Best Chongqing Clubs and 9th Street Bars: 10 Curated Picks

BB FUNK Jazz Club: jazz, funk and a seat at the bar

BB FUNK suits a night when you want to hear the musicians and still have somewhere to sit. Jazz standards and funk classics fit its dim room, small tables and bar seats. Red curtains frame the stage at the back. A seat at the counter works for a solo drink; a small table suits a date or two friends.

Choose Friday or Saturday for live jazz, or Wednesday for Salsa and Bachata. A listening night and a dance night feel quite different. Wednesday gives you a reason to move around and meet people, while jazz puts the attention on the stage. The crowd includes local regulars and travellers.

The room has an old-school feel, and bartenders take time to explain the drinks. Cocktails can taste strong and spirit-forward; beer and nonalcoholic drinks offer other choices. A quiet weekday has a gentler pace than a performance evening. Cocktails cost CNY 68–88 (≈ USD 10–13 ) per glass. Most nights have free entry, with seats taken in arrival order and no reservations.

Live sets usually start between 20:00 and 21:00. Monday is quieter for conversation. Regular entry is free, with a minimum of one drink per person. Sit at a corner or the bar to chat; seats directly below the speakers are loud. There are over 100 gins to choose from, and the raspberry gin and tonic has a strong alcohol kick.

Address: 重庆市渝北区紫薇路32号. It is about 360 metres from Huangnibang station Exit 3B. Hours: daily 19:00–02:00.

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Cici Park: a small room for bass, house and electro

Cici Park is a small independent club for people who choose a night by its DJ. Bass, broken beat, house and electro give you more than one kind of electronic evening. The attraction is the music and a relaxed floor where you can settle into a set. Travellers from abroad also appear in visitor accounts.

The room is small and relatively bright. That makes the action easy to see, but leaves fewer dark corners for someone who feels shy while dancing. Going with a friend can make a first visit more comfortable. On a quieter night, the floor may feel sparse; this suits listeners who enjoy space more than a packed party.

DJ sets generally start after 22:00, with more dancers after midnight and busy Friday nights. Gate 2 is the park's middle-level entrance, beside the car park and sightseeing lift. From Shangxinjie station exit 2, allow an 8–12-minute walk. Some parties are free; paid nights have included CNY 66 (≈ USD 9.9 ) presale and CNY 88 (≈ USD 13 ) door tickets. Craft beer is the main drink.

Address: 重庆市南岸区开埠遗址公园2号门（观光电梯下二楼 青年文化空间）. Use Gate 2 at Opening Port Park, then take the sightseeing lift down two floors to the Youth Cultural Space.

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Inward Club: techno and a darker dance floor

Inward is the choice for a night built around the DJ and time on the floor. Its programmes have covered techno, progressive house, baile funk, EuroDance and hardcore. A harder lineup makes a different night from a house set, so the artists on the poster help you choose the sound.

The darker room and corners along the sides appeal to people who like finding their own spot. You can focus on the set without feeling as exposed as in a brighter room. The crowd builds later, with long DJ sets that can keep you on the floor for hours. Quieter nights can also bring a small audience. Choose it alone when listening and dancing are enough, or with friends who share your electronic taste. Conversation fits the cocktail bars in this guide better.

Arrive after midnight for a busier floor; the crowd can build until about 03:00. There are no booths or minimum spends. Early-bird tickets run around CNY 66–68 (≈ USD 9.9–10 ), presale CNY 88 (≈ USD 13 ) and door CNY 99–108 (≈ USD 15–16 ); some tickets include a drink. The dark, rectangular room has corners to lean against. Leave the car parked and use walking navigation to find the C-building entrance.

Address: 两江新区红旗河沟龙湖新壹街C馆2F. It is on the second floor of Building C at Longfor Xinyijie. NUTS is on the first floor of the same building, making the area useful for friends deciding between DJs and a live band.

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Orangutan Bunker 猩猩地堡九街店: hip-hop in a compact club

Orangutan Bunker suits someone who wants rap, R&B and familiar vocals rather than a night of instrumental techno. Its retro small room has a dance floor, giving solo guests a clear place to join in. A few friends can also enjoy the same set without making the whole night about a large club show.

The pull is the groove: hip-hop beats, rapper energy and a room where the music can quickly bring people together. The compact room keeps the dance floor close to the DJ. Song choices change from night to night. If particular tracks matter to you, choose by that night's programme.

A busy weekend floor can feel hot and crowded.

