It's almost dusk, and Hong Kong's nightlife is just getting underway. But for the time being, the main bars in Lan Kwai Fong, especially, mostly host suits clutching beer in small bottles; those that have sprouted just above, along Hollywood Road, are likewise on the pricey side.
So we'll avoid them, and do something different though if you really fancy a drink right now, I suggest Wanchai - Carnegies, say, for Crazy then Happy hours. We'll ride the Peak Tram, up Victoria Peak. This is a cracking trip, with high-rises slipping away and seeming to tilt sideways as the tram climbs. There are viewing galleries at the station, where you can peer down on the city below. But there's a more spectacular viewpoint nearby.
A right turn from the station and a ten-minute walk along a level footpath lead to a vantage overlooking the harbour and its surrounds. In the early evening, the scene is astonishing, with buildings aglow, boat lights tracing patterns over the water. From here, you can appreciate how compact Hong Kong is at its core - which helps night owls, as you rarely have to travel far between the chief haunts.
Making things even easier, there are clusters of bars, restaurants and other nightspots. The best known is Lan Kwai Fong, on the fringes of Central - you can't really make it out from here, but it's in front of the Bank of China Building. It veered towards being upscale, perhaps was too self-satisfied overall, but could party into the small hours: past tense here, as in Lan Kwai Fong is in transition, with key buildings being demolished to make way for an entertainment tower or two. For now, there are bars etc, but Lan Kwai Fong has nigh on lost its mojo: whether it can rise again remains to be seen.
Closer to us is the newer SoHo, which has become an in-place for evening drinks and dinner. Out near Central Plaza - the building capped by a glass pyramid and a pole with four lights - is Wanchai, where nightlife is distinctly earthier.
