Word on the StrEAT: The bartenders’ guide to acing first dates in Hong Kong
A warm ambience and good seating are key to transforming a simple bar into the ideal venue – oh, and don’t talk over your date
In Hong Kong’s social scene, few moments are as thrilling as the first date – and the silent third guest is the venue, setting the stage for connection or complication. Who better to decode the perfect meeting place than the experts in social chemistry: bartenders?
We asked the city’s masters of mood what transforms a simple bar into an ideal first date spot. They revealed the keys to atmosphere, essential etiquette and their top venue picks for that crucial first impression.
Beckaly Franks
“We always notice a first date,” says Beckaly Franks, the founder of Pontiac, Artifact and Call Me Al. “It’s our job to read the room, and personally, nothing makes me happier than smoothing things out so people enjoy themselves. I’m not afraid to be a little awkward to help everyone relax. I live for that moment when guards come down and the real magic happens.”
When it comes to advice, she says, “Be on time. And treat the staff well. It really does not make you look cool to be disrespectful and dismissive towards other human beings.”