Beijing Boyce

Back in days of yore, a scribe named Winopete kept Taipei’s bar-goers up-to-date with a terse, witty newsletter - pretty much the opposite of what I write. He recently relocated to Shanghai where he’s doing the same for those unfortunate to live in a city without rock ‘n roll (low blow!). Here are snippets from his most recent newsletter. To join his mailing list, send a message to winopetechina@yahoo.com with, “I Love Wine Spritzers” in the subject line. He’ll be giving every second person to sign up a bottle of his favorite wine - Eaglehawk - and a kiss on both cheeks (offer yet to be confirmed).

“CASTLE OCTOBER
“The looming monolith that has appeared right on the doorstep of O’Malleys is a German beer house by the sombre name of Castle October (39 Taojiang Road). It was originally a government building and took more than 6 months of renovations and building to become Castle ‘O’. Financed by rich Koreans and managed by Kim (a Norwegian, ex-head chef at Sashas), this place looks like Harry Potter’s Hogwarts or something out of ‘Black Adder’. There’s a beautiful, sprawling garden behind the main structure, with the brewery located at the back. The ground floor is rather small with a tiny bar and a few tables and rooms, but upstairs are restaurant rooms and a great balcony on the 2nd level, with huge drinking halls and high ceilings on the 3rd level. There’s so much wood around, it’s an absolute beaver’s delight. Walls are adorned with a wide mix of art- Salvador Dali and Picasso prints put in an appearance, yet there’s also a display of German scripophily and more mundane ‘beer deco’ to please the testologists. Winopete’s keen eye even spied a nice piece in the kitchen, but we won’t dwell on that now, other than thinking that she should have been serving the suds, not peeling the spuds…

“O’MALLEYS MAKES ANNUAL COMEBACK
“This Irish nag may be long in the tooth, but she’s certainly not ready for the glue factory just yet. O’Malleys blitzed the competition in the St Patrick’s Day business stakes, with a stunning 35% increase in revenue compared to ‘green beer day’ last year. On the afternoon of the 17th, Themepub Group generalissimo ‘TA’ told this sozzled scribe that they had ordered 120 kegs of Guinness and were expecting 2000 people through the doors that night. Apparently, they had to order even more Guinness mid-evening. Total RMB into the till on St Paddy’s day this year was a whopping RMBxxx,xxx (no, that was one figure they did not divulge), but various sources estimate that it was close to 400K. Not too shabby! O’Malleys has always been the most popular place in Shanghai for shamrock revelers on St Patrick’s Day, with the Blarney Stone also doing very well on 17/3, as is to be expected. On ya’, lads!

“FREE SOUL BAR
“Free Soul (1221 Change Le Rd, about 100m west of Wulumuqi Rd) appeared on the Shanghai pub scene a year ago in Fahuazhen Rd, then 2 months ago re-located to Chang Le Rd, a much more user-friendly location for those of us who frequent the Hengshan/Dongping bar zone. On first appearance, Free Soul seems better suited to a Julu Rd or Maoming Rd location, but in fact, although this is a no-frills, el cheapo bar, it is thankfully clear of bar girl ‘buy me drink’ pressure, which means I decided it warranted further investigation. Being a dive bar, decore was minimal, with a rust-bucket red coat of paint, dribs and drabs of forgettable wall decorations, a bowl of seven fish on the bar and a small neon display of yellow tequila glasses and pink margarita glasses. The two friendly lasses behind the bar go by the names of Camilla and Sky. At the bar, there’s space for about 8 stools, with a few tables and a foosball table in the front room and a pool table and more seating out the back. To use the ablutions facility, one must go through the shower; perhaps handy for certain circumstances…

Tuesday was one of those days when emails swamp your in-box faster than you can bail them out, when you show up for an appointment that doesn’t work out, when you’ve got someone angry on hold, someone incomprehensible on the line and someone who is annoying calling your cell phone, when the mayo in the salad dressing at lunch was a wee bit off. It was one of those days when you end up full of coffee, out of breath, with a sweaty and dirty collar at 7:41 near the Friendship Store.

In other words, it’s a perfect time to realize, “Hey, I’ve been writing about Beijing’s nightlife scene for more than a year and I’ve never, ever had a drink at the oldest surviving bar - Charlie’s - just up the street in the Jianguo Hotel.”

You walk to the hotel and are mildly surprised because you expected a decrepit third-class venue. Instead, a re-modeling has the modest lobby glowing with warmth and coziness. Just to the left is the restaurant Justine’s and down the hall is the new Charlie’s, open less than a month. It still needs to acquire character, but has some of that lobby’s warmth, with plenty of earthy tones, wood, brick and marble, along with a touch of cool color.

