Hong Kong

Beijing may not be ready for its gay close-up, but the grand old lady of Hong Kong is experiencing quite a quiet renaissance.







This was to have been a guide to gay Beijing, but for all the rampant change in the Chinese capital, currently experiencing the world’s biggest building boom, the city’s gay scene is far from ready for its close-up. Some 1,200 miles to the south, however, the grand old lady of Hong Kong is experiencing a quiet renaissance of her own, and with none of the conflicting attitudes toward sexuality you find on the Chinese mainland. This is a city that revels in its reputation as the party capital of Asia. And while it’s always been something of a shopper’s paradise -- it claims to have the highest number of Prada outlets per capita in the world -- it’s lately emerging as a cultural mecca too. It was the first stop for this year’s Chanel Mobile Art -- a collaboration between Karl Lagerfeld and Zaha Hadid -- and most-wanted U.K. art-prankster Banksy was the subject of a show at Hong Kong Arts Centre this past spring. No wonder the publisher of Time Out has just launched a local edition.

Street Guide

The Drink
Works
30-32 Wyndham St.; 852-2868-6102
Friendly, cruisy dance bar near the main drag of Lan Kwai Fong with gay-size cocktails (i.e., huge) and cute bar staff. Ask Deko for a Star Wars, which has 11 ingredients, including gin, vodka, tequila, and rum. You’ll just need the one.

Volume
83-85 Hollywood Rd.; 852-2857-7683
A kitschy stalwart where locals, expats, and tourists throw back free vodka mixers on Wednesday’s “New Arrivals” night with chatty manager/DJ Angus. Expect ample Mariah and Madonna. Long happy hours, from 7 to 9.30 P.M., but the crowd is best after 11 P.M.

Felix
The Peninsula Hotel, Salisbury Road, Kowloon, 852-2315-3188
No flip-flops or shorts are allowed in this elegant Philippe Starck–designed skyline bar. It’s a great spot for dessert and a drink away from the bustle of the streets. Just make sure you pop into the gents’ for a urinal with a view.

The Groove Propaganda
1 Hollywood Rd., Central; 852-2868-1316
Skinny Asian punks, girly boys, and those who love them shake it up at this HK institution that gets crowded on Fridays and Saturdays, when it’s open until 5 A.M.

The Bed
The Peninsula Hotel
Salisbury Road, Kowloon; 852-2920-2888
HK’s grandest. Take tea in the wonderfully evocative 1920s-era lobby, and then brush up on your Chinese calligraphy courtesy of the Peninsula Academy cultural program. Rooms start at $513 for a superior and head north of $1,700 for the deluxe harbor-view suite.

The Bite
Zuma
Levels 5 and 6, 15 Queen’s Rd., Central, 852-3657-6388
A contemporary Japanese restaurant and lounge bar, with an open natural stone kitchen and informal dining system based on shared dishes. Come for brunch and order the Rubabu, a rhubarb-infused sake shaken with vodka and fresh passion fruit.

The China Club
13th–15th floors, Old Bank of China Building, Bank Street; 852-2521-8888
Winston Churchill’s old leather sofa is here, and so is an art deco bar that is the envy of the city. Although it’s a private members’ club, a good hotel concierge can secure you a table at this fabulous throwback to 1930s HK.

Chez Moi
10 Arbuthnot Rd.; 852-2801-6768
Nautical decor and good, reasonably priced contemporary European dishes prepared in an open kitchen.

The Morning After
IFC Mall
8 Finance St.
Bridging the two towers that make up the International Financial Centre (number 2 is Hong Kong’s tallest building), the Mall’s principal lure is shopping, with 200 high-end stores such as Burberry and Prada, but savvy locals head to the roof garden for harbor views and a burger from Triple O.

The Souvenirs
Cat Street (a.k.a. Upper Lascar Row)
Bric-a-brac heaven in the Sheung Wan district. Great for 1960s paraphernalia from back when HK was the undisputed powerhouse of Asia.

Kapok
St. Francis Yard, near Star Street, Wanchai
Quirky art space-cum-boutique selling everything from French electronic music to its own collection of scented candles.

The Excursion
Ngong Ping Cable Car
Take a ride over gorgeous Lantau Island with its panoramic views of the world’s most dramatic cityscape. From the terminus it’s an easy five-minute stroll to the 112-foot-tall Tian Tian Buddha statue.

The Flight
Cathay Pacific
Arrive in style on HK’s own Cathay Pacific, which makes the competition seem awfully outdated. Treat yourself to business class for fully flat beds, but the new improved economy service has its own advantage—a hard-shell seat back that prevents the passenger in front of you from leaning back into your space. That’s progress.