The Rowdiest Hong Kong Pub Crawl: 17 Bars, 3 Neighborhoods, 1 Brutal Hangover

IMPORTANT: If you embark on this self-guided Hong Kong pub crawl and provide me with proof (a picture of a drink at each bar) that you tackled at least 50% of the bars, I’ll add you to the ‘Wall of Legends’ on this post. Also, if you need a guide, I’ll be more than happy to go down this drunken rabbit hole with you.

I’ve said this many times on the blog and I’ll say it again. I live for hedonism and the spectacle of it all. And everyone knows that starts with a draft beer or Aperol spritz for this Big Body. I’ll keep this simple. If you’re Googling this, you, much like me, have already killed off more brain cells from debaucherous nights than we’d like to admit and need the booze deets in no-nonsense terms. 

This self-guided Hong Kong pub crawl is a 2 to 2.5 km loop that starts along the ferry pier in Central and loops up through Sheung Wan, Soho, and Lan Kwai Fong. It will primarily consist of beer haunts (aka pubs). However, you’ll find a few non-traditional (yet righteous) watering holes sprinkled in (that also serve beer).

I know it can be a big commitment to sign up and pay for a pub crawl with strangers. Yes, I’ve had some very successful nights out doing these but I’ve also met some of the biggest groups of cretins and mouthbreathers I’ve ever encountered. That’s why I created this – to keep in your back pocket if you’re more of a solo drinker or already have your group of Chewbacca-lookalikes and magic makers ready to rumble. 

Without further ado, here is exactly how I would maximize my drinking and the route I would take on this self-guided Hong Kong bar crawl. I’ve slugged my fair share of beers at every single one of these spots and this is the route that made the most sense to me so that you can efficiently carve through Sheung Wan, Soho, and Lan Kwai Fong.

Pale Ale Travel Note: If you’re looking for the best cocktail bars where you throw on that one suit you spent way too much money to go on that destination or a cocktail dress because your husband doesn’t look at you like he used to, then this is not for you. If you have woken up with a half-eaten McDouble in your bed or pooped your pants in public after too many Jägerbombs, then this is probably for you. 

The Beer Bay

This is taken atop of Ferry Pier 3, which you can actually bring your beer up to (from The Beer Bay).

Website, Address, & Details: https://www.instagram.com/thebeerbay/ 

• Location: Central Pier No. 3 – Discovery Bay Ferry Pier, Central
• Big Body’s Go-To Beverage: Goose Island IPA all day.

There’s no better way to kick off a rip-roaring pub crawl across Hong Kong Island than with a draft down at Ferry Pier 3’s ‘The Beer Bay’. This 10-plus tap beer and snack stand right along the water was my go-to spot back in the day to pregame before a big night out in Lan Kwai Fong. We’d grab a bottle of Polish vodka, chip in for a few drafts, and scarf down 7-11 ham and cheese sandwiches in preparation.  

I’d compare The Beer Bay far more to a beer kiosk where you pick up a quick pint, post up on the seats and steps adjacent, soak in the rays and skyline, and mentally prepare yourselves for the start of a big night out. 

It’s also become a much-beloved staple in my life where I can seek refuge after a long week of being beaten down by the man – a spot where I slug a few Goose Islands while listening to a podcast and watching the boats zig-zag across the harbor.

Pale Ale Travel Tip: The Beer Bay is also low-key one of my favorite spots for an affordable date in Hong Kong. Grab a beer or mixed drink and stroll along the ferry pier while soaking in the energy of Outlying Island commuters and taking in a memorable Hong Kong sunset. Don’t forget to cap things off with a trip across the harbor via the iconic Star Ferry. 

Blue Supreme

Snagging a window seat is crucial to maximize the Sheung Wan vibes.

Website, Address, & Details: https://www.instagram.com/bluesupremehk/ 

• Location: 21 Tung St, Sheung Wan
• Big Body’s Go-To Beverage: This is the only spot on the list that I don’t have a “go-to beer” as there is constantly a rotating board of new beers. The Double Haven lager would be my suggestion to start as it’s crisp, sessionable, and a modest 4.5%. 

