Phnom Penh
This Phnom Penh institution with an alluring Angkorian theme has evolved into more of a nightclub than a bar over the years, with drag shows that drop…
Must-see nightlife in Southeast Asia
Gili Meno
Part educational hub promoting a cleaner island through garbage pick-ups (each Sunday at 3.30pm) and part workshop where you can learn to make…
Vientiane
This traditional Lao house facing the Mekong has a well-stocked bar and a witty, helpful menu that doubles as a crash course in cocktails. A chilled…
Miri
This ever-busy corner bar stocks 25 imported bottled beers and has several on tap, including Paulaner wheat beer. The drinks menu also lists Australian…
Melaka City
Brought to us by the female entrepreneur behind Backlane Coffee, this member of Jonker St's coterie of design cafes is a winner, offering excellent…
Nan
What an unexpected pleasure to find this sophisticated but snug bar in remote Nan. Enter speakeasy-style up the unmarked staircase to the 2nd floor of a…
Siargao
There's no better happy-hour spot than White Banana. It's owned by a DJ and the music, piped through Siargao's best sound system, is on point. Come happy…
Manila
Inspired by the Singapore original, this lobby-level watering hole at the Raffles Makati has an unbeatable happy hour – all-you-can-drink beer, wine and…
Bangkok
Smalls aptly resembles a quintessential New York jazz bar. Fixtures include a revolving main door, a cheekily decadent interior, an inviting rooftop, food…
Manila
Agimat should be a mandatory stop for any cocktail person. The head bartender forages for obscure herbs and other natural ingredients around the country…
Con Dao Islands
Perhaps surprisingly, Con Son town has one of the best bars in southern Vietnam, featuring perfectly mixed classic cocktails and expertly prepared…
Hua Hin
Gorgeous Airspace, near Khao Takiab, is a great spot to escape the sun or even do some laptop work. Ironwork interspersed with glass, high ceilings and…
Kota Bharu
This is one of the few bars that serves wine (Spanish and Australian) to accompany surprisingly good Thai and Western food. The open-sided design makes it…
Little India & Kampong Glam
An art deco former hardware store provides the setting and name for Singapore's coolest cafe and roastery, its third-wave offerings including on-tap Nitro…
Siem Reap
This is a traditional Cambodian countryside home dropped into the backstreets of Siem Reap, which makes for an atmospheric place to drink. Lounge on kapok…
Jakarta
Next to the 1001 Hotel, this vast club with a huge dance floor and a 16m-high roof is the venue for what's easily one of the most impressive lighting…
Bandar Seri Begawan
Everything a mini-temple to the bean should be, this coffee roastery draws Bruneians from BSB all the way to Jerudong. There's a good mix of coffees here…
Kerobokan
This Mediterranean-style beach club pretty much has it all – booze, international DJs, a saltwater swimming pool and three levels of diving platforms. It…
El Nido
The cool kid on El Nido's main drag, diminutive Happiness features contemporary beats, top-class cocktails and hipster swings at the streetside bar. By…
Chiang Rai
In addition to a proper cup of joe made from local beans, there are surprisingly authentic Swedish-style sweets and Western-style meals and sandwiches at…
Kuala Lumpur
The signature drink at this glittering cocktail bar on level six of the Four Seasons Hotel lives up to its name, which is 'nectar'. Made with light rum,…
Port Barton
Pretty much everything you need in a laid-back backpacker beach bar: prime beachfront location, cheap drinks and an absolutely rocking house reggae band…
Mekong Delta
One of the liveliest spots in the Mekong Delta, this cool little craft-beer bar near the river is set over two floors with some street-side seating. There…
El Nido
Finally, a contemporary cocktail bar-club worthy of El Nido's status as a rising international starlet. Cocktails are expertly made and the bar menu…
Vientiane
At first glance, Earth looks as crunchy as a bowl of organic granola, but live music, cultural events, an eclectic soundtrack, craft beers, enthusiastic…
Northeastern Thailand
Equal parts bar and cafe, this attractive, trendy place in a converted wooden shophouse serves avocado smoothies, cocktails and a global roster of beers…
Kota Bharu
The cycling part of this contemporary-styled cafe refers to some of the decoration, which also includes bare-branched trees and suspended coffee-bean…
Yangon
This sophisticated rooftop space draws the local elite. You'll have to cram into one small corner of its spacious outdoor area to get a view of Shwedagon…
Puerto Galera
Our favourite bar in PG, the Point Bar is a mellow sunset-and-beyond meeting place with great sea views, eclectic music and 2-for-1 San Miguel during its…
Luang Prabang
A beatnik boudoir more than a club, Icon pays homage to an older era and offers some of the best cocktails in town, including the devilish absinthe…
Ubon Ratchathani
Local coffee enthusiast Nut has his own plantation up in Chiang Mai and he roasts his own beans in this funky and charming wooden coffee house to produce…
Mandalay
Easily mistaken as a Brooklyn cafe by way of Scandinavia (in terms of its minimalist decor), Goffee offers typically contemporary choices, from pour-over…
Kep
With a small beach, a breezy wooden bar and a wooden jetty poking out into the sea, this is one of Cambodia’s top sundowner spots. The Asian-fusion food…
Chiang Mai
Good View attracts plenty of locals, with a big menu of Thai standards, Japanese dishes and Western options (mains 100B to 400B), and a nightly program of…
Phnom Penh
Bringing US-style craft brewing to Phnom Penh, this great little hideaway stocks Irish Red, IPA and other home-brewed Cerevisia beers. It is set in a…
Padangbai
A loyal crew of Omangsters (regulars) joins a constant stream of blow-ins at this friendly eatery, bar and live-music venue. Nosh on toasties, tacos,…
Yangon
Giant paintings of Myanmar girls, faces daubed in thanakha, dominate the walls of what is one of Yangon's top cocktail bars (cocktails from K6500)…
Nha Trang
This hip little cafe with an artistic interior is famous for its coffee (sourced in Dalat), which comes in espresso, French press, drip (Chemex and Hario)…
Phu Quoc Island
One of the few bars in the centre of town, House No 1 is a great spot for evening drinks, including local and craft beers, cocktails and De Spirit, a…
George Town
Asian breakfast not your thing? Stop into this eclectic cafe to be transported West for a meal. The options include huge mugs of coffee, wood-fired bagels…
