So let me give you the rundown of all the places I was brought to by the local crowd. Some of it was pretty awesome. It’s mostly pretty expensive, at least compared to the local foods, but that’s to be expected with western establishments in this part of the world. This is by no means all that Rangoon has to offer, but it should give you a pretty substantial peek at the scene.
RANGOON TEA HOUSE
Address: 77-79 Pansodan Street, Yangon, Myanmar
This was the first place I went to, and by far my favorite thing on this list. After a long walk through Rangoon’s dimly-lit, Kafka-esque streets at night, this place felt warm and welcoming. As my unofficial tour guides explained to me, teahouses were the places where, in the old days, intellectuals and revolutionaries would gather to talk about religion and politics. These topics are controversial normally, but Burma has a past filled with violent censorship and political persecution. These teahouses were symbols of defiance and enduring spirit. Rangoon Tea House is the first ‘upscale’ teahouse to come about in Rangoon, but I’m sure that others will follow.
As far as Burma is concerned, this place might be the original "Hipster." It ain't cheap either. Or, at least not by Burmese standards. Compared to a night out in New York City, this place costs next to nothing. During my visit, I got to try and see a wide variety of menu items, and everything was great. It should also be noted that Rangoon Tea House holds cool events for the local community on a fairly regular basis. It's definitely worth a look if you are ever in Rangoon!
PORT AUTONOMY
Address: 22 Kabar Aye Pagoda Road, Yangon, Myanmar
Port Autonomy used to in a warehouse down by the harbor. In its hey-day, it was apparently the “place to be” in Rangoon. However, sadly, it was shut down by the government when they issued their latest curfew. That’s right: there is now a curfew for businesses of 11pm in Rangoon. This place has managed to stay open by relocating to a tucked away little spot a bit farther out into the suburbs (if you can really call them "suburbs). That was a speed bump for sure, but it seems to be back in full force.
When the taxi dropped me off, it felt like I walking into a restaurant somewhere on the French Riviera. The inside of this place had a distinct, Gatsby-style of elegance to it. We walked out the back door and were guided to the bar on a board walk illuminated by tiki torches. Port Autonomy which famously has 2 pet geese, who like to walk around the bar honking and flapping their wings at people. Their names are Pigalle and Gowanus. It’s not a cheap place to drink, but it’s very cool.
VISTA BAR
Address: 168 West Shwegondaing Road, Yangon, Myanmar
This is Rangoon’s premier (and, I'm pretty sure, only) rooftop bar. It’s obviously not quite on the level of the rooftop bars I’ve been at in Bangkok and Singapore, but Vista Bar has a much more unique view to offer: front row tickets to the Shwedagon at night. The Shwedagon is Rangoon's most famous pagoda. It's also the nation's tallest, at 344 feet. No other pagoda built in modern times is allowed to surpass this height, which is a weird fact. Anyway, the point is, It’s not a bad thing to have as your back drop.
Vista Bar is not crazy expensive, so it makes for an affordable night. They even have shisha (if you’re into that kind of thing). You don't want to miss out on this place! When you leave, I would recommend saying a firm and immediate ‘no’ to the taxi drivers that are waiting outside. Cross the street and put your thumb out to catch a random one. Taxi drivers waiting outside of upscale establishments like this one are looking to rip somebody off. Don’t let that somebody be you.
MONSOON RESTAURANT
Address: 85-87 Thein Phyu Rd, Yangon, Myanmar
This is as much a restaurant as a bar. It’s a nice place and it’s got a cool atmosphere. I’d recommend it for lunch or dinner if you’ve got some cash to throw. It’ll feel still cheap compared to expensive meals in the West, but by local standards, this is an upscale establishment. This is the kind of place where men where vintage suits and smoke cigars. It feels very Hemingway-esque.
Upstairs, a nonprofit operates, selling artisan goods for the benefit of impoverished and marginalized minority groups in the war-torn Rakhine State. The Rakhine State is home to the majority of Burma's Muslim Rohingya population, who are currently being subjected to borderline genocidal treatment by the Burmese government, although concrete information about this is hard to come by. The Boutique is called Pomelo, and if you're ever in Monsoon, you should check them out!
GEKKO
Address: 535 Merchant Street, Yangon, Myanmar
Founded by Iraqi-Jewish transplants to Rangoon, Gekko is actually a Japanese restaurant. I'm sure there's a great story there, but, unfortunately, that's pretty much all I know. The end result of that story must have been pretty good though, because Gekko is one of the coolest little places I’ve ever seen. The bar is great, and they have a pretty extensive alcohol menu, if that’s all you’re interested in. But that's not all...
They also have big, private, Japanese style rooms on the top floor for bigger events. I didn’t try the food, so I can’t really vouch for that, but if the drinks are any indicator, it’s going to be amazing. Oh, and P.S. in addition to the food and drink menus, this place has a cigar menu. And yet, the restaurant somehow doesn't smell at all like smoke. I'm not sure how that works, but I'm not complaining.
7TH JOINT
Address: G-A10, Shwe Asia Building (corner of 47th Street & Mahabandula Road) Yangon, Myanmar
This is a Rasta-themed bar, which in other cases might be lame, but the owner of this place is not only Jamaican, he’s usually there mingling, so you can meet him. It also normally has a live band, which is cool. Another plus about this place is that their prices are in the local currency, not USD. Many of the aforementioned places like to charge in USD to get a better exchange rate. Locally, this is know as kind of a snooty, shitty thing to do. So this is a point in favor of 7th Joint.
It’s not an easy place to find… it’s sort of around a corner, hidden behind a big empty building, but it’s very cool once you find it. I was meant to be meeting people here, and I was wandering around the darkened streets for ages before an older Burmese man saw me, took pity on me, and led me to the door, laughing all the while. I guess he knew that there was nothing else I could have been looking for in that area. Shout out to that guy, whoever he was.
J-ONE
Address: 11-F Bocho Street, Yangon, Myanmar (Behind the Union Business Center)
If you want to stay out past curfew, this is basically your only option. That’s pretty much its only virtue. It’s a club, with flashing lights, beating beats, and thumping bass. If you’re into that, great! If you’re not, and you still want to stay out late, you’re out of luck in Rangoon, unfortunately.
It costs quite a bit, and they will make you check your bag at the door, which is has pros and cons I guess. When I went there, it was for a LGTB event, and it was packed. But even on nights where there is no event happening, they supposedly fill up pretty fast, so if you want to get in for sure, it’s best not to be fashionably late.
