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It has been quite the year for Beijing! In our 2024 Year-in-Review, we're taking a look back at the happenings in the capital from this year that was.
Along with all the new restaurant openings we’ve had this year, a number of new bars have also popped up around the capital. We’ve written about a fair share of them over the past months, so below are some of our favorites.
Aurora
Sharing a space with MPlus
Coffee just off the main Beixinqiao drag is this cute cocktail bar. The
bright interior plays into the menu here, which leans heavily on light
yet inventive sours, with interesting flavor combos. Bonus, they’ve got
an art gallery upstairs, so you can have a drink while enjoying some
art at the same time.
Aurora Whiskey & Cocktail
7 Banqiao Nanxiang, Dongcheng District (inside People’s Art & Culture Park)
东城区板桥南巷7号院人民美术文化园内
Hours: Mon-Thu & Sun, 6.30pm-1am; Fri-Sat, 6.30pm-2am
Contact: 157 2663 3031
Bar Flavour
One of the more
creative bars on this list, Bar Flavour promises a true flavor journey
with their drinks. Highlights include the Life is Beautiful (RMB
75/glass, RMB 138/280ml bottle), made with gin and Campari with some
added grape and lime; and the very intriguing Morning, Beijing (RMB
85/glass, RMB 198/280ml bottle), in which sesame peanut sauce whiskey
joins Shaoxing wine, walnut kernel, pistachio, and lemon. As suggested
by the prices, most cocktails on the menu can be taken away by the
bottle.
Bar Flavour
05, Bldg 57, Block F, 1/F, 107 Dongsi Beidajie, Dongcheng District
东城区东四北大街107号57幢F座1层05室
Hours: Daily, 7pm-2am
Tiao
This bar, which is operated by
Mandarin Oriental Beijing Wangfujing, takes the concept of the hotel's
MO Bar – a menu of drinks that take guests through Beijing and China by
the glass – and doubles down on it. Within the confines of this hutong-situated drinking den, bartenders work their magic to mix drinks
inspired by the very heart of Beijing, Chinese folktales, and Chinese
legend.
Tiao 十条
40 Xixinglong Jie, Dongcheng District
东城区西兴隆街40号
Hours: Sun-Thurs, 6pm-1am; Fri-Sat, 6pm-2am
Molaito
A restaurant bar that
opened the last week of November, Molaito stepped in to fill the shoes
of TABLO. While the dessert cocktail bar is gone, this new spot, owned
and operated by the same proprietors, boasts a nice selection of Chengdu
snacks and some Chengdu-themed cocktails as well. Highlights on our
radar include the Chengdu Tiki, a Tiki-inspired highball spiced up with
chili.
Molaito 莫来头
110 Base Apt Commercial Bldg, 17 Qianliang Hutong, Dongcheng District
东城区钱粮胡同17号佰舍公寓110号底商
Hours: Wed-Mon, 5pm-11pm
Contact: 178 1022 4171
Overtone Taproom
The first China
branch of Scottish brewery Overtone, a Glasgow-based operation with a
penchant for New England-style IPAs with big bold flavors, Overtone
Taproom boasts a long bar with over 20 beers on offer plus a large beer
fridge to the left of the bar. It’s situated just above a Lawson’s
overlooking Dongsi Beidajie between Beixinqiao and Zhangzizhonglu,
making it a nice spot to hide away while enjoying a pint and some nice,
very intriguing, bar snacks.
Overtone Taproom
2/F, 74 Dongsi Beidajie
东城区东四北大街74号2层
Hours: Sun-Thurs, 2pm-1am; Fri-Sat, 2pm-2am
Phone: 185 1351 5303
Sip Siip
If you’re around the CBD
and in need of a wine fix, then you’ll love Sip Siip, a wine bar that
opened at the bottom of Zhongjun World City in January. The wine
selection includes 28 main grape varieties from 14 famous wine regions
with the selection rotating each month, keeping the most popular ones
and changing out others. Along with wine, they also have a menu of Yunnan
food created in partnership with Yunnan restaurant Under Clouds.
