Kaohsiung's drinking scene is centred on three areas: Yancheng for craft beer and small bars, Pier-2 for harbourside drinks, and Sinkuchan (around Cijin Park) for late-night clubs.
Bao Bao Pizza & Beer in Yancheng pours a long list of Taiwanese craft beers on a converted shophouse balcony. The pizzas are good and the crowd is mostly expats and Kaohsiung 20-somethings.
Slow Beer Brewery is the closest thing the city has to a brewpub, on the western edge of Pier-2 with a sea view and a tap list of southern Taiwanese hop-forward beers.
Brick Yard in Sinkuchan is a long-running hip-hop and reggae club that draws a young Taiwanese and military crowd; busy from midnight, dead until 11pm.
Cafe Bar is the original Pier-2 cafe, in Warehouse C5, with terrace tables overlooking the harbour. Decent coffee and a good place to start an evening before walking down to the Music Center.
For atmosphere over taste, the rooftop bar of the 85 Sky Tower has a 360° view; drinks are expensive but the city laid out below makes up for it.