Buzzing at Lan Kwai Fong

Hong Kong is arguably, a microcosm of the world, a city heaving with different visions and people. When the sun sets, a variety of night time worlds open up, but for many years now, there has been a stark divide between locals and expatriates in Hong Kong. The nightlife of Hong Kong locals tends to take place in Causeway Bay, with alcohol being used as motivation to play exuberant dice games or let loose in karaoke bars tucked away on the 23rd floor of unexpected buildings. The areas of Lan Kwai Fong, Soho and Wanchai are where most expats party, but like all cosmopolitan cities, you should know that this world is one of many that exist in this vibrant, bustling city.

Lan Kwai Fong is the playground of the privileged, located in the middle of Central, Hong Kong's business and financial centre. Above this infamous hill is Soho, a collection of meandering streets of tiny restaurants, bars and art galleries. Soho is the unofficial dinner locality, and patrons are expected to then wander down into Lan Kwai Fong for night time revelry. Since these areas are situated in the middle of Hong Kong Island, space is of the essence; and bar owners have to be relentlessly constructive, even opportunistic, about space, to the point that Lan Kwai Fong and Soho are creeping towards each other and will eventually become one district.

This space opportunism can be seen in sleek bars like Tantra or Gecko which are tucked alongside other bistros and restaurants in alleyways where underwear hangs from laundry racks and a plastic swing-set is invariably at arm's length. Bars and clubs are routinely situated in surprising places around this area. There are bars next to refuse areas and the Baby Buddha bar is situated next to a temple where the incense wafts in and mixes with the sweet smell of alcohol. People habitually spill out of these establishments and onto the streets, glasses of wine in hand. It is common to see people having a good time standing almost in traffic, leaning against fire hydrants or sitting on the side of an escalator, but then, this is Hong Kong; to fall in love on an escalator is an everyday occurrence. Because of the demand for space and rents that keep rising, the life spans of bars and clubs are invariably short, but there will always be more than we know what to do with.

The area of Lan Kwai Fong begins as a typical Hong Kong street might, with Starbucks, Delifrance and various other eateries amidst dense traffic. 7-11 is unofficially called 'Club 7-11' where locals and expatriates alike buy alcohol on the cheap, knowing that the higher you go up the hill, the more expensive drinks get. As you ascend the hill, the honking traffic breaks into a vehicle-less street with equally imposing throngs of people, consisting of everyone from teenagers tottering around in their first high heels to middle-aged bankers loosening their ties after a long week's work.

This is Lan Kwai Fong, the place to see and be seen where the drinks are expensive but the buzz is irresistible.

Lan Kwai Fong, like almost every area in Hong Kong has undergone its fair share of riotous transformations, originating as an area for hawkers and marriage matchmakers, then becoming a collection of furniture showrooms with the odd McDonald's and a kebab shop, until a wealthy businessman invested $32 million to convert a building into Western bars and restaurants. Today, the establishments run the gamut from broken televisions and peanut shells to imported wine and silk dresses.

Dragon-i, Drop and Volar are of the latter extreme. They are a group of sister clubs for the financially solvent, an unrestricted sphere of pleasurable activity for local and international celebrities. Rumour has it that these clubs have entertained the likes of David Beckham and Naomi Campbell, but for the most part, these clubs are where the models mingle and everyone else comes to gawk. Dragon-i is formidably exclusive; you can't even go to the website unless you have the most recent version of Flash Player. The establishment is perched above most of Lan Kwai Fong on an escalator that suggests you are gliding up the stairway to heaven. A large wooden birdcage is positioned at the front entrance filled with tropical birds, metaphorically alluding to the atmosphere inside; everyone stares at the models as they flit and dance awkwardly to the inconsistent acoustical workings of the resident DJ, which mostly consists of house music. Drop and Volar, although smaller, have similar vibes, with drinks priced at astronomic amounts and a general feeling of not understanding what all the fuss was about.

Along this street, is FINDS, a restaurant by day, and a bar, lounge and terrace by night whose elegant interior is inspired by ideas of Scandinavian winter. FINDS, like the nearby Azure, is where the shiny and sexy socialize over their signature cocktails, some even being granted entrance to the Private Urban Terrace (the only one of its kind in Lan Kwai Fong) and the Private VIP area which conceals its guests with a crystal curtain. Both FINDS and Azure are great places to begin the night; both bars are seamlessly sleek, with wide terraces offering spectacular views of the Hong Kong harbour and skyline in all its glittery glory.

On a typical weekend night on the street, by about 11pm, the suits are chuckling and holding bottles and music pulses from clubs and bars on either side of the road. Take a trip to The Cavern, Lan Kwai Fong's biggest live music bar club, where resident bands, Impulz and Mystery 5 play covers and original songs. The VIP lounge, open for private parties, is a great people-watching spot for its location at the nexus of Lan Kwai Fong, and people are often gathered here drinking and chatting till the wee hours of the morning.

Afterwards, you may want to head over to one of the clubs in Lan Kwai Fong, where resident DJ's spin the newest tunes and all the neurotic city people let their hair down and dance, often till dawn. Insomnia features a mix of live music and DJ stylings. Club 97 features retro funk on Friday nights and RnB on Saturday nights. Across the street is Lux, where Hong Kong's best movers and shakers gravitate towards for the cutting edge sounds of local DJ's spinning hip hop and RnB music. The nearby club, California, also bustles with people dancing and having a good time.

As the party scene winds down, head over to Wanchai, the infamous red light district interspersed with bars and pubs, that is, perhaps not as adept as Lan Kwai Fong at concealing its seediness. Wanchai's main strip, Lockhart Road, pulses with neon signs and is lined with bars that are ever popular with the sailors when they're in town. These are the bars with names like Hot Lips and The Pussycat Club, which shot to fame in The World of Suzie Wong. Still, the girlie bars stand alongside European-style pubs like Delaney's and Bulldogs which serve a more serious drinking crowd than Lan Kwai Fong. The establishments in this district close when patrons leave, so many do run 24 hours a day. As such, Mes Amis and Dusk till Dawn are great places for a quiet drink and a last dance. One bartender wipes a table and says "Hong Kong is a city that never sleeps, this is just our way." I couldn't agree more. In fact, I would say that it is the limitless quality of this city that motivates my final suggestion: in Hong Kong it pays to not get a drink at the first bar you come across, but to delve deeper and explore the many night time worlds that exist in this beautiful city.

Written by: Aaliya Zaveri

Photos Credit

Teerish, Jparise, Andreas