Breakfast Gimlet I Photo by Tatum Ancheta
Hong Kong may be known as one of Asia’s top bar spots, but its neighbor, Macau, is steadily carving out its own reputation on the cocktail scene, proving that there’s much more to discover beyond the casinos and expansive hotels. While there are a few notable independent bars outside the strips, hotel bars are stepping up their game, not just blending into the hotel experience but shining a spotlight on mixology, embracing their Macau roots, and hosting international guest bartenders to introduce fresh ideas to the drinks scene.
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One spot that should be on your radar is Wing Lei Bar. While the venue has been serving guests for some time, its recent transformation and exciting new cocktail program make it well worth the trip to the Las Vegas of the East.
Get a sneak peek of the offerings from the video below:
Just like its home, Wynn Palace—known for its dazzling gilded decor—Wing Lei Bar feels like you’ve stepped into a fairytale. With its tasseled green curtains and antique jewelry box design, at first glance, it feels plush and formal, and you’d expect a choreographed hotel bar experience. Thanks to its recent revamp and the playful service spearheaded by seasoned Scottish bartender Mark Lloyd—known for crafting bespoke cocktail experiences in bars like J. Boroski in Bangkok, Hong Kong, and Shanghai—the bar has adopted a more relaxed atmosphere; it’s not stiff and stuffy, transforming it into an exciting new spot for cocktail enthusiasts.
“We’re trying to create a community bar. We offer something called personal hospitality,” shares Mark. “We’re a five-star hotel in a very beautiful building. But we’re not stuffy; we’re not your traditional five-star hospitality. Here, I want to know your name. I’m not going to call you ‘Sir’ or ‘Madam’; I’ll call you by your name. We’ll have a colloquial chat. We’re here to be friends and break down the walls so you can have a more relaxed time. You’ll want to come here because you want to hang out with us,” he adds.
The new cocktail program takes a two-pronged approach, leveraging Mark’s extensive experience in mixology. Guests can choose from a signature menu featuring 12 reimagined versions of four classic cocktail styles—sours, stirred, classics, and alternatini (modern Martinis). Alternatively, they can enjoy a bespoke experience based entirely on their preferences, with no set menu, just their taste preferences. All drinks are priced at MOP 120, unless guests opt for top-shelf bottles for their bespoke cocktails.
Don’t be surprised if you find Lego minifigures hugging your glass—it’s all part of the fun. For Mark, Legos hold a special meaning; they remind him of the weekends spent playing with his daughter. He wanted to infuse that personal touch into the bar experience. As he puts it, “Drinks are a lot like Lego. You take different blocks, mix various liquors, and combine them to create something incredibly creative.
For the classic offerings, order the Margarita with lacto-fermented chili, coriander, and lime—it’s herbal, punchy, and spicy, guaranteed to wake up your palate. Then there’s the Breakfast Gimlet, which combines Boatyard gin, lime, cornflakes, agave syrup, and pink peppercorns. It’s a refreshing sour blend with a savory hint of toasted corn.
In the Martini section, the YuenYueng, made with pineapple rum, coffee liqueur, espresso, black tea, and pineapple syrup, is the perfect drink to wake you up and help you unwind. For Sours, try Cupid, a pisco-based concoction that mixes strawberry, Aperol, lemon juice, and toasted coconut.
Under the stirred section, a standout drink is the Old Fashioned twist, Cola Cube. It’s familiar yet new, taking you back to those college days of Jack and Coke, but with an elevated twist. It’s clean and punchy and hits just the right notes with a hint of Penja pepper and cola bitters.
For the bespoke option, Mark didn’t even have to ask questions; his attentiveness to my preferred orders led him to pour me a premade Negroni that was a bit nutty, savory, with hints of plum—just my kind of drink.
This menu is very personal for me,” explains Mark. “A lot of flavors that we have put into here, the kind of flavors that I pick up here, or they reminded me of situations or scenarios where I’ve been elsewhere, but those flavors resonate,” he explains.
According to Mark, this new menu will be available for two to three months, and to keep things fresh, any new drinks the bar team creates will be added to the menu.
This month, the bar also launched its new culinary-inspired cocktail guest shift series, kicking off on March 13, with Shanghai bar Union Trading Company (#48 on the World’s 50 Best Bars 2021) featuring Patrick Zhou behind the stick. Follow them on instagram.com/wingleibar for updates on the next bar shifts and to watch for an impressive lineup in July.
Wing Lei Bar is open from 5pm to 1am daily and is located at Wynn Palace, Avenida Da Nave Desportiva, Cotai, Macau. Call +853 8889 3663 for reservations and visit wynnresortsmacau.com for more info.
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