Lo-Fi

For a look at Taylor Square’s highs and lows on a Saturday night, you can’t beat Lo-Fi. Perched above Kinselas, you’ll be conveniently removed from the thick of the Oxford Street hordes, but offered a great seat for the spectacle. We suggest you order a beer – despite a two-page cocktail list, Lo-Fi isn’t so good at the shaking game – and head for the balcony. Out there you’ll be offered a great, almost bird’s-eye view of Gilligan’s Island (the grassy knoll across the road from Gilligan’s) and all the teen drunks, trashy hens' night broods and glamorous drag queens that circle it. Lo-Fi’s staff are friendly and good looking to boot, and most nights of the week you’ll find a DJ spinning hip hop beside the bar. The place is large, with a street art warehouse feel to it, and as we went to print, a new in-house dumpling restaurant was being set up in the side room. On the weekend, make a night of it and continue upstairs to the Standard on level two. The relatively new music venue hosts local and international acts and has one of the best venue layouts in the city. A word of warning though: we recommend aiming for a band over a touring DJ. Neighbourhood sound restrictions have meant the venue’s sound system doesn’t exactly pack the punch that it should.