Sip Siip
Unit E130, 101 1F, 8 Jinhui Lu, Chaoyang District
朝阳区金汇路8号楼1层101, E130单元
Hours: 5pm-1am
Phone: 130 2125 0871
WhyNot Taproom
WhyNot opened up
shop in Gulou in February, just north of the Bell and Drum Towers. With a
curved bar and beer taps set in bright red alcoves in front of an
exposed brick lattice, it has a bit of an artsy, modern vibe. They’ve got
13 beers on tap with a range of IPAs. WhyNot also has bar bites to go
with their beers, including some fantastic burgers, some of which made
waves during this year’s Juicy Burger Fest and Burger Cup.
WhyNot Taproom 歪脑呆
Jintai Shared Space, 20 Zhaofu Jie, Dongcheng District
东城区赵府街20号金台共享际
Hours: Tue-Thu & Sun 6pm-midnight, Fri-Sat 6pm-1am, closed Mon
Phone: 157 1140 3127
Stray Alley
This cocktail den
became the new home of Guanzhuang’s Stray Dogs when it opened in
Chaowai SOHO this summer. They’ve got a cozy interior and a menu of
classics like Pisco and New York Sours, plus some intriguing signature
cocktails to boot.
Stray Alley 野犬集
0229, 2F, Bld A Chaowai SOHO, Chaoyang District
朝阳区朝外SOHO A座2F 0229号
Hours: Tue-Thu, 7pm-1am; Fri-Sun, 7pm-2am (closed Mon)
Phone: 132 4021 8864
The Sandy
The team behind The Odds
and The Ends has just opened up a brand new spot in Xinyuan Lixi, having
their official opening party last July. The name The Sandy
refers to the American English slang for sandwiches, of which they
specialize in. Come evening, the sandwich menu switches to more
gastropub fare, and the food is paired with a nice selection of wines
and stunning cocktails.
The Sandy
A1 Xinyuan Lixi, Chaoyang District
朝阳区新源里西甲1号
Hours: 11am-2am
Daytime menu hours: Mon-Fri, 11.30am-2.30pm
Phone: 199 1072 7317
Dili Pala
Taking over the Huayuan
Hutong venue where livehouse nugget and later Golden Weasel once called
home this September, Dili Pala is a self-described “witches bar.” The
interior has been expanded considerably, and the walls and ceilings are
now adorned with designs and motifs the current owner has taken with her
on her travels. They’ve got a solid menu of signature drinks all tied
together with infusions, syrups, and such, and have been settling into
their new home nicely.
Dili Pala
8 Andingmen Huayuan Qianxiang, Dongcheng District
东城区安定门花园前巷8号
Hours: Tues-Thurs & Sun, 7pm-1am; Fri-Sat, 7pm-2am
La Social
The Latin American-themed
bar that once called Nali Patio home, La Social had an uncertain
future following Nali’s closure, but have finally found a permanent
location after months of pop-ups at the tail end of summer. Now situated
in Sanlitun Courtyard No. 4, it's not too far from its former Nali
Patio neighbor Martini. The bar has also adapted to the new space
accordingly: it now spans three floors, aptly titled Hell (first floor),
Purgatory (second floor), and Heaven (third floor).
La Social SLT
1/F, Bldg 75, Gongti Beilu Courtyard 4, Chaoyang District
朝阳区工人体育场北路4号院75号楼1层
Hours: Daily, 5pm-2am
Contact: 150 0135 0562
Loma
The final newbie on our list
is a collaboration between Long Fong and Maomaochong (MMC). The result
of this team up is known as Loma, and is a burger and “disco cocktail”
joint with an interesting split drinks menu. One side features drinks by
Long Fong’s mixologists (LO), while the other features a different take
on the same drink by MMC (MA). The result are drinks that stay true to
the classics or eschew them to wonderous results.
Loma
A14 Hongxing Hutong, Dongcheng District
东城区红星胡同甲14号
Hours: Daily, 10am-late
Images: Uni You, Dianping, courtesy of the venues
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