Lan Kwai Fong

Lan Kwai Fong (of LKF for short) is Hong Kong's number one nightlife spot. If you are looking for a good time in the form of drinking, dancing, meeting new people and so forth, you would be wise to pay this area a visit. This is Hong Kong's best and biggest clubbing zone and a local legend.

Although there are other night-time areas in the city, like those in Wanchai and Tsim Sha Tsui, none can really compete with these blocks filled with bars, nightclubs and restaurants. Like the rest of Central this is a really westernised area compared to the rest of Hong Kong.

Lan Kwai Fong is particularly a hit with visitors to Hong Kong and the expats, many of whom live nearby. For some reason more traditionally-minded Chinese tend not to appreciate all-night parties in the same way. Rather, this is a centre for the Hong Kong "in crowd" of celebrities and other hip, fashionable locals. While this is great from a party point of view, the flip side of the well-to-do clientele is a relatively high price level by Hong Kong standard. Fortunately, this is still a very reasonable level for a lot of foreigners.

Location

This vibrant party scene, open and filled with fun every night of the week, is found up the slope just south-west of the Central MTR station (Exit D2 & D1). It is also just down the street (Wyndham Street, that is) from the rows of restaurants further uphill in Soho.

The main D'Aguilar street is intersected by the L-shaped pedestrian Lan Kwai Fong street to form a small square block packed with entertainment on all sides.

The sloping street in itself seems to be plenty for a lot of people as crowds are always congregating and having a merry time all the way up and down D'Aguilar Street. Many frugal revellers make beer runs to the local convenience store, to the point where it has become known as Club 7-Eleven, as a play on the well-known Club 97.

Famous haunts

- Club 97 is one of LKF's most notorious watering holes. It opens up into the street without any entry fee and tempts passers-by to do a lap around their circuit-shaped bar, which is typically absolutely packed with people.

- Bulldogs: this decidedly British sports bar is a classic place for watching the game and downing the beers

- Balalaika: A place to to chill out - literally. This Russian restaurant is best known for its -20'C "Siberian Vodka Room" where the ice bar stocks over 60 different types of vodkas. On hot Hong Kong summer nights, it's actually quite nice to step inside the freezer to have a breather. Fear not though, coats are available on loan for those of us who did not grow up on the tundra.

For more information, see the neighbourhood association's website and its partial list with brief descriptions of only some of the many, many venues.

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