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Chillax
This tiny space lit by candles and mainly patronised by young locals, is good for simply sitting, slumping and taking refuge from a day spent dodging through Tsim Sha Tsui. Things get livelier later when the DJ gets going.
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China Bear
The China Bear is the most popular expat pub-restaurant in Mui Wo, with a wonderful open bar facing the water. It's right by the ferry terminal making it the perfect spot for your first and last beer in Mui Wo, and for those in between perhaps. The menu includes offerings such as salads and pizzas for around HK$60 .
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Chinatown
The kitschy Chinese Brothel theming may sound a tad over the top but fear not, this is nothing like one of the nearby go-go bars. The soft lighting and large red lanterns actually combine to make this one of the more relaxed Wan Chai watering holes. It's busy but seldom frantic and the service from cheongsam-wearing waitresses is swift and friendly.
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Cloudnine
If you want to find out what the local kids do of an evening (or at least those with some cash to burn), step through the egg-shaped doorway of this stylish little bar-cum-karaoke joint, take a seat and listen to the Cantopop classics get murdered.
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Club 71
When Club 64, the counter-culture nerve centre of Lan Kwai Fong whose name recalled 4 June 1989, the date of the Tiananmen Square massacre in Beijing, was forced to close, some of the owners relocated to this quiet alley north of Hollywood Rd. Named after the huge protest march held on 1 July 2003, Club 71 is again one of the best drinking spots for nonposers, with a pleasant little terrace. Access via a small footpath running west off Peel St.
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Courtney's
This hotel snack room-bar, decorated with original and attractive artwork by local painter Pauline Courtney, has a fabulous outdoor terrace, allowing you to watch the goings-on in lively Minden Ave below. Don't expect crowds though; this is a great place for a quiet drink and some elbow room.
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Delaney's
At this immensely popular Irish watering hole you can choose between the black-and-white-tiled pub on the ground floor and a sports bar and restaurant on the 1st floor. The food is good and plentiful; the kitchen allegedly goes through 400kg of potatoes a week. There's also a branch on Peking Rd in Tsim Sha Tsui.
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Devil's Advocate
This pleasant pub in the thick of things is as relaxed as they come. The bar spills onto the pavement and the staff is charming. 'Devilling Hour' ( to ) is even cheaper than happy hour, and there are cheap drinks on Wednesday night.
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Dickens Bar
This evergreen place has been a popular spot for expats and Hong Kong Chinese alike for decades. There's a very popular curry buffet lunch and lots of big-screen sports.
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Drop
Deluxe lounge action, excellent tunes and potent cocktails keep Drop strong on the scene. It's like walking into Wallpaper magazine, but the vibe here is unpretentiously inclusive and the crowd reaches a happy mutual fever pitch on big nights. The members-only policy after Thursday to Saturday is (flexibly) enforced to keep the dance floor capacity at a manageable 'packed like sardines' level. Enter from Cochrane St.
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Dusk till Dawn
Live music from , with an emphasis on beats and vibes that will get your booty shaking. The dance floor can be packed but the atmosphere is more friendly than sleazy. The food sticks to easy fillers such as meat pies and burgers.
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East End Brewery
This place out in Quarry Bay is a beer lover's must-visit. You can choose from more than 30 beers and lagers from around the world, including a couple of local microbrews. There's wifi access too. The Causeway Bay branch serves up much the same beer and fodder if you can't make it this far out.
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Feather Boa
Feather Boa is a plush lounge hidden behind gold drapes. Part camp lounge, part bordello - part those curtains and order a mango daiquiri (around HK$75 ). It was once an antiques shop - thus the odd furnishings.
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Forest Bar & Restaurant
This cosy bar has five beers on tap and a large outside terrace seating area. The kitchen whips up authentic pan-Asian (mostly Thai) food (snacks from around HK$35 , mains from around HK$62 ) six days a week.
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Fountainhead Drinking Bar
The cheerfully no-frills Fountainhead has a good mix of Chinese and expats in regular attendance, decent music and beer at affordable prices.
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Fringe Gallery
The Fringe, a friendly and eclectic venue on the border of the Lan Kwai Fong quadrant, has original music in its gallery/bar from on Friday and Saturday, with jazz, rock and world music getting the most airplay. There's a pleasant rooftop bar open in the warmer months.
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Fringe Studio & Theatre
These intimate theatres, each seating up to 100 people, host eclectic local and international performances (average ticket price is around HK$80 ) in English and in Cantonese.
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Gecko Lounge
Entered from narrow Ezra's Lane off Cochrane St or Pottinger St, Gecko is an intimate lounge and wine bar run by a friendly French sommelier and wine importer with a penchant for absinthe. The well-hidden DJ mixes good sounds with kooky Parisian tunes and there's usually live music on Tuesday and Wednesday. Great wine list, obviously.
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Globe
This tiny, unpretentious place gets packed out after work with expats thirsting for one (or more) of the 60 lagers, beers and real ales from around the world that are available here.
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Hari's
Tacky or classy? You decide, after a couple of speciality martinis - there are over a dozen to challenge you, including wasabi and garlic. The generous nightly happy hours will give you a chance to try these eclectic cocktails. There's also live music nightly.
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Homebase
A meet 'n' greet for the styled and beautiful early on, this place turns into a bump 'n' grind after hours (cover around HK$100 ). It's one of the more popular after-hours venues and one of the few places that is still partying well after dawn in a city that does, in fact, sleep. Great house and breakbeat music, small dance floor. Friday's generous happy hour is for gays and lesbians.
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Inn Side Out & East End Brewery
These two related pubs flank a central covered terrace where you can while away the hours on a warm evening, sipping beers and throwing peanut shells on the ground. East End has imported microbrews, and also has a Quarry Bay branch.
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Insomnia
This is the place to come to when you can't sleep, as it fills up only when other nearby bars are starting to wind down. It's a people-watching place with a wide, open frontage, and there's a live Filipino band doing covers in the back. If the munchies strike in the witching hour there's food too.
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Joe Banana's
JB's, in Wan Chai forever (or at least since we were bopping and grooving), has dropped its long-standing wet T-shirt/boxers aesthetic and gone for more of a bamboo-bar feel. The dancing is good and it's always a fun night out.
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Joyce Is Not Here
'James or Ma?' we asked, trying to be clever. Alas, neither but this super-chilled café-bar in reds, whites and blacks has something for everyone - from poetry readings and live music on Thursday to booze and Sunday brunch. Love the place.