This is by far the fanciest spot on this list. But it’s better to start off drinking the good stuff and speaking the Queen’s English before you’re with a hoard of Australians doing shoeys and speaking whatever criminal dialect they developed Down Undah, mate. 

Situated at the intersection of Hong Kong’s quaint outdoor antique street market on Upper Lascar Row and Tung Street, Blue Supreme is a craft beer bar specializing in bottle-conditioned brews (natural carbonation through extra yeast and sugar) and an American-fare food menu (nacho cheese and bacon tater tots for the win).

It’s also (most likely) the only bar where you could easily see half the staff or patrons rolling up on a vintage unicycle. It’s somewhat of a hipster dufus’s dream craft beer bar. But once you snag a spot on one of their “keg chairs” and open-air window countertops with your ride-or-dies, you’ll be more than okay calling yourself a hipster dufus as well. 

Pale Ale Travel Tip: If you’re traveling to the Fragrant Harbor and looking to save some skrilla on your accommodation, make sure to check out my post breaking down five budget-friendly hotels in Hong Kong. 

Out of the Brew

I’ve drank approximately 500 beers on these steps at Out of the Brew. Half of them during the pandemic and with police yelling at me about social distancing through a megaphone.

Website, Address, & Details: https://www.instagram.com/outof.thebrew/ 

• Location: 3 Shin Hing St, Central
• Big Body’s Go-To Beverage: Dale’s Pale Ale or Mama’s Little Yella Pils from the fridge (if they have it) or whatever lager is on tap. 

Sticking with the theme of getting some Vitamin D before you inevitably wake up at 6 PM the next day, Out of the Brew is one of my go-to bottle shops (it also boasts a small taproom) that is perfect for grabbing a Dale’s Pale Ale or Mama’s Little Yella Pils (Oskar Blues Brewery) and sitting outside on the Shin Hing steps. 

This trendy little taproom-bottle shop hybrid is a hotspot for Hong Kong’s beer drinkers (I don’t just mean people who drink beer but I mean people who DRINK beer) thanks to their constantly rotating taps (5 of these bad boys), and fridge, packed with craft beer favorites from across the globe (even from my little corner of the planet – New England). It’s a treasure trove of imported and local beers so everyone in your pub crawl group will (or theoretically should) find something to suit their taste and level of sobriety. 

I’m forever grateful to Out of the Brew for fighting the good fight during the pandemic, where they refused to back down to nonsensical tyranny by providing a reliable, outdoor venue to congregate with friends after being cooped up indoors (or in quarantine).  

99 Bottles 

Don’t let the fact that 99 Bottles was closed when I took the picture dissuade you from going.

Website, Address, & Details: https://www.instagram.com/99bottleshk/ 

• Location: Shop B, 59a Peel St, Central
• Big Body’s Go-To Beverage: Hong Kong Beer Co. Dragon’s Back Pale Ale.

I got 99 Bottles but a…You’re in for a back-to-back craft beer dose as 99 Bottles is another top contender for the most abundant offerings of the suds kind. It also sits on Peel Street which has evolved over the years from a quiet and tame destination for dining to the only other spot in Hong Kong that may give Lan Kwai Fong a run for its money at night (it ebbs and flows based on where you are) thanks to the nightlife goers who spill out onto the street with their drinks from assorted Peel Street bars and restaurants.

Don’t let the name fool you either, on top of cans and bottles of some of Hong Kong’s favorite beers (imported and local), 99 Bottles has a gaggle of affordable beers on tap that, for me, make this spot a little too enticing (and somewhere I often have trouble leaving). Its al fresco layout essentially means you have access to all of Peel Street, making it one of my favorite spots to socialize and get at it. 

And, if I remember correctly, they offer up the occasional all-you-can-drink special, so this might actually be the end of the road for you if you’re an absolute degenerate. 

