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Felix The
shining pinnacle of Hong Kong bars is set in Kowloon’s famous Peninsula
Hotel. Philippe Starcke designed Felix, and the result is coolness
incarnate. Let the experience envelope you, beginning with the dedicated
elevators and their light effects, to the untrammelled delights of
Felix’s restrooms. The harbour views are an added bonus. If you plan to
visit just one bar in Hong Kong, make this the one . Foreign Correspondents Club Any
club that has brass plaques screwed to the bar top, commemorating
members who died drinking on that spot, deserves to be a legend. Open
only to members and their guests. Dragon-i Stunning
interior design in mixed Chinese and Japanese style but with lots of
New York thrown in across two completely different rooms. The Red Room
dining room becomes a VIP lounge for the famous as the evening
progresses, with everyone else sinking into the booths in the bronze and
mirrored Playground, drinking powerful cocktails, Be stylish, or be
somewhere else . Kee A
discreet keypad and un-marked doorway on Wellington Street is the
entrance to this seriously happening club. Everyone worth knowing in
Hong Kong is on its members’ list, but this means that it can be hard to
gain access. Inspired by the Enlightenment concept of literary and
discursive salons, Kee can sometimes be too arty by half, but it’s
always worth an invitation. Assuming you’re lucky enough to score one. Di Vino This
small tunnel-shaped bar crammed with beautiful people makes the perfect
start to any evening. But with special prices on early evening
aperitifs and around 40 wines available by the glass, it’s not long
before snacks become a look at the menu, a memorable Italian meal and a
rather later than planned move to elsewhere . Beijing Club Another
glamorous addition to Hong Kong’s party scene is based in an old office
block. Taking up three floors, this club does not believe in subtle
decoration. The dance floor and main bar are on the second floor, a
chill-out area with a massive projection screen and a balcony is on the
third, and the VIP room is on the fifth floor. The regular diet of
house, hip hop and R&B is spiced up with Ministry of Sound DJ events . The Jazz Club At
ordinary times, this tiny and utterly unremarkable bar and performance
space would hardly be worth mentioning. But when a maestro is in town,
the Jazz Club is the scene of legendary, impromptu jams. Believe it or
not, even the likes of Wynton Marsalis and Miles Davis have played here,
right in the faces of the 100 or so people lucky enough to have been
there at the time. Visage Free A
slacker alternative to the unremitting trendiness of SoHo and BoHo,
Visage Free is the kind of bar that can disregard commercial imperatives
to mount monthly poetry readings. The crowd is loyal and diverse.
Visage Free
Feather Boa Away
from the rowdy main strip of Staunton Street bars sits this unremarked
gem, with its inconspicuous entrance, fin-de-siècle gold drapes and
sofas. The crowd is young, arts and media-slanted, and cliquey. One of
SoHo’s better kept secrets: would it could stay that way . Dance Parties Hong
Kong is a prime Asian stop on the international DJ circuit (everyone
from Fat Boy Slim to Paul Oakenfold and Carl Cox have hit the decks
here), and the city has nurtured more than enough turntable talent of
its own. Hong Kong’s dance parties, particularly at the cavernous HITEC
venue, are well-organized affairs. Check the local media for details.
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