Hong Kong City Guide - Nightlife

Asia's World City lives it up by night - most hot in-town venues don't even get going until midnight. Enterprising Sinophiles can try to get invited along to a local karaoke evening and warble into a mike, over buckets of beer, to Canto-pop videos, or head for one of the local discos in darkest Kowloon. Lan Kwai Fong, the famous square mile of Central with the most relaxed drinking hours and the most intense partying, is still a beating nightlife heart, although its chief developers have expanded their attentions to Shanghai. SoHo (‘South of Hollywood Road') is a slightly more chic and relaxed concentration of brasseries, bars and beer spots, just off the Mid-Levels Escalator. Chinese locals tend to favour Tsim Sha Tsui, riddled with bars and clubs. And anyone seeking such things will be pleased to hear that they can get all the action they want in the hostess bars of Wan Chai - destination of many a poor Filipino or Thai peasant maiden. Despite the ludicrously strict noise restrictions on open-air events (proof that well-connected residents have huge clout with City Hall) live music is also hugely popular and well catered for. Check the free listings in BC Magazine (website: http://hk.bcmagazine.net), Where Hong Kong (website: www.where-hongkong.com), City Life HK Magazine (website: www.asia-city.com) and Beats (website: www.beatsmag.com) for the latest details.

Opening hours in Hong Kong vary by location and dress code and entrance policies can sometimes be restrictive, particularly in the smarter clubs. Some Lan Kwai Fong and Wan Chai venues stay open all night, whereas in SoHo, the authorities placate local residents by compelling bars to close around 0200 at weekends and around 2400 on weekdays. What is almost uniformly constant is the high drinks prices. The minimum drinking age in Hong Kong's public bars is 18 years.

Bars: Escalator watchers can spectate in terrace-like comfort at Stauntons, 10-12 Staunton Street, the prime Soho-watching venue, or The Spot bar, which is directly across the street. Mes Amis, 81-85 Lockhart Road, is the most relaxed and civilised of the Wan Chai bars, though Devil's Advocate, 48-50 Lockhart Road, is fun for a happy hour beer and watching sports on TV. Drinkers wanting a more raw experience should try Dusk Till Dawn, 76 Jaffe Road. La Vie, 9a Sharp Street, is one of the more chic enues in Causeway Bay's classy bar strip. The staple venue of Lan Kwai Fong, Stormies, 46 D'Aguilar Street, is a packed, pulsing bar, where the clientele often spill out onto the street. Nearby, Agave, 33 D'Aguilar Street serves a marvellous selection of tequilas and margaritas - a staple for the hot summer months. The Fong, a few doors down at 34-36 D'Aguilar Street, is a chic bar-restaurant. California, 30-32 D'Aguilar Street, Lan Kwai Fong, is the citadel of investment bankers and the women they attract, while 2121, at 21 D'Aguilar Street, has the most exclusive and relaxed vantage point over the Lan Kwai Fong. Over in Kowloon, the two most upscale bars are located high in the sky. Stylish, hip and classy, Aqua, 29th Floor, 1 Peking Road, Tsim Sha Tsui, boasts the best panoramic views of Victoria Harbour and a great cocktail menu, while Felix Bar at the Peninsula Hotel, Salisbury Road, Tsim Sha Tsui, is a Philippe Starck masterpiece which ranks highly as a ‘must visit'. Load up your credit card and dress to
impress for both venues.

Clubs: Dragon-I, in the upper ground floor of the new development, The Centrium, above Lan Kwai Fong, 60 Wyndham Street, is the new hangout of the stars; socially exclusive but surprisingly ordinary. C Club, 30-32 D'Aguilar Street remains Lan Kwai Fong's most reliable dance venue. Drop, 39-43 Hollywood Road, just down the hill, under the escalator, is another late-night haven with a restrictive door policy and titanically overpriced drinks. Homebase, 2nd Floor, 23 Hollywood Road (tel: 2545 0023), is worth a try, while Yumla, Lower Basement 79 Wyndham Street, Lan Kwai Fong (tel: 2174 2383) is a small club that throbs at weekends to ripping break and house beats. Meanwhile, 1/5 (One-Fifth), at Starcrest, 9 Star Street, is on a far higher plane of Wan Chai nightlife. Joint 15, 1st Floor, Ming An Plaza, 8 Suning Road, Causeway Bay (tel: 2810 7229) is a restaurant bar that also hosts dance parties and international DJ
nights.

Live Music: What passes for stadium rock in Hong Kong is usually found at the Hong Kong International Trade and Exhibition Centre (HITEC), 1 Trademart Drive, Kowloon Bay (tel: 2620 2222), the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre, 1 Expo Drive (tel: 2582 8888) or increasingly, the cavernous new all-seater AsiaWorld Arena (tel: 3606 8828; website: www.asiaworld-expo.com), adjacent to the Hong Kong International Airport on Lantau Island, which is accessible via the Airport Express train. Filipino live bands, ranging from brilliant to unbearable, have marked out a strong niche in Hong Kong - Dusk Till Dawn, 76 Jaffe Road (tel: 2528 4689), has some of the best, while its strongest nearby competitor is The Wanch, 54 Jaffe Road (tel: 2861 1621). The Cavern, Lower Ground Floor, Lan Kwai Fong Tower, 33 Wyndham Street (tel: 2121 8969), is currently hot. This recently revamped bar and club showcases new and established cover bands belting out kitschy renditions of 1960s and 70s hits in a fabulously retro-chic update of Liverpool's legendary club.