Doors open at 21:00, the MC starts around 23:30 and the party peaks near 01:00. Reserved tables are held until 22:30, or 23:00 when drinks have been ordered. The central circular bar needs no reservation and suits one or two guests, with cocktails around CNY 60–80 (≈ USD 9.0–12 ) each. A-zone tables are standing spaces, V-zone booths are smaller and W-zone sofas suit six to ten people. Weekend minimum spends are about CNY 980–1280 (≈ USD 147–191 ) per V booth and CNY 1580–1888 (≈ USD 236–282 ) per W booth. Entry, table fees and service fees are free. The room gets hot and crowded when the dance circle opens.

Address: 北城天街48号九街东区2楼, on the second floor of 9th Street East. Hours: 21:00–04:30 Sunday–Thursday; 21:00–05:30 Friday–Saturday.

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ESMI江北店: EDM, screens and a group celebration

ESMI brings a large-room night with surrounding screens, stage lighting, DJs and performances. EDM is the main direction, with hip-hop and K-pop also in the mix. Choose it when your friends want a show to watch together as well as music. A birthday or group celebration fits this format well.

Large lighting displays and male dance performances make the stage a focus of the night. If you want to follow a DJ's set closely for hours, the smaller Cici and Inward rooms offer another kind of evening. At ESMI, a table gives a group a meeting point between shows and drinks.

Busy weekends can bring queues and demand for tables, while an early arrival can feel much quieter. For friends who want to sit together, book a table at ESMI's Jiangbei branch.

Entry is free for guests aged 18 or over; bring photo ID, or a passport for overseas visitors. Outside drinks are not allowed. For weekend visits, arrive around 20:30–21:00 to beat the queue. Reserved tables are usually held until 21:30, with high-spend booths held until 22:00. Shows start around 22:30, build from 23:00 and peak around midnight; male dancers appear after 02:00. E/W tables suit two to four guests, with seats in the E zone and spending around CNY 300–500 (≈ USD 45–75 ) per person. S-side booths suit five to seven guests, with weekend minimum spending around CNY 1000 (≈ USD 150 ) per table; central M booths suit six to ten guests, around CNY 3000–4000 (≈ USD 449–598 ) per table. The centre faces the screens; the sides offer more room for conversation.

Address: 重庆市江北区观音桥鲤鱼池42号艺术公园商业, in the Liyuchi 42 art park. Flavor Tiki is in the same complex, giving friends a nearby choice for a quieter drink.

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TEETHGOLD 两颗金牙（九街店）: hip-hop and DJ interaction

TEETHGOLD suits friends who want to dance and join the energy between DJ and floor. Hip-hop is the main draw, with English and Chinese tracks shaped by the night's DJ. DJ interaction and a lively crowd give the compact floor its energy. Choose it for a compact, vocal-led party rather than the large stage show at ESMI.

Doors open at 21:00; closing is 04:30 Monday–Thursday and 05:30 Friday–Sunday. MC-led party action starts around 23:30, with dance circles and crowd interactions continuing after 02:00. Reserved tables are held until 22:30, or 23:00 with drinks ordered. The bar has no minimum spend or reservation and is standing only. S tables also have no chairs and fit six to eight standing guests. V booths seat two to four guests, with a weekend minimum spend of CNY 1280 (≈ USD 191 ) per table; W booths behind the DJ seat two to five, at CNY 2000 (≈ USD 299 ) per table. These minimum spends pay for drinks and snacks. Lockers are available. Small shared tables get cramped, so solo guests are better off at the bar.

Address: 北城天街40号2幢22-2号（近威CLUEDM）. Hours: 21:00–04:30 Monday–Thursday; 21:00–05:30 Friday–Sunday, closing the following morning. Start at the bar for a drink or join friends on the floor;

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Flavor Tiki九街店: Yunnan flavours at the cocktail counter

Flavor Tiki suits someone who wants to explore drinks rather than follow a dance floor. It is a modern Tiki bar with a quieter room beside ESMI in Liyuchi 42. Background music lets the drink and conversation take the lead. Alone, take the counter; with friends, choose different flavours and compare them.

Its Yunnan-inspired menu groups drinks around flowers and honey, fruit, seeds, leaves and roots. Tomato flavours and the tea aroma of 鸳鸯茉莉 appeal to drinkers who like trying something beyond a familiar classic. 花椒芽 is a white-Negroni twist with pepper shoots, a strong, less sweet choice. Unusual herbs and fish mint (折耳根) divide tastes, so describe the flavours you enjoy when ordering.

The menu includes classic Tiki variations, and ordering follows that menu rather than off-menu classics. Sockets at the counter make it easy to stay over a few drinks. People smoke inside; that affects whether this room suits your relaxed drink. Flavor Tiki won the national DRiNK Cocktail Menu award in 2024, which fits its focus on creative recipes.

