The Wanch — Restaurant in Hong Kong Island

What a joke. The owner and staff of the grubby old Wanch (which was brilliant fun in its original form) have tried to go upscale HK style. But they're way out of their league now. The new design is supposed to be hipster friendly, but they leave too many tables in front of the stage once bands start playing, so its hard to watch and not good for dancing.

But worst of all (and its mighty bad) is the service. I visited 5 or 6 times since the new place opened hoping to take in good bands good drinks and fun people (the way it used to be), but you end up waiting forever to get served. For food, if you can spot a server, they ignore you when you want to get a menu or order. Once they brought my burger to me they refused to get me more ketchup/mustard (said they were too busy).

Drinks are worst of all. Theyre way understaffed at the bar and completely ignore you minute after minute as you wait and fight to get their attention. And we're talking conspicuously ignoring customers. I got to the point where I and my fds tried to shout to get the bartenders attention after standing/waving/staring without any response for 10 minutes. They just keep ignoring the customers and when a couple people got really irritated and tried to complain, the bartenders just shrugged their shoulders.

Complaining to the owner doesn't help. He just wants to stand around and pretend he's part of the high brow HK crowd now and can't be bothered with making things work right. The place is pathetically understaffed, and the original staff that carried over to the new place have no sense or concern for the kind of service ethic needed to make the new format work. I won't waste my time there anymore, Ill just go over to the Aftermath in central where we can get a drink and...

Overview: Nestled in the bustling heart of Wan Chai, The Wanch is an institution in Hong Kong's live music scene. Having been around for decades, this venue is celebrated for championing both local and international acts, covering a diverse range of genres from rock and blues to folk and indie.

Ambiance:

Intimate Setting: The compact size of The Wanch offers a cozy, intimate setting that allows for genuine interaction between artists and their audience. Décor: The walls, adorned with rock 'n' roll memorabilia, set the perfect mood for an evening dedicated to live music. Music:

Diversity: From acoustic sets to full-band rock-outs, The Wanch has seen it all. The venue's open-minded booking policy has made it a hub for a plethora of music styles. Talent Promotion: The Wanch has always been a supporter of emerging talents, offering a platform for local artists to showcase their craft. Drinks:

Variety: The bar offers a variety of beverages to suit different tastes, from beers and spirits to non-alcoholic drinks. Pricing: The drinks are reasonably priced, especially considering its location in Wan Chai. Location: Situated on Jaffe Road, The Wanch is accessible and surrounded by a slew of other bars and eateries, making it a prime spot for nightlife.

Staff: The staff members are known to be friendly and passionate about the music, further adding to the venue's welcoming vibe.

Conclusion: The Wanch is not just a bar or a music venue; it's an integral part of Hong Kong's musical heritage. Whether you're a music enthusiast looking to discover local talent or someone just seeking a lively evening in the town, The Wanch is the...

The Wanch has been around far longer than I have been in Hong Kong, and hardly needs an introduction to live music fans here. There are plenty of great nice things to be said about this place, but let me start with the only negative thing about the place in my view.

Well, for a place that blends music into dining (and wining, too), the acoustics feel terribly off - the accompanying instruments are way louder than the vocals. At first I thought it was just me, or perhaps it was the singer's voice, but then I tried to search for a few of the songs on the beatfind app - in 12 attempts, beatfind failed to recognise even one song. Not that these were very uncommon numbers, or that the singer was bad - MaryJane has tremendous vocal range and power, and effortlessly belted out songs from Nirvana, from Bob Marley, from The Cardigans - yet the app could not recognise any. The volume of the instruments really really needs to be lowered a bit for the lyrics to be heard as they are meant to be heard. I mean, if "I shot the Sherrif" is not recognised by the app, there has to be something wrong.

With that out of the way, on to the good part. The Wanch has been promoting live music in HK for decades, and has really set the standards for others to follow. You do not walk in there just to dine and drink, you go there for an experience that is steeped in heritage. The ambience is informal and charmingly cosy, there are a lot of really good bands doing great covers and sometimes originals, and the food is lovely. Frankly, if not for the accoustics issue, this would have been a rare five star...