Pale Ale Travel Note: 99 Bottles is fantastic but so is Shady Acres which is less than a few steps away (and they have board games). I actually hit the 99 Bottles to Shady Acres route on a recent self-guided pub crawl with my Australian buddy and his wife when they visited Hong Kong for the first time. The only thing with Shady is that it can pack up quickly and ordering drinks to the street is rarely an efficient or successful endeavor. 

Stazione Novella

There’s a chance whatever picture the Google car took has me in it – I’m at Stazzy THAT often.

Website, Address, & Details: https://www.stazionenovella.com/ 

• Location: Ming Hing House, 52-56 Staunton St, Central
• Big Body’s Go-To Beverage: Aperol spritz (duh) or an Ichnusa (Sardinian) bottled beer. 

I’m not sure there is any other bar (or wine bar) I’ve been on this list (or in Hong Kong) more than Stazione Novella. And it’s not only to drink. This has become a regular spot over the years to post up and tackle administrative work on a Friday while watching the good samaritans and trucks that blare their horns while barrelling through intersections of Soho pass by. 

Stazione Novella (aka Stazzy) is behind the best Aperol spritz in Hong Kong hands down and this is a hill that I will comfortably die on. It’s your neighborhood Florentine wine bar with a refined and straightforward drink menu (draft and bottled beers, aperitivos, and all-Italian wines), where patrons spill into the street, and at 5 o’clock on the dot every single day a cornucopia of free-flow canapés are laid out on the bar for patrons (my go-to being the bruschetta and eclectic pizza squares). 

And it’s brought to you by Black Sheep Restaurants, so you can always expect a certain decorum, level of service, and quality every time you go. 

Pale Ale Travel Note: My only complaint about literally my favorite bar in all of Hong Kong is that they switched over from Peronis to Stella Artois for their draft beer recently. I spent several years warming up to Peronis, even going so far as to get electroshock therapy and then they sprung this on me. Really Stazzy? 

Belly and the Beer

Always confused why they have those traffic signs there when it’s a tiny dead end street with minimal traffic.

Website, Address, & Details: https://www.facebook.com/bellyandthebeerHK/ 

• Location: G/F, 21 Elgin Street, Soho, Central
• Big Body’s Go-To Beverage: Baptist Wit or a Monk’s Flemish Sour (I’m an aspiring man of piety). 

Now this is where things get kicked up a notch. You’ve had (presumably) five drinks, are feeling more in your element, and need an activity or two to accompany your drinking. Cue the Belgian-style taphouse and restaurant serving up hearty Flemish beef stews, crates of assorted mussels, and more Saisons and Witbiers beers than you knew existed. 

Something about Belgian beer just goes down so easily (I write this as I’m just several weeks out from heading to Antwerp). But don’t worry, they also have some other sessionable favorites like Asahi and Tiger (along with a handful of Hong Kong beers like Black Kite Brewery). 

Belly and the Beer is also home to four electronic darts boards, for an unbeatable combo (beer and darts) that has kept the eye patch industry alive over the years. It’s now your turn. If your hand-eye coordination is anything like mine after five to six drinks then you’re only another beer or two away from having a better chance of dating Heidi Klum than hitting the board. 

Pale Ale Travel Note: Shoutout to the Belgian restaurant I went to in Albany, New York where I drank roughly 13 Witbiers and no joke, ate 3 pounds of curry and bleu cheese mussels. I ended up staying an extra day due to being in such poor shape to drive. 

Soho Taproom

One of the best people-watching spots in Hong Kong (in a non-creepy way).

Website, Address, & Details: https://www.facebook.com/HKIslandTaphouse/ 

• Location: 25 Staunton Street, Staunton St, Central
• Big Body’s Go-To Beverage: 

Soho Taproom is one of those spots that I’ve walked by so many times but rarely ever stopped in. Until recently (after receiving some less-than-stellar news), and now I can’t stop. That’s not me saying this is the alcoholic haven you should go to if you have a lot of internalized problems. But it also isn’t a bad spot to go if you do. Soho Taproom is true to the Hong Kong beer scene, rocking over 10 taps of born and bred, Fragrant Harbor hops – my favorite being the Moonzen Mexican Lager and Big Wave Bay IPA. 

