Revel without a pause
Hong Kong's nightlife may at times feel stiflingly homogenous, but the buzzword on the scene this season is 'change'. With the closure of Lan Kwai Fong's iconic California Tower and a crop of new hot spots that have shifted Central's revellers towards Wyndham Street and beyond, the city's clubbers are expecting to finally see something fresh.
Joshua So is head of operations at Hyde, a members' nightclub that opened on Lyndhurst Terrace in July. He notes that the venue brings to Central a two-floor experience, allowing people to shift the tempo of their night up and down in one place.
'On the third floor, it's an all-day chill-out lounge. On the second floor it's a club where you can party hard. Guests might start their evening upstairs, move downstairs and then, towards the end of the night, come up again to wind down.'
The design of the club - industrial, urban and weakly evocative of New York's meatpacking district - is right on trend, behind bars like Lily in Wyndham Street's LKF Hotel and 208 on Hollywood Road, both of which opened earlier this year. Of the venue's chic but ambiguous name, So jokes: 'It's like Jekyll and Hyde. Downstairs is definitely the sinister [one].'
He touts Hyde as a pioneer in the area people are calling 'Wellinghurst', at the intersection of Wellington Street and Lyndhurst Terrace. Alternative nightspot Bassment has held court in the neighbourhood since its relaunch under new ownership earlier this year, and recently opened Paisano, a surprisingly popular late-night pizza joint next door, has added to the street's low key, after-hours vibe. If the new kids on the block get their way, things are about to get a lot more posh.
Sheung Wan, too, is undergoing its long-promised gentrification, and Andrew Lewis hopes that his new nightclub, Republik, which opened in M1NT's old space on Hollywood Road in September, will provide a sophisticated retreat far from the madding crowd.
The absence of a dance floor is obvious. Lewis pumps his fist in the air like an Ibiza clubber - 'It's not really like that here,' he explains. Despite opening until the small hours on weekends and cultivating a roster of international DJs such as Benny Benassi, this is a club in a more refined sense. It will hold its grand opening on December 1.
The upstairs space is all espresso-coloured timber, smooth lines, black leather and polished stone, with flashes of unusual colour (chartreuse, violet) and - noticeably - large windows. 'Republik is offering people who like a glass of wine or champagne at the end of the day somewhere to go,' says Lewis.
If it's a wilder party you're after, you'll want to move back down the hill, where Hong Kong International School graduate Rachel Geicke will launch her yet-to-be-named venue in the old Tuscany by H space at the top of Lan Kwai Fong.
'We do need something new,' she says of Hong Kong's nightlife. 'A lot of people have told me that they stopped going out because they were bored.'
Set for a late-December opening, the new nightclub aims to attract a younger (and younger-at-heart) crowd - the scions and the socialites with style to boast and money to spend. Whispers of a famous club franchise from Europe have yet to be confirmed by Geicke.
Whatever happens, she promises 'something a little more crazy and out there'.
With 2,000 square feet of usable space, does she share the nightclub industry's property gripe? 'I don't think the [lack of innovation] is a space issue,' she says. 'My place is pretty small and I'm still going to put in elements that will be globally recognised. It's not about space; it's about creativity and guts.'
Hyde, Republik and the yet-to-be-named venue will join institutions such as Dragon-i, Drop and Volar as Hong Kong's party people look forward to more options for a night out.
The new arrivals
Hyde
Music: hip hop, R&B, electro house. Joshua So says: 'We aim to be diverse and dynamic in our music direction. We don't like to be put in a box.' The club's sound system, he claims, has impressed local DJs and international acts such as Renaissance artists Monaque, who appeared there earlier this month
Space: 10,000 sq ft
Door: guest list and members only
Drinks: bottle service from HK$4,000 to HK$20,000; cocktails, HK$88. Snacks include mini burgers with truffle fries and banoffee pie
Hours: lounge, 12pm-late, daily; club, 6pm-late, Monday-Saturday
What people are talking about: the pool tables, HK$120 per hour, or free at lunchtime and during the day on weekends
Republik (below)
Music: house. Andrew Lewis says: 'It's difficult to find fresh, new, cool music in Hong Kong. A lot of people are happy to listen to commercial hip hop. We're moving away from that. We also aim to attract up-and-coming DJs from all over the world'
Space: 4,000 sq ft
Door: HK$200
Drinks: bottle service from HK$6,000 to HK$25,000; cocktails, HK$120. Try the Signora Della Notte (Sangria Rouge, Glenlivet 12-year-old, demerara syrup, port, bitters, sours)
Hours: Tuesday-Saturday, 5pm-late
What people are talking about: in-house mixologist Matt Radalj - named Western Australia's bartender of the year in 2007 - and his 17 signature cocktails
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58-62 D'Aguilar St, Central
Music: hip hop, house. Rachel Geicke says: 'I do want some mainstream tracks playing because people enjoy that, but there should be some fresh beats in there. It shouldn't be an MTV top 40s show. We want to focus a lot on having international DJ events'
Space: 2,000 sq ft
Drinks: bottle service will be available in the club's VIP areas Hours: 4pm-late
What people are talking about: watch this space
