Captain's Bar
Sometimes you want to go where everybody knows your name… The great thing about this place is the beer is served in chilled pewter mugs and the snack bowls are always filled. The crowds are usually the same mixture of suits and skirts, and in the evening there’s a jazz duet. Great for after-work wind-downs. G/F, Mandarin Oriental Hotel, 5 Connaught Rd, 2825 4006.

The Chapel
If ever there was a match made in heaven then beer and curry is it, and it’s a combination that makes The Chapel one of the best boozers in town. This cosy Happy Valley institution serves up superb Indian food that will have displaced Brits weeping tears of nostalgia into their vindaloo, while they have a huge pull-down screen for watching live sports. They also run one of the city’s most enjoyable quiz nights every Thursday (starts 9.30pm), but you’d better book a table a couple of days in advance as it’s almost as popular as their rogan josh. G/F, 27 Yik Yam Street, Happy Valley, 2834 6565. H/H 4.30pm-8.30pm

Smugglers Inn
There could be no more appropriate place in Hong Kong for a pirate-themed pub. After all, the Chinese name for Stanley translates to “Bandit’s post”. Inside its buccaneering interior, you’ll find stools fashioned from old wooden barrels, and many scoundrels shouting ‘aaaargh’ in unison. Despite these charms, Smugglers excels when the plastic furniture is laid out on Stanley Main Street, providing a decent outdoor area to enjoy an ice cold pint and the sweeping views across the Stanley waterfront. G/F 90A Stanley Main Street, Stanley, 2813 8852. H/H Mon-Fri 6pm-10pm

The Pawn
Here at Time Out Towers, we’ve got a lot of affection for The Pawn. Perhaps that’s because it opened around the same time as we did, and its three floors played host to our rip-roaring launch party. Or perhaps it’s because it’s become the symbol of the newly resurgent Wan Chai, blending preserved colonial architecture and design with contemporary verve. Then again, it might just be because it’s a damn fine spot to sink a few cold ones. Grab a spot on the balcony, order up a libation from their hugely impressive drinks list, and watch the world (and the trams) go by. G/F, 62 Johnston Rd, Wan Chai, 2866 3444; www.thepawn.com.hk.

The Canny Man
With the possible exception of the Irish and the Russians, no one drinks with quite as much professionalism and stamina as the Scots, so it stands to reason that this tartan outpost would be one of the best stocked in Hong Kong. As well as the obligatory (yet still impressive) selection of whiskies, the Canny Man also has hard-to-find bottled ales from Scottish brewers Belhaven and Caledonian, not to mention a menu filled with all the heart-clogging fare so beloved from Lerwick to Gretna Green (try the haggis, neeps n’ tatties, or the enormous full Scottish breakfast). Slainte mhath! Basement, Wharney Guang Dong Hotel, 57-73 Lockhart Road, Wan Chai, 2861 1935; www.thecannyman.com.

Find your watering hole:
Music bars
Proper pubs
Classy bars
Get away bars
Bars with a view
Specialty bars
Chilled out bars
Sports bars
Incognito bars
Party bars
Guilty pleasure bars
Arty bars

See also:
Blasts from the past