For affordable craft beer (on tap) in Soho, it doesn’t get much better than this. And you get a front-row view of one of the most hectic and gastronomically packed streets in all of Hong Kong – Staunton Street. 

Soho Taproom also sports a sister location (the original) over in Tin Hau where I’ve found myself at a considerable amount with one of my top roll-dawgz being situated on Electric Ave for nearly four years. 

Pale Ale Travel Note: If you know Soho then there’s a chance that you’re wondering why ‘The Globe’ isn’t on the list. Trust me. I love The Globe. But I love hunkering down at The Globe with a steak and ale pie and beer. I fully recommend heading here at night for a bite and a pint (or three). Or, feel free to mix it in on this pub crawl and let me know if I was a bozo or not for opting against including it. 

Staunton’s

I can’t guarantee that dude in the awesome baby blue suit will be there but it’s still worth going.

Website, Address, & Details: https://www.instagram.com/stauntonshongkong/ 

• Location: 10-12 Staunton St, Central
• Big Body’s Go-To Beverage: I keep it simple here with a Stella or Magners Cider. 

No pub crawl in Hong Kong would be complete without one of the most notorious drinking institutions (that isn’t in Wan Chai) the city has ever seen – Staunton’s. Granted, there was a year or two where it just completely went off the radar and shut down but the pandemic was a huge wash for most of us so I’ll forgive them. 

Situated almost directly atop the Soho Escalators, Staunton’s is a two-store gastropub and wine bar that doesn’t just have al fresco drinking, it invented it (well…not really but it’s one of the oldest spots in Hong Kong I’ve gone to where almost everyone drinks outside). It’s not the sexiest place by far but it is at the heart of “Soho boozing,” and a buzzing epicenter of whatever beloved British or Australian championship series is on TV. 

I don’t want to speak too soon but after reopening in 2023, Staunton’s is on its way to clawing back some of that undeniable, palpable energy that made it one of the best spots to drink in Hong Kong. 

Pale Ale Travel Note: Very randomly but when I tried to open Staunton’s website, a website that appeals more to one’s prurient interests popped up. So, I’m not entirely sure what the situation is with their domain and would probably refrain from clicking. 

BrewDog

I spent a fantastic day here recently with one of my dawgz from baseball (known him roughly 12 years).

Website, Address, & Details: https://www.brewdog.com/uk/hong-kong 

• Location: 8 Lyndhurst Terrace, Central
• Big Body’s Go-To Beverage: Punk IPA (as I was once in a ska-punk band and am still a “rebellious” balding 33-year-old).

I was first exposed to ‘BrewDog’ when I had to share a bathroom with him in county jail after driving home from the bar in rural America. I’m just kidding but ‘BrewDog’ would be a great name for my future prison paramour (should I ever end up there). This Scottish brewery has been serving up craft beers (my favorite being the light, golden Punk IPA) in Hong Kong since before I even arrived (in 2012). However, it was more of a beer you’d find in a bottle shop or on draft at the occasional pub. 

That’s until BrewDog opened an open-air taproom on the corner of Lyndhurst Terrace and Wellington in 2023. This sleek, 16-tap, corner bar is about as Central to…Central as it gets, expanding on the ‘usual suspects’ with a formidable wine and spirit selection to boot. 

You may have noticed a theme running throughout most of these bars – they allow for outdoor perusing, clowning, and other antics – an essential when it comes to keeping the faith and ensuring Dan doesn’t pass out in a dark booth somewhere after his third round of Buffalo wings. Get it together, Dan. 

I snag one of the streetside stools as I like to be with the people and live my life like my Albanian counterpart ‘Big Body Bes’ – “Everywhere I eat is like my dining room table. It’s all about being with the people. I could always eat inside but you miss a lot. You be inside, sometimes you might just miss life.” 

