Step into the dark, moody surroundings of Drink Kong and you'll wonder if you took a wrong turn on the streets of the Eternal City and ended up in Tokyo. Cocktail legend Patrick Pistolesi opened this neon-lit joint in 2019, inspired by Japanese bartending and sci-fi films. The bar is sleek and stylish, but it's got playful touches of '80s nostalgia - hit up the arcade games while ya wait for your drinks to arrive. 

When it comes to the cocktails here, minimalism is the running theme, with pared-back presentations giving way to some pretty bold flavours. Many of the drinks feature unusal homemade ingredients (think lettuce cordial, Parmesan water and miso syrup) as well as details that showcase the bartending team's high standards - we're talkin' picture-perfect ice stamped with the bar's signature gorilla logo. The highlight of our visit was a killer drink called Savoy C, with Casamigos Mezcal, cabbage cordial (trust us on this one), Midori, rice vinegar and chamomile. There's also an eclectic food menu, so you can snack on everything from tacos, to lobster rolls, to bao while you sip.

A word of advice - on busy evenings, especially Fridays and Saturdays, this place is PACKED, and you're gonna wanna book through the bar's online system. But Drink Kong slings cocktails til 2am every damn day, so you can turn any night of the week into a party.