You’re sick of Lan Kwai Fong and Wan Chai, admit it. Here are some nightspots that offer a refreshing alternative.

SENSE 99

Have you ever dreamt about rocking with your cock out to a bedazzled audience but never had the courage to? Now you can. Sense 99 is a fantastic little bar (that’s in a pre-war building!) that not only serves one of the best bottled beers in the world; Beer Laos, at the right price but also facilitates in drunken noise pollution with its late night open-mic band station. For all the instruments you’ll need to form a makeshift band, head on up to the second floor to either slap the bass, break the guitar, hammer the drums or play a power ballad on the keyboard. Its underground vibe comes from the fact that you have to push the buzzer to be let in, and once up the stairs to the first floor, sit comfortably in the art deco get-up they’ve got going on, or like mentioned, go to the second floor to either bottle whoever is making that stupid racket or make it yourself. There are also two delightful fairy-lit balconies suitable for relaxed al fresco drinking and smoking. To get there, all you need to do is go to 99, Wellington Street, Central. Oh yeah, it’s only open on weekends by the way.

BASSMENT

This place should be a hit. Though it’s a small space, its practically begging to take off. You’ll always find good service, a great selection of club nights (including Supersonic and The Out Crowd) and on a regular night if you and your group of friends have an iPod on them, they’re more than happy to throw it on. Bassment is also a good place for you and yours just to relax and get close. Drinks have gone up from their student bar prices under the old management but they are still affordable and less than LKF. If you need a little fresh air or want to make it less fresh with a cigarette, they also have a sizable and comfy outside area with seats. Ask for Dawn, she’s the business.
L/G 13 Lyndhurst Terrace, SoHo.

CLUB METOO

TST has not had much luck with attracting the LKF crowd over, lets face it. But the truth is, TST has some really fun places to cut some rug and Club MeToo is one of them. They play the latest Top 50 and compared to the bars in LKF, this place won’t have you running to the ATM for more cash if you want a few beers. The ambience is dark but there’s a nice area with lights at the corner if you want a really good look at who you’ve been dancing with for the past few songs.
9 Chatham Court, TST Kowloon. 3107-0008

VISAGE ONE

Do you like jazz and blues music? Do you have hair? If you do then we love you. Also, you might enjoy this hidden gem tucked away in an ally in Soho. Visage One is a barber shop by day (women will need to shave their beard elsewhere, I’m afraid) and a live jazz, blues and bluegrass venue at night, two nights a month. Intimate and cozy, it’s the perfect opportunity (excuse) to press arms against that hot date you have. Let the smooth music tingle and lift your arm hairs, each strand stroking the other’s arm. Then, on the next day, head back and get it all shaved off. What fun. The narrow shop/venue has a split-level loft, enabling some top-down views of the bands and crowd. Drop an egg and get beaten up. So don’t. Instead, have yourself a drink and enjoy the bedroom jam style gig. Wine and cigarettes, music and wooden furniture. It’s all very pleasant. This little shop of wonders can be found at 93, Hollywood Rd, LG/F, Po Lung Building, Central.

JOYCE IS NOT HERE

With regular live music and poetry nights, Joyce is not Here is a true creative haven in SoHo. Home to the city’s arty souls in the know, the varied events on offer are as enriching as they are entertaining. A great hangout for a coffee in the day and a relaxing and intimate bar at night, Joyce is not Here has the perfect reasons for you to be. 38-44 Peel Street, Central.

Hong Kong. A city where you can live in a bubble, doing the same things week in – week out. It’s easy to go to Lan Kwai Fong and Wan Chai. It’s where you were first shown when you arrived and it’s where your colleagues were shown first too. So on a Friday night you head there, again, and spend a small fortune on expensive drinks and retread the same small square footage.

Here’s a short guide that offers alternatives. Alternative places to drink, alternative places to shop, a change of scenery for sightseeing and information on all the Facebook groups you need to sign up to in order to know these things are happening in the first place. Here is A Design for Life.

Words: Brouhaha with Michelle Kwan & Henry Mullins • Illustrations: 1kstyles

Tags: design for life, going out, SoHo
Posted in Features