Pale Ale Travel Note: I don’t want to be a Debbie Downer but this is one spot I wouldn’t likely grab some grub from along the way. I’ve always been sorely disappointed by the assorted appetizers (like their calamari and nachos) which are supposed to be the ultimate pub grub. If you need to eat on this perilous journey, opt for Blue Supreme, Belly and the Beer, or even Draftland (the Taiwanese poutine with braised pork belly emphatically “slap”). 

The Pontiac

Consider heading on over to Tai Kwun after for an Aperol and a breather.

Website, Address, & Details: https://www.instagram.com/wearethepontiac/ 

• Location: 13 Old Bailey St, Central
• Big Body’s Go-To Beverage: Pontiac’s signature – The Hobnail (Scotch, ginger syrup, bitters, Averna Amora – topped with an orange peel).

Straight up, The Pontiac is run and operated by some of the best people in Hong Kong’s food and beverage industry. I don’t say that just because there are bras hanging from the ceiling and because I’ve seen Coyote Ugly three times. This inclusive, rebellious, rock and roll dive bar is like if Guns ‘N’ Roses had their own float at the Pride parade and traded their instruments for shakers, jiggers, and strainers. Oh, and if Guns ‘N’ Roses were all-female (with a few exceptions). 

It’s the perfect contrast to the often pretentious, overpriced, and entirely stale, fragmented cocktail lounges that line the streets of Soho and Central, drawing a shoulder-to-shoulder crowd that isn’t afraid to belt out Sweet Home Alabama while wincing after throwing back a line of tequila shots.  

Asia’s top bartender (don’t believe me? Read here) and (former) co-owner of Pontiac Beckaly Franks, is a force to be reckoned with. How do I know? Because I’ve thrown back a staggering amount of Fernet shots with her and other staff members in my lifetime (primarily in the early afternoon post-brunch). Get on over there and do the same.

While she has recently announced her stepping down as creative director and co-owner, you can bet your bottom dollar you’ll still see her bopping around and slangin’ dranks at Pontiac and her other ventures (including Call Me Al and Artifact Bar). 

I’d be remiss not to emphasize that if you go to The Pontiac, you have to order a Hobnail – a contemporary classic that takes a similar shape to a ‘Penicillin’ and lives up to its name (a large-headed nail driven into shoes), knocking you square on your caboose if you’re not careful (guilty as charged). Other than Stazione Novella and their Aperol spritzes, this is the only other ‘must drink’ on the docket for the day.  

 Pale Ale Travel Tip: If it’s still early in the day and you need a breather, head on over across the street to ‘Armoury Terrace’ in Tai Kwun. Post up here with a Peroni (or Orion) draft, Aperol spritz, or drink of your choice to enjoy the hustle and bustle of the former Central Police Station of Hong Kong turned heritage-arts venue and dining mecca. You can find me here roughly every Friday with one of my best friends for one too many Aperols. 

Draftland

Numbers 12, 14, and 21 are going to be your new best friends.

Website, Address, & Details:

• Location: 63 Wyndham St, Central
• Big Body’s Go-To Beverage: Oolong Tea Collins or Chai Mule. 

Having lived in Taiwan for three years, I did a fancy little Michael Jackson moonwalk (or attempted to) when I found out that this Taiwanese draft cocktail bar (with over 24 cocktails on tap) had opened up shop on Wyndham. And yes, you read that correctly. Draft cocktails. You’re well into the beer doldrums by now on this bar crawl so it’s time for another palate cleanser – in draft cocktail form. 

Boasting 24 taps and a food menu that shouldn’t be slept-on (Taiwanese poutine for the win), Draftland brings the liquid ruckus, with 40-plus alcoholic and non-alcoholic cocktail creations that capture the essence of favorites like the Tom Collins, Gin Fizz, and Highball with Asian twists. Think a Tom Collins but with vodka, oolong tea, and lime or a Moscow Mule with dark rum, masala chai, ginger, and apple. 

While some of the creations may be a miss for some, there are so many damn cocktails on draft that you’re bound to find one that tickles your alcoholic fancy. And if you don’t, take solace in the fact that Draftland reserves the first two slots of their menu for beer.

