By early evening the neon is on along Portland Street in Mong Kok, the pavement outside the MTR exits is thick with people, and the smell of street food drifts past karaoke signs and bar fronts. Across in Tsim Sha Tsui, the towers along Salisbury Road light up against the harbour, and the rooftop bars start filling with people who came for the view.
Kowloon's nightlife is spread out and varied rather than concentrated in a single strip. Tsim Sha Tsui leans toward hotel bars, harbour views and Western-style restaurants, while Mong Kok and the streets further north are louder, more local and more casual. It suits visitors who want to move between areas on the MTR rather than stay in one place, and who are as interested in street-level atmosphere as in a long sit-down evening.
Where to go out in Kowloon
1. Knutsford Terrace, Tsim Sha Tsui
A narrow street near the Miramar hotel, described as the Lan Kwai Fong of Kowloon. It holds a large number of bars and restaurants of variable quality, aimed at mid-range budgets, and is a little smaller and less frantic than its Hong Kong Island counterpart.
It suits a Saturday evening when you want several options within a few steps of each other and don't mind choosing between places of uneven quality. It is worth walking the length of the street before settling on somewhere.
2. Ashley Road, Tsim Sha Tsui
The stretch between Nathan Road and the Ocean Terminal shopping mall, with many Western restaurants and bars along it.
This suits an early, food-led evening, or a drink before or after time in the shops and along the waterfront.
3. Mody Road and Centennial Garden, Tsim Sha Tsui
An area close to many good hotels, offering a more relaxed environment for a drink, with bars and restaurants spilling out onto the pavement.
It suits a calmer night than Knutsford Terrace, and one that is easy to reach from the surrounding hotels. Leave East Tsim Sha Tsui station at Exit P1 and head past the Kowloon Shangri-La hotel.
4. Tung Choi Street, Mong Kok
Between Prince Edward Road and Boundary Street, this is one of Kowloon's up-and-coming bar strips. Few tourists or expats venture here, but there are nearly two dozen bars; some specialise in karaoke while others have open fronts and extensive drink menus.
It suits a more local, less polished night, and works well if you want to move between several bars in one evening. Take the Prince Edward MTR station, Exit A.
5. Portland Street, Mong Kok
A section of 1 Portland Street hosts Hong Kong's unofficial red-light district, with a dizzying assortment of karaoke bars, hostess bars, saunas, brothels and restaurants. The area is frequently the setting for Hong Kong triad films, and great street food and colourful characters can also be found.
It is best visited in the evenings, when the street is brightly lit with neon. Despite the vice that goes on there, it is considered safe to visit at any time, but be careful about taking pictures, as many people will not wish to be photographed. Ride to Mong Kok MTR station and, as you emerge from Exit C3, walk southward.
6. Hotel and rooftop bars, Tsim Sha Tsui
Tsim Sha Tsui has a cluster of bars in and around its hotels. Aqua, at 15 Middle Road, has a Japanese and Italian restaurant alongside the bar; nearby, at the top of the 1 Peking Road office building, is an alternative and less touristy spot with equally impressive views. Felix sits on the 28th floor of The Peninsula on Salisbury Road, known for its Philippe Starck interior and harbour skyline views.
These suit an evening built around a view, whether for a single drink or a full dinner. Note that a simple mixed drink at Felix runs to around $100.
7. Biergarten, Tsim Sha Tsui
A friendly German bar at 5 Hanoi Street, one of the few places in Kowloon with a good range of quality beers, and serving German food beyond sausages and sauerkraut. Expect to pay around $100–150.
It suits a group wanting a proper beer list rather than a cocktail view. Use Exit N1 or N2 at East Tsim Sha Tsui MTR station.
8. Hostess and girlie bars, southern Tsim Sha Tsui
Be wary of the girlie bars scattered around the southern tip of Tsim Sha Tsui, whose entrances are usually decorated with photos of women in various stages of undress. Strip bars are not popular with locals for good reason: there are reports of these places being owned by rough people, even triads, and they may add unexpected exorbitant charges to your tab, such as a fee to talk to a girl. They may even escort you to an ATM if you don't have enough cash.
These places are very much not recommended. If you want a late night in the area, the hotel bars and the drinking streets above are the safer choice.
How a night out unfolds
Kowloon's evenings start with food. Street food and restaurants are part of the fabric of areas like Portland Street, and the bar strips fill later, with Knutsford Terrace described as worth a look on a Saturday evening and Portland Street at its best once the neon is lit. Afternoon tea at the Peninsula is served between 2 PM and 7 PM daily, with a smart casual dress code, which makes it an early-evening option rather than a late one. The sources do not give closing times for the bars and clubs covered here, so plan around the MTR and check individual venues directly.
Frequently asked questions
Is it safe to walk around Kowloon's nightlife areas?
The Portland Street area, despite the vice that goes on there, is described as perfectly safe to visit at any time. The caution is about photographs rather than personal safety: many people there will not wish to be photographed. The clear exception is the girlie bars of southern Tsim Sha Tsui, which are not recommended.
Which area is best for a bar crawl?
Knutsford Terrace packs a large number of bars and restaurants into one narrow street and is the closest thing in Kowloon to a concentrated nightlife strip. Tung Choi Street in Mong Kok offers nearly two dozen bars along a single stretch and is a good option if you want somewhere less touristy.
Where can I drink with a harbour view?
Tsim Sha Tsui's hotel and rooftop bars are the places to go. Felix, on the 28th floor of The Peninsula, is known for its harbour skyline views, and Aqua and the bar at the top of 1 Peking Road offer comparable outlooks.
Do I need to dress up?
Only where the venue says so. The Peninsula's afternoon tea has a smart casual dress code; the sources do not state dress codes for the bars listed here, so it is worth checking with the venue if you are unsure.
Work out which end of Kowloon you want to end up in, check the MTR route between your stops, and set out with the evening loosely planned rather than fixed.