CLUB 71

Some of Hong Kong’s most interesting watering holes lie in its secret alleyways. Located in Man Hing lane, a cat-riddled alley perpendicular to Peel Street and parallel to Hollywood Road, Club 71 is one of these hidden gems. Mount the small steps and in the alley you’ll find an al fresco seating area in front of a colorful bar with a creative vibe. A magnet for bohemians, artists, philosophers, and designers, Club 71 is named after July 1, a day of pro-democracy demonstrations in Hong Kong.

The owner used to have a bar in Lan Kwai Fong called Club 64, a bar named after June 4, the day of the Tianamen square riots in Bejing. It was a place for counter-culture thinkers and a place where people could convene over drinks and have discussions about the state of the world today etc... When Club 64 closed down, the owner built Club 71 hoping to recreate the same revolutionary spirit.

The décor of Club 71 is quirky and eclectic. There’s a mural of the sky on the ceiling, guitars and instruments scattered about, and the back wall has a big multi-colored mural on it’s old stone walls. The drinks list is pretty basic. There’s beer, wine, simple cocktails and coffee and tea. Due to licensing issues, if you sit outside but you must order the drinks inside and take them out yourself. You can also bring your own food if you want to eat there or you can order food for delivery from surrounding restaurants. What’s charming about sitting out there is that the bar shares the alley with these old-school Chinese men. These elderly locals are often sitting there playing mahjong or just hanging out. At first they were not too keen on having to share their alley with a bar, but now they seem used to it.

For some reason, this bar seems more like someone’s home rather than a public bar. There are loads of regulars and the atmosphere is very warm. It’s an easy place to socialize and meet people at the adjacent tables as well as a great place to relax over a laid back drink and exchange ideas with your friends. The only problem with this bar is after 11pm the neighbors start to complain about the noise so it's not a good place to get really drunk and act loud and silly.