Draftland is even such a crowd favorite amongst some of my buddies that anytime my phone dies on a night out and we get separated, I have at least an 80% chance of finding them posted up inside. 

The Aftermath

Down the stairs and Aftermath rabbit hole you go.

Website, Address, & Details: https://www.theaftermath-hk.club/ 

• Location: Sunny Building, Lower ground floor, 57-59 Wyndham St, Central
• Big Body’s Go-To Beverage: Brooklyn Lager. 

There isn’t anything better than drinking an ice-cold beer while watching live music – cue ‘The Aftermath’. While most live music bars in Hong Kong pump out Bruno Mars and other ‘Top 40’ covers, The Aftermath is a different breed of venue – showcasing everything from soothing, baby-making jazz to rock and roll originals (and covers) and even ska/punk hybrid bands (complete with horn sections). 

It’s also one of my go-to spots for comedy and poetry nights. On top of people far more talented than myself, I also love the selection of old-school board games and craft beers on tap. I do, however, typically opt for a Brooklyn Lager here as I love a good “airport beer.”

For a buddy’s ‘stag do’ (as the Brits call it), The Aftermath was both the best and worst decision of the night as we all somehow ended up tossing back tequila shots instead of nama beerus. And, if I had to point to any specific moment in the night where things went off the rails, this was it. 

The Aftermath is a laid-back, affordable, change-up to the overwhelming, prohibitively expensive, fastballs that Hong Kong’s nightlife scene throws at you – and a spot you could easily party at all night if you so desire (I don’t disagree with this being the last stop on the crawl one bit). 

Pale Ale Travel Tip: Get some sustenance in you. Don’t worry, I’ve got you covered. Here’s a list of the beefiest, most bodacious burgers in Hong Kong. From Oklahoma onion smash burgers to ‘Poivre’ sauce topped burgers, and everything in between (including a wagyu blend topped with raclette and truffle onion jam), I’ve got you covered. 

Carbon Brews

Give me all the beers.

Website, Address, & Details: https://www.carbonbrews.com/ 

• Location: Central, Wyndham St, 60號, The Centrium, Shop 01 G/F
• Big Body’s Go-To Beverage: Crazy Rich Lupulins IPA or Baby Rich Lupulins Session IPA (if I need to slow down).

Hong Kong’s craft beer scene has exploded over the last ten-plus years. I remember when I first moved to the city in 2012, the craft beer landscape was just one hipster in his basement with a fermenter, airlock, and bookshelf full of Neo-Marxist literature that he’d Wikipedia the tenets of. Now it boasts over 25 breweries – Carbon Brews being one of my favorites (and only having fermented their first keg in 2018). 

Having rarely been French enough (or at all) to hang out at most of the bars and restaurants on Wyndham, Carbon Brews’ Wyndham Street taproom finally gave me purpose and a place to call home. This 28-tap bar is home to favorites like the ever-so potent, tropical double hazy ‘Crazy Rich Lupulins’ IPA (my personal favorite) and Berliner Weisse ‘Sour Punch’, along with seasonal taps and one of the better food menus on this list (don’t knock it until you try it but the crispy fried pigeon is a great drinking snack). 

Having just patronized Hong Kong’s annual beer festival at PMQ last weekend ‘The Hoppening’, I’m back on a craft beer kick, baby. It isn’t just Suntory Premiums and vodka sodas for this guy anymore, so you’ll be seeing a lot more of me at Carbon Brews these days. 

Pale Ale Travel Note: Besides Carbon Brews, my favorite breweries in Hong Kong include (1) Black Kite Brewery, (2) Hong Kong Beer Co., and (3) Yardley Brothers. I have also been known to demolish a six-pack or two of Young Master hazy IPAs. I didn’t include the Yardley Brothers taproom on this list as it just isn’t a favorite spot of mine to hang out (even though they make some of my favorite beers in the city).

Bobby’s Rabble

Business in the front. Party in the back. The “mullet” of Hong Kong bars.

