Hey Sokolove, I wouldn't bother trusting any of the reviews you read about the places on thebeijinger. Wait for people who have actually been to these places from the forum to comment.

admin's right, most of the place just feature exactly the same mixture of door touts, cheap and unappetising drinks and empty terrace seating. A little nicer (though not exactly ON houhai) are the No Name Restaurant and La Baie des Anges. For food in the same corner, you can try Hutong Pizza. Nuage has a nice terrace high up above Houhai but I'm not sure about what time they close. For the most authentic feeling, try No Name Bar - it was the very first bar at Houhai, and still the only one about five or six years ago. The only downside is that you'll get no drinks at No Name Bar, and the interior is, well, nearly ten years old. If you want to go all in for the cheap drinks and not be alone, Huxley's the place to "shut up and just drink".