64YANGON
around the city. The Sule Paya Rd branch
is the most central and offers fine, freshly
brewed coffee and fruit smoothies (from
about K800).
Parisian Cake & Café CAFÉ $
Sule Paya Rd (Map p 42 ; Sule Paya Rd; a); Maha-
bandoola St (Map p 46 ; 778 Mahabandoola St; a) It
certainly ain’t as chic as a café in its name-
sake city, but it’s cool and relaxing and has
an arm-length list of teas and coffees (from
K800), as well as cold juices and shakes, a
variety of cakes and light pasta lunches.
Mr Brown Café CAFÉ $
(Map p 42 ; Mahabandoola Garden St; a) Another
place to get a break from the heat, sip a
cold drink and chow down on a cake.
Tokyo Fried Chicken FAST FOOD $
(Map p 46 ; Shwe Bontha St; mains K1500; a)
TFC is Yangon’s own KFC. Self-Catering
City Mart SUPERMARKET
Shwe Bontha St (Map p 46 ; Shwe Bontha St; h9am-
9pm); Anawrahta Rd (Map p 42 ; cnr Anawrahta Rd &
47th St; h9am-9pm) Can’t live without peanut
butter? These relatively well-stocked super-
markets near the city centre have a pretty
good selection of imported goods (including
tampons) and a pharmacy.Ruby Mart SUPERMARKET
(Map p 42 ; cnr Bogyoke Aung San Rd & Pansodan
St; h9am-9pm) Centrally located, modern
grocery store with all the staples and then
some.Sharky’s DELI
Dhama Zedi Rd (Map p 48 ; 117 Dhama Zedi Rd;
h9am-10pm); Inya Rd (Map p 48 ; 131 Inya Rd;
h9am-10pm) The two nearly adjacent loca-
tions of this modern deli have good selec-
tions of fresh and preserved Western-style
foods and meals. 6 Drinking & Entertainment
We hope you had your fun in Bangkok, be-
cause things are quiet here... Most places
close by 10pm and the main form of local
nightlife is hanging out in beer gardens,
teahouses or ‘cold drink’ shops. Bars
Yes, there is alcohol in Yangon, and just
about every neighbourhood has a grubby
beer-garden-type restaurant, but places that
fi t the Western concept of a bar are few and
far between.Strand Bar HOTEL BAR
(Map p 42 ; Strand Hotel, 92 Strand Rd; hto 11pm;
aW) Primarily an expat scene, this classic
bar inside the Strand Hotel has any foreign
liquors you may be craving behind its pol-
ished wooden bar. Friday afternoon and
early evening is a two-for-one happy hour
(there’s a standard happy hour all other days
from 5pm to 7pm).Mr Guitar Café LIVE MUSIC
(Map p 48 ; 22 Sayasan St; h6pm-midnight; a)
Founded by famous Myanmar vocalist Nay
Myo Say, this café-bar features live folk mu-
sic from about 7pm to midnight nightly.
Well-known local musicians drop by fre-
quently to sit in with the regular house
group. There’s food, and the clientele is a
mix of locals and expats.50th Street Bar & Grill BAR
(Map p 42 ; 9-13 50th St; h11am-2.30pm & 5pm-late
Mon-Fri, 10.30am-late Sat & Sun; aW) The teak
and heavy leather furniture here inspire
thoughts of an elite men’s club. It’s popular
with locals and expats on Wednesday nights,
when it has $6 pizzas to soften the drinking.Inya 1 RESTAURANT
(Map p 48 ; 1 Inya Rd; hlunch & dinner; a) Though
technically a restaurant, Inya 1’s inviting
garden and modern Balinese design theme
make it one of the best choices in Yangon for
a sophisticated sundowner.British Club Bar BAR
(Map p 42 ; off Gyo Byu St; h1st Fri evening of month
until midnight) Think ambassadors sit around
at night discussing world peace? Think again!
Once a month the ever-so-prim British Club
throws open its doors and discussion moves
from world peace to beer consumption. Ex-
pats (of all nationalities) rate this as the social
event of the month. Bring your passport.Zero Zone Rock Restaurant BAR
(Map p 46 ; 4th fl , 2 Theingyi Zei market) This rooftop
bar is more fun than the unintentionally self-
deprecating name suggests. Live karaoke-like
music starts at 7pm, the draught beer is cheap
and the cool breezes free.Sky Bistro BAR
(Map p 42 ; 20th fl , Sakura Tower, cnr Sule Paya Rd &
Bogyoke Aung San Rd; h9am-10pm; a) Certainly
not the sexiest place in Yangon for a night
out, but the views from the 20th fl oor are
pretty impressive and there’s a generous
happy hour from 4pm to 10pm. Bar snacks
and other dishes are also available.