New York’s Chinatown neighbourhood (the one below Soho and the Lower East Side) boasts an energy unfound in other corners of the island, not even in the other eight Chinatowns that NYC technically has. It is densely populated and almost always awake, wherein the rest of the city merely claims to be. At all hours you’ll find everything from delivery drivers on electric-powered bikes and pedestrians flooding intersections to cars circling the mouth of the Manhattan Bridge and workers manning countless corner markets.

There’s a lot to see and do down here, but enjoying every one of the countless establishments in Chinatown, while delicious in theory, is an unconquerable task. Thus, we recommend picking a few (both old and new) and enlisting your best few friends to join. And while many of the restaurants here accommodate BYOB requests, if you plan on eating into the wee hours of the night then a few proper bar stops are required, and there is no shortage of excellent ones.

At the far-right corner of the official Chinatown bounds, Metrograph Commissary, at 7 Ludlow Street, operates as an indie film cinema, a restaurant, coffee shop and bar. We recommend starting here, upstairs, in the sleek dining area, either comfortably in the lounge area or at the bar. There’s an excellent wine list and plenty of cocktails to choose from.

Next, head to vintage dim sum spot and NYC institution Nom Wah Tea Parlor, which is tucked away on Doyers Street. There, choose from simple but delicious dishes such as flaky egg rolls or savoury roast pork buns.

Just outside of Nom Wah, and still on Doyers Street, you’ll find a similarly vintage, but less well-lit establishment called Apothéke, an apothecary-inspired bar that mixes house-made ingredients into the drinks. From a duck fat-washed bourbon pour to a kale-focused vodka, this one is for the adventurous drinker.

As the night falls, look for Deluxe Green Bo, situated on Bayard Street, as its neon green sign shines as a beacon of blissfully large portions and charming service. Brightly lit and informal, Deluxe’s go-to plates are vegetable dishes and hot and spicy wontons, which are served with a peanut sauce and spicy chili oil on top. It’ll be greasy and filling, so this is the spot to dip into once the drinks start to hit, or for an appetizer before a more formal meal.

Backtracking rarely makes sense unless it’s to return to Doyers Street for Chinese Tuxedo. The industrial, two-floor space, situated in an old opera house down the block from Apothéke and Nom Wah, looks straight out of a swanky movie set, but it’s surprisingly welcoming and serves some of the city’s best contemporary Chinese food. Whether you’re interested in crispy fried vegetables or a fish dish (think steamed baby bass with leeks and ginger), everything is delicious and the energy within is infectious, albeit a tad club-like. Plus, the cocktail and champagne lists balance the familiar and the fancy.

Though this may prove to be your furthest walk of the evening at seven minutes’ long, any night out in this neighbourhood demands a visit to Mr Fong’s on Market Street, a signless watering hole beneath the Manhattan Bridge. Managing to feel both of the neighbourhood and entirely unique, the menu here features interesting drinks influenced by ingredients with a Chinese heritage. Mr Fong’s is neither a dive nor a stuck-up cocktail bar and it takes pride in being somewhere in between as well as having a jukebox in near mint condition. Plus, it’s open until 4.00am, every day of the week.

Metrograph Commissary, 7 Ludlow Street, New York, NY 10002  metrograph.com

Nom Wah Tea Parlor, 13 Doyers Street, New York, NY 10013  nomwah.com

Apothéke, 9 Doyers Street, New York, NY 10013  apothekenyc.com

Deluxe Green Bo, 66 Bayard Street, New York, NY 10013  deluxegreenbo.com

Chinese Tuxedo, 5 Doyers Street, New York, NY 10013  chinesetuxedo.com

Mr Fong’s, 40 Market Street, New York, NY 10002  mrfongs.com