone could already get you a soup and salad, an eggs benedict, a blueberry cheesecake and a tea or coffee to go with which we think is really hard to pass up.
We loved the eggs benny with the hot, fluffy muffin, wafer-thin smoked ham, a perfectly poached egg and the rich, buttery hollandaise sauce.
We also went for the Pan-seared halibut which was cooked golden brown, moist and flakey. Very well executed.
The blueberry cheesecake was thick and firm just the way we like it and a brilliant finish to our meal.
Verdict
A good cocktail, a comfortably stylish interior and a spanning city view used to be hard to come by. Nowadays there are more and more restaurants offering such luxury but with a hefty price tag. If you’re on a budget like I am, Sky 726 is able to satisfy your decadent desires without breaking the wallet. They also have a wonderfully attentive and motivated team that will make sure all your requests are met.
Sky 726
Web or Tel: 2390 3889
Hours: Mon to Sun from 12:00pm to 10:30pm
