IFC Roof Garden

This review might be biased because it’s based on my one experience here on a foggy/​rainy afternoon. It’s cool that there’s a spacious rooftop garden at the IFC mall with restaurants but there’s not much of a view since there are adjacent buildings under construction and/​or blocking the view of the harbour.

This is an oasis in the hustle and bustle of Central. One can enjoy relative quietness, during day time, away from all the busyness. There are plenty of greens, trees and grass, as well as the occasional blue sky. There is a great harbour view. The atmosphere is quite different at night though, with the bars and restaurants.
There are plenty of seating. Many people assume that these seating belong to the bars and restaurants, but in reality anyone can use them. One may buy take away and have food here.

Aw, really beautiful.
It was hot as hell out here so we didn’t stay long, but it’s right next to the mall and we got drinks from the grocery store inside and sat out and drank and had a really lovely view of the water and a nice break from the craziness of the trip.
Apparently they let you eat up there so bring food, bring drinks, have a really nice time here. Don’t miss it if you’re in the mall.

Unfortunately, I could not get onto the free wifi, the signal was pretty poor up there — so was not able to read the reviews on here about BYO! A bottle beer at the Red Bar is HK$ 65, that is equivalent to about £6, more expensive than the City of London!
But the Roof Garden is a great place to relax, chill, drink beer and catch up with friends, as it has a great view across the Harbour and comfortable seating.

Great view of the harbour, especially at night. If you get takeaway from Tim Ho Wan to avoid the long wait and crowded atmosphere, this is the spot to go to eat your dim sum in peace, complete with fresh air and scenery. There’s also a bar called Red Bar, so you can either BYOB or grab a drink there. Check out the light shows at the Cultural Center or the ICC Tower at night. Love this spot so long as it’s not raining!

Great public space with a great view. Bring your own food and drink for a cheap dinner or pre game before a night out.

The IFC rooftop is public ground which means that even if the numerous bars and restaurants set out furniture, anyone can use it. I generally only take advantage of this after a junk trip as it is a short walk from the Central piers.
My friends and I generally purchase two bottles of wine from Red Bar and ask for an ice bucket for each. This way you can pop the two bottles in one and use the other to keep the beers you’ve brought from 7 – 11 cold. Buying a drink from one of the bars also gains you access to their toilets which saves you schlepping into the mall.
Keep in mind that the restaurants hate this arrangement and will do anything they can to be unhelpful so don’t expect service with a smile if you’re not spending decent dollar at their establishment, but for a cheap transition from (a junk) day to night, this is the spot.

It always gives me a headache to come up with an idea of where to go before hitting LKF. Of course getting drinks after drinks at a bar is good or a bar-​hopping in Central sounds amazing too. However, these options are not very wallet-​friendly. So, what’s the best place to go before a crazy night out? Well, the IFC rooftop is my ultimate choice.
The roof at IFC features a huge open area with nice chairs and tables, perfect for a large group of friends doing pre-​drinks or even party up there! It’s probably the best free venue in Hong Kong to drink and have fun. You can either get drinks from Red Bar& Restaurant, which is located on the roof or BYOB (bring your own booze). A glass of red is about a hundred at Red Bar but getting a bottle of red from 7 – 11 nearby or citysuper on the G/​F is much cheaper. So, I would undoubtedly go for BYOB. I went there once with about 40 friends doing a pre-​drink before hitting LKF and I had such a good time. However, it gets quite hot on summer days. So, make sure your beer is cold enough!
The roof gets really busy on Friday and Saturday nights, you can meet a lot of people there, mostly exchange students or expats. Grab a drink and see how the night goes!