China Bear

The China Bear is a great little pub, right next to the Mui Wo ferry terminal, which I feel gets a bad reputation as just a bar to hang out in if you’ve missed the ferry. Yeah sure, if you’ve missed the ferry, and need somewhere to kill an hour or two, then by all means you should drop by. It is really convenient, there’s plenty to eat and drink, and the service is brisk (I suppose they get that they literally have a lot of passing trade, or should that be waiting, trade).
The drinks are as you would expect in a pub anywhere in HK. Beers on tap, plenty of decent enough wine, soft drinks if you’ve had a bit too much sun. However, I am a big fan of the food, and do come here just for that. It is regular Western pub fare; pizza, pies and mash, burgers, ribs, but it’s nicely cooked and a good size portion. If you do miss your ferry and decide to stop for food, then I’d leave a couple for hours for ingestion and digestion.
To be fair, I do think they also have a good and loyal following, both local and from «the main island». At the weekends, it is often packed all day, which to me indicates not just ferry trade. They have a big terrace (or is that just commandeering of the pavement), which is often full when the sun comes out, and a reasonable sized indoor area, which tends to be full of sun dodging Hong Kongers. I have noticed that a lot of the Lantau locals speak very fondly of this pub, and when I get sucked into a conversation with one, they would steer me there for lunch. It’s as though they all have shares in the place.
Last note the service in here is always very friendly and courteous, which is always nice if you’ve frustratingly just missed your ferry.

I’ve traveled to Mui Wo often enough to know that I’m either going to miss a ferry or have to wait a length of time for the next one. It’s a frustrating thing to hear the bell ring, signaling the minute before departure, while I’m still on the beach. Fortunately for me, and the other people to lazy to run for the boat, The China Bear stands beckoning and ready to serve. Parasols provide shade on the restaurant-bar’s «patio» giving its patrons and I the ideal spot to watch the South China Sea — or more accurately, the ferry laboriously pulling away from its dock.
Nothing quite beats the feeling of sitting in comfort, a cold pint of cider on the table and a view of the bustling city in the distance, a direct contrast to the tranquil island lifestyle.
The China Bear also has indoor seating, some small booths and a charming array of old Hong Kong memorabilia giving it the feeling of pre 1997. It that’s a good thing, who’s to say? The friendly staff and a pile of board games gathering dust by the bar add to comfortable, homely vibe.
It’s your average pub-​menu with pies, fish and chips, beers and the sort. I tend to visit for the chilled-​out feeling of the place but I still remember the day I ordered their spicy minced-​beef pizza. I recall that pizza being the best pizza I’ve ever tasted — and I’ve been to Italy. Now, this could be for a number of reasons, for example I was extremely hungry at the time meaning a Cesar salad would have done the trick. Or, as I prefer to believe, it was simply the truth of it. Either way I’ll be sure to find out the next time I miss a ferry in Mui Wo.