Aomen, Macao S.A.R., China + Add a trip

Hong Kong offers some great bars and clubs. This is a quick guide to the general scene, rather than a comprehensive review of any one venue.

The top-tier clubs in terms of prestige are Drop, Volar, and Dragon-I. All three are very hard to get into for the general crowd. They play mostly house or techno, some nights with special themes or DJ sets. Personally, I prefer Drop, the entrance to which is basically a run-down alleyway off a SoHo street—the only difference is, this run-down alleyway is blocked by a grim bouncer. Once you're in, you'll find a small but techno-banging club, packed to the max. Dragon-I is quite stylish in an Asian crossover kind of way, and also sports a restaurant. It's a bit larger and plays more house. Volar is perhaps the hardest to get into; it's located in a Lan Kwai Fong basement, and is darker, more techno-heavy, and draws a more local crowd.

In LKF you may also like:

– Hei Hei. Steep cover charge, hip-hop and R&B music, mostly local clientele.

– Club 9. Dramatic but annoying layout, hip-hop and R&B music.

– Kee Club. Small and members “only.”

– Armani Bar. That's right, it's a bar in the Armani building.

For a real treat when it comes to bars, visit Feather Boa on Staunton Street. It’s hard to find, since it has no proper entrance—however, it is a gem, exquisitely Baroque-styled and with a fragrance of chocolate-strawberry daiquiris.

Bars of the slicker kind include:

– Red. Outdoor patio in the IFC plaza, Central.

– Felix. Sky bar at the Peninsula hotel, Kowloon.

– Aqua. Japanese/Italian bar and restaurant, 1 Peking Road, Kowloon.

The night-time view from these, especially the latter, is not to be missed. The hard-to-find Knutsford Terrace in Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon, features some nice bars as well.

If you don't live in Central, note that the MTR generally stops around midnight to 12.30am. A taxi ride at a negotiated price from Central to, say, Clearwater Bay, is 120–150 HKD depending on the day of the week and your skills.

Checkout Felix at the Peninsula Hotel. A little pretentious but the views are stunning, the menu offers brasserie style fare with a seafood slant and the toilets are not to be missed; the ladies' must have the best view of any loo anywhere on the planet, and the gents isn't bad too!

Expats visiting Hong Kong can join our Hong Kong group on Expatacular.

soho

LIFE is a good, and non pretentious vegeterian restaurant on the heights of Soho.
To get there, simply go up the escalators and as you see the PURE red sign, get off and look on your left: there it is.
The food is delicate and very very fresh.
If you are goign as a couple, try to sit at the little mezzanine on the first floor: pillows and privacy...
I love this place.

Staunton Street, Soho

Cute little bar on Staunton Street. Looked for the faded blue wooden door on the left, after the intersection with Peel Street. This bar is a legend in Hong Kong among those in the know. Wicked fruit cocktails. Often packed. Get there early to grab the comfy sofas near the door. The place used to be an antique shop.

Hong Kong has a world of dining to offer. This is a quick guide to what you should try out in general, rather than a comprehensive review of any one restaurant. Furthermore, it honors the mantra of moving “beyond the path of a traditional guidebook.” So I'm skipping ahead of the basics on the subject, i.e. Cantonese cuisine, Dim Sum, etc.

Now to it. As you might expect, you’ll find plenty of Chinese food everywhere in Hong Kong. It's expensive here in comparison to Beijing or Shanghai, not to mention the Chinese countryside, but rather budget-friendly by international standards. In Central or Kowloon, do try the local Cantonese food, such as Dim Sum. But don't miss out on Hong Kong's fledgling display of other Asian cuisine: Shanghainese, Pekinese, Sichuan, Hot Pot, Korean BBQ, and Japanese—just pick your favorite. On a side note, international fast-food chains may take on a different form in Hong Kong. For example, Pizza Hut is not the take-out pizza joint U.S. citizens may be used to, but rather a comfy, nicely lit, sit-down restaurant.

If you’re looking for a plethora of charming restaurants from all over the world, you’ll find them in SoHo close to Central. I especially recommend you try the Nepalese one on Staunton Street.

Another nice area is Knutsford Terrace in Tsim Sha Tsui, an obscure alley packed with super-cozy restaurants, such as the Turkish Merhaba. You might need an informed local to provide proper directions to this area, but finding it is worth some effort.

Quite a ways further up the Kowloon hillls, you'll find the small fishing village of Sai Kung, famous for its fresh, local seafood. This is worth a try if you have more time on your hands.

Unique to Hong Kong, though, are the so-called “Private Kitchens.” These are something of a phenomenon: unlicensed, hard-to-find restaurants—often in rebuilt apartments—sporting up to 10-dish meals, including local seasonal specialties, and requiring reservations 1–2 weeks ahead. The mystique, food, and personal service make private kitchens marquee experiences of Hong Kong. There’s one called Yellow Door Kitchen on Cochrane Street in Central, and at least one in Wan Chai.

Dragon i is my new favourite bar and restaurant in the world, not just Hong Kong. It has comfy booths, great japanese/chinese food, beautiful cocktails and awesome music.

It's great crowd-watching as it seems to be full of models and rock stars (none of whom actually eat, they just drink champagne), all trying to out-cool each other.

Gorgeous interior design and really lovely staff

kowloon

once you are done with felix, simply live the plush and go get some good spicy chinese!
MASKS is a really good sechuan chinese restaurant by felix!
Simply ask how to get to the world trade center as you leave felix.
As you reach victoria street, turn left and keep walking.
You'll see MASKS by a german bar: go for the stinky tofu, if you haven't tried you haven't experienced something unique!

TST

If you're be spending a lot of time in Shenzhen, stay at the Royal Park Hotel in Shatin. It's about 30min to the border vs 1 hour from Tsim Sha Tsui(TST).

Don't stay at the Kowloon hotel for any long time period, the rooms are tiny. barely wide enough to roll in a small suitcase.

BP Intl Hotel is a hostel like hotel. It's got private rooms for cheap, they're a basic clean room. The A-21 airport bus runs 1/2 block away as is the MTR. I have seen 4 people in rooms with bunk beds, but I have always had a private 1-2 bed room to myself.

Luxe Manor Hotel is a funky place 1/2 way between TST and Jordan, it's not that close to the MTR (subway) but it's in a good exploring area.

The Langham is good hotel near the ferry port, it's about 3-4 block walk to the MTR, but is perfect if you're spending a lot of time on HK Island or walking around TST.

Langham Place Hotel in Mong Kok is an excellent hotel. Best Hotel I've ever stayed in. Superb service, modern, floor to ceiling windows, good price for 5 star ($200USD), located next to Langham Place Mall, and on top of Mong Kok MTR station.

Go to the Intercontinental if only for drinks, to sit in the bar and watch the skyline and boats go past. There's a HKD$200 minimum to sit there, but I've never been called on it.(plus 1 double whiskey will take care of that cost)

Gough Street

Just off of Hollywood Road is a little street that was once home to old print shops. It now has a few serious restaurants (I liked Palate), some good design shops, a passable gay bar, and no shortage of atmosphere.