Kuta & Legian
One of the rowdier spots, Apache jams in locals and visitors, many of whom are on the make. The music is loud, but that pounding you feel the next day is…
Must-see nightlife in Southeast Asia
Phu Quoc Island
The welcoming English owner of this otherwise rather uneventful bar is a useful source of local info on all things Phu Quoc. The food also gets good press…
Hanoi
Flash hotel bar with glitzy decor and a late licence. DJs spin funky house and chill-out tunes here on weekend nights. Also in the Sofitel Metropole is…
Myanmar (Burma)
You can't miss this bustling place, spread over two floors and with a bright orange facade. Inside, there's a small English menu of noodle and rice dishes…
George Town
Built into a former stable, this wine bar and restaurant is one of the city's more attractive places to have a drink. Take a walk through the cellar to…
Manila
The Bar is know for its all-you-can-drink evenings (P1280) on Friday and Saturday from 7pm to midnight; cocktails and spirits included! The two-for-one…
Hanoi
For views of the city, pop in for an expensive beer or cocktail and enjoy the vista. It's very popular with a glittering array of Hanoi's cashed-up youth,…
Kampot
The liveliest of the little bars on the main riverfront strip in Kampot, Oh Neils has walls plastered with rock-and-roll memorabilia and a who's-who…
Mandalay
This octagonal teahouse is a fun place to retreat to after visiting the jade market. You can watch furtive-looking gem merchants discussing deals over a…
Ha Tien
Dotted with fairy lights and glowing with Chinese lanterns at night, this floating cafe is a breezy choice for a sundowner beer or a cafe sua (iced coffee…
Ho Chi Minh City
A chic blend of wood, glass and steel, the Park Hyatt’s ground-floor cocktail bar is a super-stylish meeting ground for Saigon's makers and shakers, with…
Railay
Part climbing school, part cafe, this driftwood-clad place sources beans from sustainable farms in Chiang Rai and serves some of the peninsula's best…
Jakarta
One of the only options for a cold beer or cocktail inside the Ancol Luar Biasa amusement park is this worn wooden bar on a jetty overlooking a large lake.
Northern Thailand
This cool and bright cafe with an outdoor terrace makes for a good retreat from the heat. There's coffee, tea, smoothies and juices, as well as rice and…
Thanon Sukhumvit
Young, loud and Thai, Nung-Len (literally ‘sit and chill’) is a ridiculously popular den of live music and uni students on buzzy Th Ekamai. Get there…
Phu Quoc Island
With chairs and music spilling onto the pavement, Coco is a great place for a roadside bevvy and a chat with the mix of travelling folk, Gallic wayfarers,…
George Town
Located in what was formerly a coffee roaster (ask to see the former roasting oven, out back), this sophisticated cafe, with attached gallery, does both…
Savannakhet
The atmospheric Laochaleun occupies a strategic corner overlooking Savannakhet Sq and draws a lively crowd from about 7pm onwards. Live music on weekend…
Kalimantan
One of a new breed of bars in Palangka Raya, Brader Brew is a low-key hang-out where you can enjoy a cold beer or hot coffee, listen to music and chat…
Vientiane
The only gay bar in town, this place draws a convivial crowd and pushes things up a notch on weekends. From 1am it attracts a mixed crowd as one of the…
Northeastern Thailand
One of a few low-key lakeside bars on this stretch that are popular among expats for an evening beer. Also does food, but you're better off eating…
Three-Sixty Revolving Restaurant & Sky Bar
George Town
As the name indicates, there's a revolving restaurant (doing its thing from 6.30pm to 10pm), but we prefer the adjacent open-air Sky Bar, which boasts…
Mindoro
Grandiya has a big stage for nightly live-music acts and serves the usual range of Filipino bar food and local beverages. It's opposite Aroma Beach next…
Lopburi
This is a good place to sit and relax with green tea, Ovaltine, longan juice and French fries. There are three floors of gallery and studio space with…
Ko Lanta
Here you can sip passable cocktails and sample middling Thai cuisine beneath massive trees and thatched pagodas or in a bamboo chair sunk into the sand…
Hue
This late-night bar features a good blend of locals and traveller revellers. DJs drive the dance floor with R&B, hip hop and house anthems, and staff…
Northern Bangkok
The open-air lawn of this hostel functions as a fun, informal bar, while Paper Butter & the Burger, an on-site burger cart, is its restaurant.
Tak Province
Um Phang's only genuine bar is also a barber shop and a tattoo parlour. If you don't need a haircut or new ink, sit out front with a beer or cocktail and…
Ho Chi Minh City
On the 8th floor of the Majestic Hotel, this is a great spot for a sundowner, with panoramic views of the river and a certain colonial-era cachet.
Banglamphu
Descend the stairs to this long-standing, perpetually packed, Th Khao San disco. The DJs are probably not going to win international acclaim, but that's…
Hat Patong
Founded by pioneering LGBT-bar owner Khun Daeng, Phuket's original gay nightspot – going strong since 1994 – puts on sparkling, quality cabaret shows…
Chiang Khong
The most lively of the bars on Chiang Khong's main drag, Rin has a pool table, live sport on TV and, if you really want it, karaoke. There's also a menu…
Yangon
This chic cafe-bar serves real coffee and has a menu ranging from Thai to burgers. There's an outdoor section on the roof from where you might just…
Yangon
If you fancy mingling and dancing with Yangon's elite youth, this is one place to do it. There's a good sound system, drink prices are reasonable and…
Ko Chang
With live music, DJs, buckets of vodka and a cracking light show, Himmel competes with (or complements) legendary Ting Tong across the street.
Yogyakarta
This 'VVIP' venue boasts a large central dance floor and a pumping sound system, and features electronic DJs. It attracts a young student crowd and there…
Thanon Sukhumvit
Like a small clubbing neighbourhood, Narz consists of three vast zones boasting an equal variety of music. It’s largely a local scene, but the odd guest…
Udon Thani
Not all juice is created equal, and this shop on the basement floor of Central Plaza proves it. Most of the fruit and veggies are organic and you can…
Padang
This reliable Sumatran coffee chain is a great place to sample Indonesian beans (coffee from 17,000Rp) in modern, tasteful surrounds, with the luxury of…
Café Juminten Restaurant & Gallery
Central Java
This attractive cafe, on a quiet street parallel to the main road through town, draws a young crowd. It acts as a venue for occasional live music…