Website, Address, & Details: https://www.instagram.com/bobbysrabble/ 

• Location: 46 Wyndham St, Central
• Big Body’s Go-To Beverage: Whatever local Hong Kong beer is on draft. 

Bobby’s Rabble (the former Peel Street institution) is somehow on the ground floor of one of the busiest nightlife streets in Hong Kong yet a hole-in-the-wall after-work drinks bar at the same time. I don’t understand how, but it works. It’s a bit of a jack-of-all-trades spot that can be whatever you want it to be. Open-mic comedy? Check. Quiz and bingo nights? Check. Live music and hip-hop DJs? Check and Check. 

It’s also another hotspot for beer drinkers looking to support (celebrate?) local Hong Kong breweries like Moonzen and Hong Kong Beer Co. On nights I’m not drinking, I actually actively avoid walking by Bobby’s Rabble because there’s almost certainly a friend or foe people-watching with a pint in hand from one of the outdoor tables. 

This is also a sleeper on the list when it comes to spots where the night aggressively escalates as there aren’t not many other bars where it can go from completely empty to unadulterated chaos on the dance floor within an hour.  

If you haven’t already loaded up on some grub by now, this is your last chance to. Bobby’s Rabble serves up classic pub grub and drinking fare like wings, fries, and skewers, and things are about to get out of control – so for goodness sake, get something in your stomach now. 

And, if you’re a real rabble-rouser and want to relive the American fraternity or sorority you never went to but saw on television from your Birmingham shared flat, head upstairs to Racks. 

Pale Ale Travel Tip: If you want to start your drinking way earlier than just the late afternoon, make sure to check out my post breaking down the best free-flow boozy brunches in Hong Kong. Hint: there are incredible views of Hong Kong, unlimited Peking Duck, and more sashimi boats than you can shake a stick at.  

Geronimo Shot Bar

I don’t think I’ve ever taken a picture from inside Geronimo. The entrance right next to ‘Alpha’ is how you get up there.

Website, Address, & Details: https://www.geronimoshotbar.com.hk/ 

• Location: Winner Building, 2/F, 27-39 D’Aguilar St, Central
• Big Body’s Go-To Beverage: The putrid, offensive to all senses ‘Kill Bill’ shot.

Look, I’ll be honest with you here. If you, like me, are over the age of 30, then there’s a high probability you and your goons (or lady goons) will be the oldest ones at this grungy, loud, crowded shot bar smack-dab in the center of Lan Kwai Fong. But this is a spot that has been around for over a decade now and there’s unhinged nostalgia to it. Geronimo is essentially if a fraternity’s basement bi-monthly glow-in-the-dark rager was a bar.

If you like wearing neon, grinding to ‘Replay’ by Iyaz, and carelessly throwing back bottom-shelf liquor in plastic shot glasses, you are going to feel right at home. I also hope you didn’t read all of that as if it was a negative because it isn’t. I have a bit of that in me and it’s a reason why even at 33, I’ll still make the occasional debaucherous detour to Geronimo Shot Bar. 

If, also like me, you have that one friend in the group who once read an excerpt from Aristotle’s Nicomachean Ethics and now lives their life in some weird, aspirational schadenfreude fettle, then you’re guaranteed to be served Geronimo’s ‘Kill Bill’ shot – which consists of wasabi, tomato juice, and vodka. I can confidently say that there is no other shot in Hong Kong that has sent me to the bathroom more than this one. 

I’m not saying stay the whole night but Geronimo Shot Bar deserves at least a pop-in and pop-out. And, it’s directly across from the next spot on this list (somewhere you’ll be happy to spend more than 15 minutes). 

Insomnia

Don’t be fooled by the entrance and front bar. Insomnia goes far back and is one of the more spacious bars in Hong Kong.

Website, Address, & Details: N/A

• Location: Lan Kwai Fong, 30-32 D’Aguilar St
• Big Body’s Go-To Beverage: Expensive Coronas – but 4 PM to 7 PM happy hours and free-flow nights make up for it. 

