Fright Nights
We all know Halloween is an excuse to drink, party, and dress up in your old high school uniform (ladies, that’s a hint). It’s also a convenient yet somewhat spurious opportunity for the local drinking establishments to take money from our pockets. And we love them for it. So here’s what’s going on.

The King Parrot Group gets proceedings underway with free make-up services galore at their restaurants on Knutsford Terrace on October 31, 8pm to midnight, for anyone who spends more than $100. Where to go? Hold your breath, here’s the list: A Touch of Spice, Balalaika, El Cid, Club Havana, Heaven on Earth, Island Seafood and Oyster Bar, and Merhaba. Down in Lan Kwai Fong, the same deal will be offered to diners at Balalaika and will be sponsored by Absolut Vodka – expect some cheap vodka treats. And if one day of Halloween’s not enough, you can stretch it out from the 27th to the 31st at Knutsford Steps, where a $100 spend will get you a free face-paint, and a $250 spend will get you a free cocktail.

Down the hill and across the water, there’s plenty of ghoulish action going on – and it starts and ends with The Rocky Horror Show. From Friday the 27th to Tuesday the 31st, Rocky goes to Wanchai, with theme parties, Rocky cocktails, Time Warp sing-a-longs, stockings, stilettos and more Sweet Transvestite shenanigans abounding at China Town, Devils Advocate, Joe Bananas, Xperience, Coyote, and White Stag. Also keep an eye out for members of the cast from the recent Rocky Horror Show performance, as seen at the Fringe.

In fact, Devils Advocate (G/F, 48 – 50 Lockhart Rd, 2865 7271) is taking it all a step further by showing The Rocky Horror Picture Show on a big screen on Sunday the 29th and offering a bang-up drinks-and-eats deal. Call early to book a place for pre-dinner drinks, a three-course meal, and unlimited beer, wine and Rocky cocktails from 8pm to midnight – all for $398. Also, from the 29th until the 31st, the bar will be offering cocktails and shooters at happy hour prices, with prizes each night for best spooky costumes.

A couple of doors down at Maya (68 – 70 Lockhart Rd, 2866 6200), live DJs, scary games, wild dance shows and ‘Satan Gold’ Belgian beer will feature at a frightfully exciting party on the 31st. There’ll be shot specials all night, and did we mention the $5,000 in prizes for best costumes? Make your booking before the 25th.

While you’re trawling the area, you might as well head on over to Laguna (17 – 21 Fenwick St, 2866 4736) on the 31st for a free all-night snack buffet and two ridiculous hours of free drinking: from 6pm to 7pm, and 11pm to midnight, Carlsberg on tap is gratis. And don’t forget that Carlsberg bottles are $25 each for the rest of the month, or $130 per bucket of six, and ladies get to drink free (standard drinks only) all
night long.

At the other end of the scale, JJ’s Music Room at the Grand Hyatt (1 Harbour Rd, 2588 1234, ext 7363) will play host to pirates, maidens, lost treasure and ghostly shipwrecks. Guests will receive a free glass of Veuve Clicquot champagne and get to sink a selection of six shooters for $66. Prizes of fancy wine and Thai dinners at JJ’s Dining Room are also up for grabs. The party’s on from 8pm to 2am on the 31st. Meanwhile, Hari’s Bar at the Holiday Inn (50 Nathan Rd, TST, 2369 3111) has their shindig on the 31st, with games, special cocktails, fancy dress, and live music for $150, with two standard drinks from 9pm on.

Jack’s Terrazza’s Ristorante in both Wanchai and Soho East (28 Harbour Rd, The Sanlitun, 2827 1697; Shop GA 26 – 31, Site A, 55 Tai Hong St, Lei King Wan, 2885 6728) is also getting into a ghoulishy good time, with a special drink and set dinner package on October 28 and 31, along with dinner coupons for the best-dressed customers. The Hard Rock Café (G/F & 1/F Silvercord, 30 Canton Rd, TST) is also fully embracing Halloween with a ‘Drag-qula’ dinner and drinks party on Sunday, October 29. Get along for live music, free face painting, big prizes, games, and more fun. And you better be in early for a ticket – call 2375 1323.

Hang on, we haven’t finished yet. Wooloomooloo (G/F & 1/F Onfem Tower, 29 Wyndham St, 2894 8010) is celebrating Halloween early, with a party on Saturday the 28th from 9pm until late. Arrive between 9pm and 1am and you’ll receive a spooky makeover (sponsored by Cointreau) a devil horn, and a sample of Paco Rabanne BlackXS perfume. All that’ll cost you $100, and a standard drink will be thrown in as well. The exact same deal is going on at the ‘Loo’s sister bars, the Don Juan Mexican and Red Stone Bar & Grill over in TST East.

Okay, now let’s take a breath. We all know there’s a number of days in October and November that aren’t actually Halloween, so let’s talk about those for a bit. The ones that are most important are those given over to Oktoberfest.

For your fix of kraut and gutes bier, try the Marco Polo Hotel (Harbour City, TST, 2113 0088). German food, German band, German beer – it’s all happening at the Marco Polo, and you can take your kids. From October 29 to November 18, 5:30pm to 11pm Monday to Thursday, and until 11:30pm Friday to Sunday, the bierfest will be in full swing. Get yourself in for $85 ($60 for the kids) during the weekdays, or $150 ($100 for kids) at weekends.

The King Ludwig Beerhall in TST and Stanley (Shop no. 32, G/F, KCR East TST Station, 2369 8328; Shop 202, Murray House, Stanley Plaza, 2899 0122) is holding its Oktoberfest a little earlier in the piece. Up until the 22nd, a Bavarian band plays traditional Oktoberfest hits to keep you entertained while you scoff bratwurst and neck some of the best beers our planet has to offer. Set dinners, featuring roast German cheese sausage and braised veal steaks along with two Holsten beers, go for $580. And there’ll be plenty of old-fashioned fun – take part in the beer drinking contest and you could win a return flight for two to Frankfurt. I’ll drink to that!

The Island Shangri-La (Pacific Place, Supreme Court Rd, Admiralty) is having a busy month. The Alsace Wine Fair on October 21 visits the Atrium (Level 39, Island Shangri-La) with white, red, and crémant wines from the Alsace region in France, known for its aromatic tipples. $85 will get you in, with a $30 coupon for any on-site purchase. Call Sopexa on 2866 7163 to book a spot. Meanwhile, German bar superstar Charles Schumann – formerly a Hugo Boss model and now owner of Munich’s chic Schumann’s bar – will be at the Lobster Bar & Grill (Level 6, Island Shangri-La) to conduct master classes in the art of cocktail mixing on November 3 and 4 from 4:30pm to 6:30pm. Take the class, get a personalised shaker, an autographed copy of Schumann’s American Bar book, and a four-course dinner for $1,388. Call Wan Muzdaliffa and 2820 8560 for enquiries.

And now for all the other bits of bar news that aren’t Halloween or Oktoberfest:

La Dolce Vita (9 Lan Kwai Fong, 2186 1888) is back in full swing after its recent renovations, and as you can see from our picture, it’s look rather spiffing. Hemingway’s, a new bar and restaurant, will open in the Discovery Bay Plaza at the end of the month, offering waterside dining and beautiful bay views. The bar will feature an extensive wine and cocktail list, tap beers, and a ‘wall of rum’. And finally, The Globe (39 Hollywood Rd, 2543 1941) – a self-proclaimed ‘Halloween-free zone’ – is having a beerfest on November 1 with nearly 100 beers. That should be enough to keep your thirst at bay for the month.