Lan Kwai Fong is a cluster of streets in Central where the bars and clubs have operated since the 1980s. The area began as a local expat hangout and has grown into Hong Kong's most concentrated nightlife district: over a hundred bars and restaurants in a few steep streets and alleyways running up from D'Aguilar Street. On weekends and public holidays the streets are closed to traffic and the crowd spills onto the pavement.
The bars range from Irish pubs to rooftop cocktail bars to dance clubs. It is not cheap — Central prices apply throughout — but it is convenient, well-policed, and easy to get to and from by taxi. The crowd is international and tends young. For a more local bar experience, Wan Chai and Mong Kok have alternatives that feel less packaged, but Lan Kwai Fong remains the easiest place to start a Hong Kong evening.