The discreet glass entrance has no handle: push the door to enter. Come early for a bar stool; sofa seats give friends more room to chat. Cocktails cost roughly CNY 80–100 (≈ USD 12–15 )-plus each. Order from the menu, as off-menu classics are not made. Some drinks have daily limits. 番茄开会 combines tomato and preserved plum; 柠檬撒撇 turns increasingly spicy, while 折耳根 has a strong herbal flavour. 花椒芽 depends on seasonal supply. Around 23:30, tables receive hot mushroom and chicken soup. Smoking is allowed indoors.

Address: 鲤鱼池42号LG03号. Hours: 20:00–02:30. The evening's bill follows the cocktails you choose.

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Flavor Lounge得意世界店: classics, low light and conversation

Flavor Lounge is a small, dim cocktail bar for a slow drink near Jiaochangkou. Classics and variations make it a different choice from Flavor Tiki's Yunnan flavours. Take a bar seat alone to watch the drinks being made, or choose it for a date or two or three friends who want to talk.

Start with a Whiskey Sour and ask the bartender about its recipe. The counter puts the mixing and conversation within easy reach. Tell the bartender which spirits and flavours you like, then choose a drink that fits. The pleasure here is spending time over a cocktail rather than moving between shows.

The intimate room also means tables sit close together. Low light can suit a date while making a photo session less rewarding. A large, noisy group fits the bigger club rooms better. The personal attention gets warm responses, while other accounts describe brusque service.

The low-key entrance is inside Deyi World, below 渝大狮老火锅. Busy evenings can mean a wait of nearly two hours; after 23:00, the room becomes quieter. Choose the bar to watch mixing and talk about drinks, or a booth for conversation. A classic cocktail is around CNY 88 (≈ USD 13 ). The tablet menu lists flavour and alcohol strength, and several classics offer two recipes with different alcohol intensity. Whiskey Sour, Dry Martini and Zombie are useful starting points. Off-menu drinks are available when founder Jimmy is behind the bar; otherwise choose from the menu. Staff can light a drink with a small lamp for photos in the dark room.

Average spending is about CNY 106 (≈ USD 16 ) per person. Address: 民权路87号得意世界1楼（渝大狮老火锅楼下）, on the first floor below the hotpot restaurant. It is about 260 metres from Jiaochangkou station Exit 10B. Hours: 19:00–02:00.

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NUTS 4.0: live bands, jazz and late-night electronic parties

Choose NUTS for the band on the bill. Rock, punk and folk can each bring a different night, with the stage and sound at the centre of the experience. The room is a small livehouse: some audiences listen quite still rather than turning every show into a wild dance floor. That suits a solo concertgoer or friends who share a band's taste.

The small room brings you close to the musicians, with the live set at the centre of the evening. People who want constant dancing may prefer a DJ event. The wider programme can also include DJs, comedy and record markets, so the event itself decides the shape of the visit.

The new venue opened on 2 April 2026 and runs from 19:30 to 03:00. Band sets usually start between 20:00 and 21:00; techno, house and dub parties start around 22:00 and grow livelier near midnight. ShowStart sells tickets: presale prices are roughly CNY 48–79 (≈ USD 7.2–12 ), door tickets CNY 68–89 (≈ USD 10–13 ), and some parties are free. The room is mainly standing, with an outdoor forecourt for sitting between sets. Wednesday draft-beer free-flow costs about CNY 100 (≈ USD 15 ) per person. Indoors is smoke-free, with a designated outdoor smoking area. There is no Wi-Fi. Jazz nights, English comedy and record markets also appear in the programme.

Address: 重庆两江新区龙湖新壹街C馆1F, on the first floor of Building C at Longfor Xinyijie, below Inward.

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CAVER: craft beer in a former air-raid shelter

For a beer and a seat at the counter, head to CAVER防空洞酒吧 in Liziba. Exposed rock walls give this former air-raid shelter a relaxed setting for one or two drinks. Around 26 taps pour local HOPSCRAFT beers and guest brews, including IPA, sour ale and lager. Try the perilla-and-peach sour ale (紫苏桃子酸艾尔) for a fruity, herbal option.

Draft beer costs about CNY 40–55 (≈ USD 6.0–8.2 ) per glass, with free samples before you order. There is no entry fee or minimum spend, and you can sit at the counter without reserving a booth. The address is 渝中区李子坝正街21号. Mobile signal is weak inside the shelter; use the bar's Wi-Fi.

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