Editor Pick
Carnegies, The Spirt of Rock
- March 19, 2006
- Rated 5 of 5 by
Ed Hahn from Hong Kong, China
Up front, I must admit that this is my favorite place to drink in Hong Kong. I don’t remember exactly how I first found out about it, but once my friends and I started coming here we’ve been regulars ever since.
The initial impetus was so-called "Crazy Hour," which runs from 6 to 7pm. During “Crazy Hour” all bar drinks, beers, and the house wines are HK$19 (US$2.45). This compared to regular prices of HK$45 and up. I’ve never found a place in Hong Kong that has a better price. Not only that, the server comes around and warns you before "Crazy Hour" morphs into a more traditional Happy Hour so you can order as many additional items as you want and drink at "Crazy Hour" prices for at least another 30 to 45 minutes.
Not that Happy Hour Prices are that bad at HK$28 (US$3.60) for most drinks. Happy Hour runs from 5 to 9pm. They serve complimentary hot snacks from 7 to 9pm. I shouldn’t admit this but I sometimes fill up on the snacks and skip dinner. They usually serve cut-up sausages, spring rolls, samosas, french fries, and chicken strips. No limit on how many you can appropriate.
My friends and I re-named Friday night's “Crazy Hour,” “Therapy Hour,” as we used the time to gripe about our jobs and anything else that was bugging us. No criticism was allowed. Another regular event we would attend was “Quiz Night” on Mondays. At one time it was very popular but interest has waned and Quiz night is history, though the management keeps promising to bring it back.
They have a surprisingly extensive food menu with snacks, pub grub, sandwiches, pasta, Asian food, day-long breakfast, and even a few main dishes for the truly hungry. My favorite is the Steak Baguette. I’m also very partial to the Chicken Wings and the Chicken Strips. They also feature about 100+ different types of shooters. Shooters are not my style but others seem to go for them, especially late at night.
Around 9:30 or 10pm the bar dancing begins. Anyone can get up on the bar and dance. There are brass rails to keep the more enthusiastic of the dancers from raining down on the bartenders. Bar Dancing seems to be quite popular with bachelorette parties. Carnegie's has special promotions every night ranging from All-Night Happy Hour on Sundays, to free Champagne for the ladies on Wednesday nights, to HK$10 (US$1.30) vodkas on Tuesday night. The promotions change but every night, after 9pm, you can get a price break on something.
The music, sometimes played by a DJ, is 100% Rock and Roll, much of it Classic. The owners also have local bands in from time to time and are noted for their support of local musicians, both here and at the near-by Wanch Bar, which they also own.
In case you were wondering, I have absolutely no connection with Carnegie’s except as a loyal customer.
From journal Hong Kong, My Hometown