Situated just a hop, skip and a high-speed train away from Hong Kong, the buzzing metropolis of Guangzhou is a worthy rival to its neighbour when it comes to incredible nightlife venues, with a bevy of creative cocktail bars, raucous nightlife strips and mega sports bars.
Step behind traditional shopfronts in Tianhe and Dongshankou, and you’ll find mixologists whipping up cocktails that pay homage to the Chinese Mainland’s rich culinary heritage in playful, inventive ways. Meanwhile, the famed Party Pier roars all night long along the Pearl River – delivering exactly what it says on the tin with booming clubs and live DJ sets.
Read on to discover the coolest Guangzhou bars. Heading to the city for business? We've already done your research; here's a separate guide to where to eat and drink around the Canton Fair.
Party Pier
This waterfront park sprawls out from beneath Canton Tower, drawing night owls to its vibrant collection of bars, restaurants and clubs. Part of the fun is exploring the venues on offer: you’ll find sports bars, craft beer spots, cocktail bars and high-energy clubs all vying for space, with many boasting rooftops overlooking the Pearl River. The end of the week is when it really comes alive, and you’ll see both local and visiting revellers being greeted heartily in English, Mandarin and Cantonese. Ultimately, Party Pier isn’t about settling down at one specific spot; it’s about bar hopping until the sun rises over the skyline beyond.
118 Yuejiang West Road, Haizhu District
Chinese Lounge by No Social
Follow the post-work crowds to the outskirts of Tiande Plaza and this bar will transport you back in time to a traditional Chinese study, in which ornate scrolls can be unrolled to reveal a menu of poetic cocktails. History speaks through carefully selected design elements, from heaving bookshelves and ornately carved wood panels to towering glass cabinets filled to the brim with spirits. With a list of drinks inspired by various dynasties to choose from, keep things interesting with one of the bar’s mystery lottery box cocktails – you’ll pull a bamboo stick inscribed with a poetic saying and get a drink to match.
Shop 106, 3 Beiyue Street, Tiande Center, Liede, Tianhe District
Credit: Hope and Sesame
Credit: Hope and Sesame
Credit: Hope and Sesame
Hope and Sesame
Slip behind the shopfronts of Dongshankou and you’ll enter the wonderful world of Hope & Sesame , a bar that prides itself on unexpected flavour combinations and seasonal variations. Styled with bold colours, traditional tiles and myriad artworks, the venue is helmed by suave mixologists whose skill has helped it scoop up numerous World's 50 Best Bars accolades. While signatures include an Earl Grey twist on a Dark and Stormy and a gin sour with chickpea juice, the seasonal menu is where the team’s creativity really shines. Think toasted coconut and lily bulb martinis, black garlic Manhattans and a truffled banana bread and sticky rice wine, a glorious collision of sweet, sour and bitter in a glass.
MiaoQian Xijie 58, Dongshankou
Credit: Too High
Credit: Too High
Too High
Sitting on the 10th floor of Rosewood Guangzhou, this elegant hotel bar lives up to its name, with aerial panoramic views that place guests eye-to-eye with twinkling skyscrapers and nighttime light shows. Intimacy is the name of the game at Too High , with plush velvet booths, moody wooden interiors and live music tinkling away in the background as you sip. The focus here is less on cocktails and more on letting rare spirits speak for themselves, with a particularly robust whisky list. And with a smart-casual dress code to match the ambience, it’s perfect for a date night.
6 Zhujiang Road East, Tianhe District
Cages
As you wander along Party Pier, it’s hard to miss this 21,500 sq ft sports bar, where you’ll be able to grab a frosty pint and tune into a game on one of the venue’s mega screens – or try your hand at a few sports. Bowling lanes, arcade games and Cages ’ namesake baseball cages make this space a natural fit for a hangout with friends to test your mettle. Meanwhile, an abundant drinks list spans cocktails, craft beers and more to keep the party going into the late hours. When you’ve had your fill of sports, head to the rooftop terrace for riverside views and a prime people-watching spot to observe the Party Pier shenanigans below.
3-4 floor, Zhujiang Beer Museum, 118 Muodiesha Dajie, Xingang Donglu, Haizhu District
Credit: DSK Cocktail Club
Credit: DSK Cocktail Club
Credit: DSK Cocktail Club
DSK Cocktail Bar
When your first bar does so well, you’d be silly not to open another one. DSK Cocktail Bar is the second brainchild of the founders of Hope & Sesame – and boasts an entirely different vibe. Stretching across three floors of a heritage building, it evokes the glamour of a classic hotel lobby lounge; the first level takes this theme to the maximum, the second Room Service floor provides bar seating for watching the mixologists in action, while the third Suite floor is an intimate space with just two booths to unwind in. Expect elevated classics here with the team’s signature twists, including apple-based dirty martinis and a smoked cherry old fashioned.
1 Qingming First Road, Yuexiu District