Scarlett – TST’s chic café and wine bar

We checked out Scarlett, TST’s charming cafe and wine bar, for a girls’ night out…

Drinks with the girls at the end of the week is always something to look forward to. As Friday evening finally came around, we decided to get the Sassy team together and check out Scarlett for some serious girl chat and drinks. We’d been kindly invited by the team to try their wine and tapas offerings and so we somehow managed to make it there with the whole team on time, even if we had to drag a couple of people kicking and screaming from their laptops.

Located a little way away from our Sheung Wan ‘hood in Tsim Sha Tsui, Scarlett’s nestled amongst some pretty kick ass looking Korean restaurants on Austin Road. Keep looking up and you’ll spot its classy crimson logo, though the gorgeous open exterior and small crowd of people gathered outside with wine gives it away too.

This French restaurant and wine bar is a striking one with a welcoming exposed front wall, adding to the casual chic vibe of the whole place. We were seated by the impressive bar and while it was a little cramped, it just meant we were all the more social for it. That said, if you’re looking for something a little roomier then don’t be afraid to ask about a table on the second floor.

Despite the bustle and throng of Korean BBQ stops outside, Scarlett feels oddly detached from it all. It’s very chilled out and effortlessly trendy, making it a great place for drinks and dinner with your gal pals if you’re Kowloon-side. And plus, the wall of wine bottles is a definite reassurance that these guys know their wines.

As soon as were seated, we were immediately offered a selection of wines by their team. Although I’m more into my crimson cabernets, I decided to try out their rosé and wasn’t disappointed. Most rosé wines tend to be a little too sweet for me, but their crisp and refreshing Castel Roubine rosé was just what I needed to round off the evening. Heaven is a chilled glass of good wine on a hump day…

It didn’t take long for the nibbles to be brought out and they started with style: the massive one metre cheese board – well, plank really – was chock full of goodies including little pots of terrine, cold cuts, hard and soft cheeses and dried fruit. Before long we were on to a plate of mussels, which in all honesty were a little forgettable and left for the most part alone.

Continuing the seafood theme, we were then treated to a platter of tasty baby squid bites which were simple, yet effective. We weren’t as keen on the nachos and overambitious warm pâté unfortunately, but the squid and cheese board went down an absolute treat with everyone at the table.

With a killer wine list, this is definitely a great place to come to if you want to catch up with your girls over a glass of vino, Kowloon-side. If you’re with a big group, the cheese board is worth grabbing alongside other little bites as well – some are a little hit and miss, but for the most part they left us happy and sated. There’s much to be said for their great service as well, not a single one of us was left without a full glass of wine in our hand all night and there were smiles all around. The contagiously chill out atmosphere is ideal for de-stressing after a very long day!

Scarlett, 2 Austin Avenue, Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon, Hong Kong, 3565 6513, www.randblab.com/scarlett

SASSY SPECIAL OFFER
Interested in checking out Scarlett? Well, we’re happy to say that they’ve offered five lucky ladies a voucher worth $500 for you to splurge on your next girly meet up! All you need to do is enter your details below for your chance to win before Friday, 25 September – good luck, everyone!