Pubbing

Night Life in Beijing

Sanlitun long the center of nightlife in Beijing, Sanlitun is located beside the embassy area in Chaoyang district. It is comprised of a main “bar street” divided into north and south sections, a side street with more casual (and cheaper) bars, and several large clubs/discotheques at the near-by north gate of the Worker’s Stadium. Sanlitun has near legendary status amongst travelers, but you are just as likely to be irritated by pushy bar-owners or DVD sellers as you are to be charmed by its bars.

Hou Hai, is a man-made lake surrounded with trendy restaurants and bars in the central part of Beijing. A great place for a beer, and also to watch local Beijingers (of all ages) enjoying themselves.

Wudaokou, where most of the foreign and local university students hang out. There are a number of bars and restaurants which serve a great variety of wine, beer and liquor for cheap. This area is also well known for its huge Korean population and a good place to find Korean food.

Nurenjie , literally “lady’s street”, and the streets around. This area is situated off Liang Ma Qiao Lu, a short distance north of the Kempinski Hotel and embassies of Israel, Japan, ROK and USA. By day it has some fashion shops, as its name suggests, but it is also home to some interesting new bars, restaurants and clubs.

Dashanzi ,Beijing’s new trendy art zone, out North of the Lido hotel, this old warehouse and factory district has been taken over by art galleries, art shops and bars. Well worth the trip to experience the cutting edge of the Beijing art scene. Also known as Factory 798.
Other bars and cafes of interest:

•Mix

Inside Worker’s Stadium North Gate, Chaoyang District, Beijing
Tel: 010 6506 9888
Opening hours: 20:00-6:00

•LAN Club, 4/F, Twin Tower, B12 Jianguomen Waidajie (in the LG towers across from Silk Market), Beijing
Tel: 010 51096012
Web: www.lan-global.com
Opening hours: 11:00-late

•Song Music Bar and Kitchen
B108, The Place, 9 Guanghua Lu, Beijing
Tel: 010 6587 1311
Opening hours: 10:00 – 2:00

•The Tree , 43 Bei Sanlitun Nan Tell:+86 10 6415 1954. Serving wood fired pizzas and over 40 Belgian beers, you can’t go wrong. It is an independent Western restaurant/bar where you can eat and drink. The place is visited by lots of savvy tourists, but locals can also be found there.

•EIFE , Next to the Friendship Store and Baskin-Robbins on Jianguomen Wai Dajie . The coffee and bread are awesome here. The place is owned by an Italian man, Renzo, who’s very friendly. They serve incredible pastries starting around ¥5. Fresh-squeezed juices are alsoserved at this cafe. There’s a Starbucks next door which helps as the wireless Internet functionality slips through the walls.

•Yugong Yishan ( 2 min walk west along Zhang Zizhong Road from Zhangzizhonglu subway station, after the entrance to the former site of the Ding Qurai government ) Tell: +86 10 64042711. Shows usually start at 10PM . The cream of Beijing’s nascent rock scene can be enjoyed at this modern and tastefully presented venue. ¥20 and up for drinks, shows are between ¥30 and ¥80 .

•Face Bar , 26 Dongcaoyuan Tell: +86 10 65516788. 12PM-2AM . This attracts a mature, well-heeled, beautiful-people crowd to the Gongti area. Tastefully decorated with antiques from around Southeast Asia, including opium beds for reclining in the bar area. Frequented by many expats.