Bar entertainment in Běijīng
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Frank’s Place
The oldest bar in Běijīng, Frank’s has shifted locations many times in the course of its life. It’s now firmly ensconced in the Lìdū area in northeast Cháoyáng, a popular place for expats with families and visiting business types staying in the nearby four-star hotels. Frank’s caters to their needs by providing live sport on many TVs, pints of Guinness and Stella (Y50), English-speaking staff and average pub food. The place is chameleon-like; if the NFL is on then it could be an American bar, if the football (soccer) is on you could be in England. There’s a pool and darts, occasional live music and an outside terrace open in summer. It is west of the Rosedale Hotel.…
reviewed
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B
Eje Bar
The self-styled (and probably accurate) 'hardest-to-find bar in Běijīng' is well worth the effort, but pack a compass. Tucked away behind the rear wall of the Confucius Temple, this cultured courtyard bar is sedately arranged with sofas and set to the chirruping of grasshoppers. Away from even the remotest action, it's well worth a detour.
Arriving at night is like reaching the light at the end of a tunnel: from Yonghegong Dajie follow Guanshuyuan Hutong round the corner, take the first right and you will see the Confucius Temple ahead on your left. Follow the road round to your right, take the first left and it's opposite the temple's rear wall (check the bar website …
reviewed
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Alfa
With an outside terrace, complete with cushion-strewn booths to lounge in and a water feature to fall into, as well as an in-house Asian-French restaurant to satisfy late-night hunger pangs, Alfa has survived longer than most Běijīng bars. It’s not the hotspot it was a couple of years ago, but its monthly theme nights – think ’80s, Goth and funk – are still popular. It’s just down from the Xinjiang Red Rose Restaurant, opposite the north gate of the Workers Stadium.
reviewed
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D
Casa Habana
Cuban rum and cigars are the draw at this small bar run by a Beijinger who’s spent a lot of time in Havana – check out the photos of him with Fidel Castro that line the walls. The leather armchairs and sofas give the place an exclusive club feel and there’s a huge selection of cigars to choose from, as well as humidifiers and cigar cutters for sale. Apart from the rums, there’s a reasonable choice of whiskies. It’s on the far western corner of the Jinglun Hotel.
reviewed
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Obiwan
Perched in splendid isolation by the side of the little-visited Xihai Lake, this three-storey bar is great in summer when its roof terrace comes into its own. But in winter, the 2nd floor is an equally good location for a drink, or to munch on popcorn at Wednesday night screenings of classic ’80s movies. Most weekends it runs some sort of event, whether it’s Saturday’s trance night or the Sunday afternoon reggae jam. It’s down the alley to the left of the PLA Theatre.
reviewed
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F
Guangfuguan Greenhouse
This laid-back place on the bar-cluttered Yandai Xijie gets top marks for novelty. Formerly the Guangfuguan Taoist Temple (according to the characters carved on the lintel above the arched doorway), the shrine has been requisitioned for the city's exploding bar scene and simply decked out with art posters. The temple's roof guardians are still intact and the presence of religious statues reminds visitors that they drink on sacred turf.
reviewed
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Chocolate
There are a number of Russian-style bars around the Ritan Park area, but with its over-the-top, gold-themed decor and cheesy floor shows, as well as a Mongolian midget doorman, this is the closest you will come to a genuine Moscow nightlife experience in Běijīng. Beers start at Y30. This is a place to drink in a group, though, so do as the Russians do and order a bottle of vodka (from Y238). It gets going after midnight.
reviewed
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Maggies
A Běijīng legend and (in) famous enough for everyone from visiting politicians to Hollywood types, Maggies can be a bit sleazy for some people’s tastes. A somewhat mixed, mostly male crowd gathers here, as do many Mongolian ladies. But it is open very late and has a small dance floor, while the spacious bar is a fine spot for people- watching. It serves excellent hotdogs outside as well.
reviewed
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12sqm
Běijīng’s smallest bar – the clue is in the name – this cosy establishment is run by an Aussie-Chinese couple. Despite the lack of space, they have found room for a proper, old-school wooden bar top, a great selection of malt whiskies and exotic brews, such as Coopers. They can whip up mean mixed drinks, too. On special occasions, hot meat pies (Y35) are available.
reviewed
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Blue Frog
A recent Shànghǎi import to the capital, the Frog draws in a mixed, older crowd with drinks promotions, solid burgers and wraps, international sport on the TVs and an outside area in summer. It’s still a bit soulless, but if you can drink all 100 shots on its display board, you’ll get a free one every day from then. Standard drinks are Y25 on Tuesdays.