I don’t know about you but I’m not feeling 22. However, after 15 drinks and a night of the purest camaraderie with my top dawgz, you’ll find me inharmoniously belting out some T-Swift and changing the lyrics to ‘I’m feelin’ 32’ while Insomnia’s legendary live band rages on. 

Some of my best memories in Hong Kong are from over 10 years ago on Insomnia’s dance floor, ripping those disposable vapes (in what I thought was an inconspicuous manner) with one arm around my top dawg, pretending I know all the lyrics to Santeria. 

Located in the heart of Hong Kong’s storied entertainment and drinking district ‘Lan Kwai Fong’, Insomnia (identified by its Acropolis-styled pillar entrance) is a mainstay in Hong Kong’s live music and happy hour scene that requires a mandatory pilgrimage on any night of excessive drinking. You’ll find strong cocktails, expensive beers (post-happy hour), and the collective effervescence you’ve been seeking ever since you had a spiritual awakening one summer at Coachella. 

Insomnia is hands down one of my favorite spots to end a night or burn off some of the booze while shaking these hips that don’t lie for several hours before forging on.

Technically, this is where my recommended Hong Kong pub crawl ends. But if you’re a masochist and already know tomorrow is going to hurt (and hurt real bad), then you definitely have to check out the next spot. 

Bar. 42

I’m not even lying when I say that Bar. 42 looks like this when it’s open.

Website, Address, & Details: https://www.facebook.com/p/Bar42-Hong-Kong-100064835592149/ 

• Location: G/F, 42 Staunton St, Central
• Big Body’s Go-To Beverage: (Cleansing) Vodka Soda – but at this point in the night, it doesn’t really matter, now does it? 

Bar. 42 is where good intentions go to die and this, if you are still standing, should only be your last stop on this self-guided pub crawl. If you do make it and have checked off a considerable amount of the above bars then there is also a high probability that you may be the only one left in your group or engaging in extracurriculars. 

I’m not entirely sure how to even classify Bar. 42 other than a portal to darkness where once you enter, just be prepared to be blinded by the light when you walk out at 6 AM. This is where Hong Kong’s late-night crowd congregates, self-anoints, and self-destructs, so you’re either going to love it or hate it. 

What’s especially interesting about it is that Bar. 42 is really only patronized by those living in Hong Kong (both locals and expats), meaning you have more chance of spotting a Charizard there than you do a tourist. 

I doubt you’re there early enough but a fun fact is that Bar. 42 surprisingly has great chicken wings – something you wouldn’t expect from a shuttered, libertine inferno that has taken more souls than the WWE’s Undertaker. 

Drink, Drank, Drunk in Hong Kong

“Damn, I hate being sober.” – Chief Keef

You survived. You did it. I’m proud of you. I’m also ashamed of you. But that’s alright because I’m both proud and ashamed of myself for having drank and navigated this circuit before (not all at once but in segments). 

Scrounge up some 10-dollar coins and head over to McDonald’s, you earned it. Text your ex and tell him/her you’re sorry for writing a novella on why they are the one that got away (hint: they aren’t and you only thought that because you saw how depraved the world could be at Bar. 42). And get outside for a little exercise. You need to burn off whatever poison you put in your body so that you start the week out with emphasis.  

If you completed at least 50% of these bars and have proof, let me know and I’ll add you to my ‘Living Legends’ list (I’ll create a table on here). Or, you know what? If you want a personal guide for this, reach out to me and I’ll embark on this excessive and indulgent journey with you (for free, of course). I’ll even bring the turmeric capsules to help ward off the hangovers. 

Hong Kong bar owners reading this – I don’t want to say that you should provide half-off drinks to those who say Pale Ale Travel sent them but…get in touch if you’d like to work something out. 

If you have any favorite bars, drinking joints, or other spots in Soho and Lan Kwai Fong that you think should be on this list, let me know in the comments! Or, if you have any questions about drinking or eating in Hong Kong, feel free to reach out to me via email (info@palealetravel.com) and I’ll do my best to help!

Drink well (and responsibly everyone,

Big Body