Zhong Shan Bars and Cafes offer a range of opportunities to go out, mingle or enjoy a drink. Be aware that many bars can be loud. If you are looking for a quieter atmosphere then try to find an expatriate bar.

Traditional, International and Western Bars

Alex Bar is a German bar that stocks a great range of German beer. It has live music each day. The cuisine varies depending on the day. On Fridays there is an all-you-can-eat pizza; Saturdays are noted for buffets, and on other days of the week you can get Indian food, BBQ and Thai curries. There is "happy hour" every day at 6 p.m. If you are a foreigner, then go in on Wednesdays and get the 20 percent foreigners' discount. Thursday is ladies night and Saturday is the main party day. If you want a table, it is best to get a reservation for Friday and Saturday in advance.

Gen Ju Di Ba is one of the most authentic Chinese bars in town. It is located across from the People’s Hospital and over the entrance there is a communist star. For a choice of different bars just head to New Bar Street as this is an entire complex of bars, one after the other. It is on Qiguan West Road and near Alex Bar.

One of the best expatriate bars is Friends Bar and Club. If it had a large screen television playing sports then it would be just like being in a bar in the U.S. or the U.K. This was the very first foreign-owned bar in Zhong Shan. It regularly hosts  events such as Halloween and other Western holiday celebrations. This is a great spot to meet some friends and relax after a long day.

Drinking Tea

A great cafe that offers a range of tea is the Double Fortune Tea House. A teahouse is the best place to learn the ancient Chinese traditions of making and drinking tea. A few other good teahouses include Hang Fen Lin Tea Art House, Crystal Tea House, Guo Xiang Teahouse and Ming Xiang Teahouse. 

Cafes Offering Different Cuisines

A popular cafe for visitors is Kitaro Cafe as this makes Chinese, Japanese and Western food all at affordable prices. An excellent choice for vegetarians is WOWOW Restaurant Cafe as it offers a lot of vegetarian choices besides hamburgers, sandwiches and French fries. The decorations are quite interesting as the walls are covered in beach scenes and you can find Buddhists texts in the corners.