reviewed
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Tree
Tucked behind a strip of bars that get mad-busy at weekends, this low-key, long-term favourite attracts a mix of locals, expats and tourists. There’s a fine selection of Belgian beers (from Y40) and the thin-crust pizzas (from Y50), cooked in a wood-fired oven in the bar itself, are some of the best in town. It’s off the courtyard of the You Yi Youth Hostel.
reviewed
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Salud
The biggest and most happening bar on Nanluogu Xiang, Salud gets very busy on weekends with a young-ish, mixed crowd of locals and expats who party well into the early hours. Its house-special flavoured rums (Y20) come in test-tube-like vessels and are lethal. There’s live music and bar snacks are available, but watch out for the very low ceiling on the 2nd floor.
reviewed
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M
Reef Bar
Much more of a bar for locals than many others in the area, the Reef has a friendly vibe that makes it an easy place to hang out. Located in a converted hútòng house, there’s a small bar area, a few sofas and tables, and a wide selection of foreign beers. Run by a cheerful husband-and-wife team, it stays open into the wee hours on busy nights.
reviewed
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Pipes
An unremarkable dive with a small dance floor and lots of flashing lights, Pipes switches identity on Saturday nights, when it becomes Běijīng’s best-known lesbian hang-out. As such, it attracts a lot of local ladies. To get here, go through the south gate of the Workers Stadium (not the smaller gate by the Blue Zoo) and then hang an immediate right.
reviewed
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Cheers
Despite the name, this place has nothing in common with the fictional Boston bar in the eponymous TV series. Instead, it’s a loud, wooden-floored drinking den with a pool table and the owner’s paintings of nudes adorning the brick walls. It is friendly, though, and has a daily happy hour until 10pm, which makes it a good place to start the night.
reviewed
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D-22
On the music map in Wǔdàokǒu for its excellent crop of top Běijīng bands and no-frills, no-nonsense indie spirit.
reviewed
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Red Moon Bar
This very sleek and seductive lounge bar in the heart of Wángfǔjǐng is the perfect place to recover with a chilled cocktail after an afternoon’s shopping in the area. Super service, a sushi bar and a fine wine list, as well as a cigar selection, add to its high-toned delights. There is a 15% service charge here, though.
reviewed
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Bed Bar
A wicked layout of interconnected rooms and traditional Chinese beds make Bed a great spot; even if it’s crowded, and it often is, there’s normally somewhere to hide away if you want. There are DJs at the weekend and proper mixed drinks too. There’s a sign at the entrance of the alley to guide you there.
reviewed
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Houhai Zoo
An offshoot of a growing Běijīng bar empire that specialises in serving up super-cheap drinks in friendly, if rowdy, surroundings, this is the nicest of the chain thanks to its prime location on the east side of Qianhai Lake. It's loud and gets crowded as the night wears on, but you can't beat the prices.
reviewed
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T
Q Bar
Unselfconsciously cool, Q Bar is one of Beijing’s hot spots and is hopping at weekends. Thankfully, there’s room to spread out inside, or you can head to the excellent rooftop terrace. There’s a big ‘Q’ hanging off the side of the Eastern Inn Hotel to guide you there.
reviewed
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Palace View Bar
For refined refreshment with a top-notch panorama, the Palace View is in a league of its own. Outdoor tables graced by a string of palm trees make this a wonderful, if rarefied, place to escape the city and size up the view overlooking Dongchang’an Jie, the Forbidden City and Tiananmen Square.
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Glen
Beijing’s finest and most extensive selection of whiskies combine with painstaking attention to detail – think shaved ice cubes – to make this Japanese-style bar a spot for drinking connoisseurs. It’s on the 2nd floor; take the stairs on the right of the building.
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Rickshaw
This small bar has an upper floor with loud music and a pool table, a quieter downstairs with bright orange couches, and a small outside sitting area. Besides round-the-clock drinks, the bar food here is terrific; especially the Tex-Mex stuff like burritos and quesadillas.
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What Bar?
Microsized and slightly deranged, this broom cupboard of a bar stages regular rotating, grittily named bands to an enthusiastic audience. It's north of the west gate of the Forbidden City.
reviewed
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Passby Bar
The oldest bar on the humming hutong of Nanluogu Xiang, this bar-cum-restaurant is an institution and attracts locals, foreigners and travellers. Less manic than some of its competitors, it has a converted-courtyard-house setting that adds to its charm.
reviewed
