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This place is hardly recognisable as the gloomy old dive where the desperate-to-drink (no one we know) used to find themselves unhappy but never alone at 3am. Now it has a generous happy hour, internet access and cheap set lunches.

SKITZ Map Bar

2866 3277; www.skitzbar.com; 5th fl, Phoenix Bldg, 21-25 Luard Rd, Wan Chai; MTR Wan Chai (exit C)

Hong Kong’s most convenient sports bar screens big sporting events on its massive plasmas. There are also pool tables and dartboards, and (depending on the night) a DJ on the decks.

DELANEY’S Map Bar, Pub

2804 2880; Ground & 1st fl, One Capital Place, 18 Luard Rd, Wan Chai; noon-2.30am Sun-Thu, noon-3am Fri & Sat, happy hour noon-9pm; MTR Wan Chai (exit C)

At this immensely popular Irish watering hole you can choose between the black-and-white-tiled pub on the ground floor and a sports bar and restaurant on the 1st floor. The food is good and plentiful; the kitchen allegedly goes through 400kg of potatoes a week. There’s also a branch on Peking Rd in Tsim Sha Tsui Click here(Click here).

CLASSIFIED Map Bar, Restaurant

2528 3454; 31 Wing Fung St; 5pm-2am; MTR Admiralty (exit F)

This tiny little bar with a large, scrubbed wood table opens right onto the street and styles itself as a mozzarella bar. It’s an ideal place to quaff a glass of wine accompanied by a few slices of quality cheese.

PAWN Map Bar, Restaurant

2866 3444; 62 Johnston Rd, Wan Chai; 11am-late; MTR Wan Chai (exit B2)

Downstairs from the Pawn’s gastropub, the beaten-up sofas with space to sprawl, plus great little terrace spaces overlooking the tram tracks, make the ideal location to sample a great selection of lagers, bitters and wine at this excellent Wan Chai newcomer.

DEVIL’S ADVOCATE Map Pub

2865 7271; 48-50 Lockhart Rd, Wan Chai; noon-late Mon-Sat, 1pm-late Sun, happy hour noon-10pm; MTR Wan Chai (exit C)

This pleasant pub in the thick of things is as relaxed as they come. The bar spills onto the pavement and staff are charming. ‘Devilling Hour’ (5pm to 7pm) is even cheaper than happy hour, and there are cheap drinks on Wednesday night.

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GAY HONG KONG

Hong Kong’s once rather hangdog gay scene gets better by the year with smart new bars and clubs catering to an increasingly discerning set of customers.

While it may not have the vibrancy or wider-scale visibility of cities like Sydney, the scene has made huge strides in recent years. Two decades ago, when homosexual acts between consenting adults over the age of 21 (it’s 16 for heterosexuals and lesbians) were finally decriminalised, it had no more than a couple of grotty speakeasies.

Today Hong Kong counts more than two dozen bars and clubs – with more than a third in Central and Tsim Sha Tsui – and just as many gay-oriented saunas scattered throughout the territory. Grab a copy of G, a bimonthly gay-centric listings publication brought to you by the same people who publish HK Magazine, or check out the GayStation (www.gaystation.com.hk) or Gay HK (www.gayhk.com) websites. Some places to check out:

DYMK ( Map; 2868 0626; 16 Arbuthnot Rd, Central; 6pm-4am; MTR Central, exit D2) An excellent, upmarket gay-friendly newcomer, DYMK (or ‘does your mother know?’) caters to a discerning crowd of professionals who lounge in the dimly but stylishly lit booths. There’s an extensive wine list and cocktails including the Thai Me Up and the Pinch My Peach. Reach it through the basement staircase in Eden, the organic bistro next door.

New Wally Matt Lounge ( Map; 2721 2568; www.wallymatt.com; 5A Humphreys Ave; 5pm-4am, happy hour 5-10pm; MTR Tsim Sha Tsui, exit A2) The name comes from the old Waltzing Matilda pub, which was one of the daggiest gay watering holes in creation. But New Wally Matt is an upbeat and busy place and actually more a pub than a lounge.

Propaganda ( Map; 2868 1316; Lower Ground fl, 1 Hollywood Rd, Central; 9pm-4am Tue-Thu, 9pm-6am Fri & Sat, happy hour 9pm-1.30am Tue-Thu; MTR Central, exit D2) Despite more gay-friendly venues out there