Gin-Forward Cocktail Bar & Restaurant Black Glove (Closed)

Black Glove is a gin-forward cocktail bar and restaurant located in Taikang Terrace. The space is sleek and atmospheric, and the food is pretty good.

Update October 2025: Black Glove closed a while back and reopened. However, they do not serve the same food menu anymore, just bar snacks

It's founded by Match Chan, an industry veteran of 17 years who’s honed his craft behind the bar at countless establishments around China. He’s also co-founder of Sugar Area, the rum-centric bar next to Black Glove, which is helmed by his wife and equally accomplished bartender Jackie Lo.

Black Glove is housed in a gorgeous lanehouse with high vaulted ceilings and exposed wooden rafters. There’s also a tasting room on the lofted floor above the bar, which sports an intimate counter that will soon host a gin omakase menu. The omakase will be a pairing of gins, gin cocktails, and food. There are also two private rooms.

Tasting room

One of the private rooms

There are nine signature cocktails, all priced at ¥128; classic cocktails are ¥118. It’s a little steep, but cocktails are good.

Clitoria (¥128) – Butterfly pea infused Beefeater, fresh lime, coriander, fresh ginger, ginger ale. Bold choice of using cilantro, and I’m talking about a lot of cilantro. Herbal, fizzy, and refreshing.

Martini (¥128)

They also serve a full food menu. The dishes are well executed and it's plenty tasty. Though, like the cocktails, runs on the pricier side, too.

Homemade Caramel Foie Gras Torchon (¥128) – Served with brioche, cranberry jam, and strawberry gin jelly. Excellently executed foie gras.

Grilled Pork Neck (¥158) – Two thick slabs of pork neck grilled to a crispy finish with a sweet, caramelized crust. Served with mustard seeds, fried shallots, and cubes of caramelized pineapple. Delicious, but not quite an entrée.

Handmade Fettucine (¥158) – Velvety, fresh fettucine pasta coated in a ragu of beef cheek, tomatoes, and red wine. Highly recommended.

Lamb Stew (¥188) – Tender globes of lamb shoulder coated in a rich jus with pistachio purée and croutons. Very enjoyable.

Butter Mashed Potato (¥58) – Absolutely buttery, smooth, and very thick.

Ham-Fried Brussels Sprouts (¥58) – Stir-fried softened Brussels sprouts with salted ham. I prefer the oven-roasted, crisped kind.

It’s a beautiful space, and the acoustics are great, which makes it easy for conversation, be it a dinner date or for business talks.

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Black Glove
Address: No. 116, 171 Jianguo Zhong Lu, near Ruijin Er Lu 建国中路171号116室, 近瑞金二路
Tel: 13044116292
Hours: Daily, 7pm-2am