lonely-planet-myanmar-burma-11-edition

64YANGONaround the city. The Sule Paya Rd branchis the most central and offers fine, freshlybrewed coffee and fruit smoothies (fromabout K800).Parisian Cake & Café CAFÉ $Sule Paya Rd (Map p 42 ; Sule Paya Rd; a); MahabandoolaSt (Map p 46 ; 778 Mahabandoola St; a) Itcertainly ain’t as chic as a café in its namesakecity, but it’s cool and relaxing and hasan arm-length list of teas and coffees (fromK800), as well as cold juices and shakes, avariety of cakes and light pasta lunches.Mr Brown Café CAFÉ $(Map p 42 ; Mahabandoola Garden St; a) Anotherplace to get a break from the heat, sip acold 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-CateringCity MartSUPERMARKETShwe 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 peanutbutter? These relatively well-stocked supermarketsnear the city centre have a prettygood selection of imported goods (includingtampons) and a pharmacy.Ruby MartSUPERMARKET(Map p 42 ; cnr Bogyoke Aung San Rd & PansodanSt; h9am-9pm) Centrally located, moderngrocery store with all the staples and thensome.Sharky’sDELIDhama 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 locationsof this modern deli have good selectionsof fresh and preserved Western-stylefoods and meals.6 Drinking & EntertainmentWe hope you had your fun in Bangkok, becausethings are quiet here… Most placesclose by 10pm and the main form of localnightlife is hanging out in beer gardens,teahouses or ‘cold drink’ shops.BarsYes, there is alcohol in Yangon, and justabout every neighbourhood has a grubbybeer-garden-type restaurant, but places thatfit the Western concept of a bar are few andfar between.Strand BarHOTEL BAR(Map p 42 ; Strand Hotel, 92 Strand Rd; hto 11pm;aW) Primarily an expat scene, this classicbar inside the Strand Hotel has any foreignliquors you may be craving behind its polishedwooden bar. Friday afternoon andearly evening is a two-for-one happy hour(there’s a standard happy hour all other daysfrom 5pm to 7pm).Mr Guitar CaféLIVE MUSIC(Map p 48 ; 22 Sayasan St; h6pm-midnight; a)Founded by famous Myanmar vocalist NayMyo Say, this café-bar features live folk musicfrom about 7pm to midnight nightly.Well-known local musicians drop by frequentlyto sit in with the regular housegroup. There’s food, and the clientele is amix of locals and expats.50th Street Bar & GrillBAR(Map p 42 ; 9-13 50th St; h11am-2.30pm & 5pm-lateMon-Fri, 10.30am-late Sat & Sun; aW) The teakand heavy leather furniture here inspirethoughts of an elite men’s club. It’s popularwith locals and expats on Wednesday nights,when it has $6 pizzas to soften the drinking.Inya 1RESTAURANT(Map p 48 ; 1 Inya Rd; hlunch & dinner; a) Thoughtechnically a restaurant, Inya 1’s invitinggarden and modern Balinese design thememake it one of the best choices in Yangon fora sophisticated sundowner.British Club BarBAR(Map p 42 ; off Gyo Byu St; h1st Fri evening of monthuntil midnight) Think ambassadors sit aroundat night discussing world peace? Think again!Once a month the ever-so-prim British Clubthrows open its doors and discussion movesfrom world peace to beer consumption. Expats(of all nationalities) rate this as the socialevent of the month. Bring your passport.Zero Zone Rock RestaurantBAR(Map p 46 ; 4th fl, 2 Theingyi Zei market) This rooftopbar is more fun than the unintentionally selfdeprecatingname suggests. Live karaoke-likemusic starts at 7pm, the draught beer is cheapand the cool breezes free.Sky BistroBAR(Map p 42 ; 20th fl, Sakura Tower, cnr Sule Paya Rd &Bogyoke Aung San Rd; h9am-10pm; a) Certainlynot the sexiest place in Yangon for a nightout, but the views from the 20th floor arepretty impressive and there’s a generoushappy hour from 4pm to 10pm. Bar snacksand other dishes are also available.