The long bar has enough stools for 12 and faces shelves of bottles with an ice-blue backdrop. Behind it are two dozen small round wooden tables, each with seating for two or three people. Behind them is a glass wall that gives full play to a narrow garden of rocks, trees, water fountains and a stream.

The drinks are pricey, with a shot of Jack Daniels at 55 kuai and cocktails starting at 60 kuai, but it’s two-for-one happy hour, so you order a small Monchshof draft (never seen it before) for 40 kuai and relax. Some jazz plays and a few nearby conversations drift in and out. By the time the band comes on, there are eight people in the crowd - a guy named “Tom” and two friends, a couple, you, and two waiters - and three on stage - a guitarist and two singer / dancers, plus their karaoke machine. The band plays On the Bayou, Have You Ever Seen the Rain, Miss You Much, Take Me to Your Heart, and Don’t Dream It’s Over, and despite the sparse crowd, it’s fun.

You sip your second draft and realize that not only is your collar dry and your stress level lower, but also that you’re having a good Beijing hotel experience. You learned, using your broken Mandarin, that the bar has been around since the 80s. You explained to the bartender, whose English skills don’t extend much past “Happy Hour” and “Cheers,” that “one for one” isn’t really a good deal and he actually means “two for one” or “buy one, get one free.” You saw, on the shelf, a canister that looked like it might contain motor oil or floor polisher and then realized, with a laugh, it was Maotai. You also saw that the drink menu includes selections of Chinese spirits, grape wines and teas, and thought it was a nice counterbalance to all the Western drinks. Then you finished your drink, and left humming Crowded House and thinking, yep, I’ll be back again…

Welcome to Readers’ Writes week, starring the collective wisdom of 17 fellow bar-goers who answered my survey about their favorite Beijing drinking holes and the city’s general nightlife scene. They include men and women, span five decades in age, hail from four continents, and provide some appreciated insights. (Note: This first appeared in last week’s newsletter. To get the newsletter, send an email with “Eat, Drink and Be Merry” in the subject line to beijingboyce@yahoo.com.)

Without further ado…

SO, American, journalist

Favorites
Face: I like the subdued ambiance, the pool table is often free, the crowd has a good vibe, and there’s a nice combination of open space and corners to chat. Music is the right volume. Good place for an after work drink or date. The downside - it’s expensive. Also, it appears to be getting more popular now, which is a downside.

All-time
The Jam House, back when there was a real South Sanlitun. The rooftop terrace in the grotty alley was great and there were actual instruments that you could just grab and start jamming on. The No-Name bar, before Houhai became the nightmare it is now. Good vibe, a real wood burning stove, and at the time, a great location

The scene
Generally, buy stuff in bottles. Especially if you can see the staff open the bottle in front of you - it minimizes the risks of being served god knows what. Martini’s should be ordered with extreme discretion. Much of the city still thinks Martini and Rossi vermouth (or anything made by the company) should be the main - and only - ingredient of a Martini.

WILL, American, public relations consultant

Favorite
The Stone Boat, especially during Spring and Autumn, when it’s pleasant to sit outside. It’s often not very crowded, it’s nicely centrally located and it’s not too expensive if you’re just looking for a couple of quick beers. Plus, if, like me, you usually want conversation over your beer, it doesn’t drown out chitchat with deafening music. And I like watching the die-hard anglers trying to pull the cadmium-laced fish out of that muddy pond.

All-time
The Electric Cactus Garden. Or at least, that’s how I think of it. This was a restaurant near my apartment when I first arrived in Beijing to study Chinese. It was just far enough off the main street that not many students bothered with it. It was in the shadow of Line Thirteen and we called it the Electric Cactus Garden because it had three enormous, fiberglass cacti bedecked with Christmas lights out front. It had a bunch of al-fresco tables and served enormous glasses of Beijing Beer for three kuai. The first time we went we closed out the place and the entire staff ended up drinking with us. It wasn’t slick and it wasn’t great for dining, but it was cheap and friendly and appealed to the love of friendly dives.

The scene
There is no doubt that Beijing’s drinking scene has become much more sophisticated over the past few years, but much of this is lost on me. I like cheap, divey places with outdoor tables, and most of my fondest drinking memories revolve around places like the Electric Cactus Garden, the old Wudaokou Worker’s Club (where free entertainment was provided in the form of the nightly fistfight), the vanished-into-redevelopment South Bar Street, and the place at the end of Lotus Lane on Houhai where you can sit right next to the water and watch the tea lights floating on the lake. (But, for the love of god, don’t order any food.) Most of my best drinking nights have been at places like these. Glitzy joints that serve 70-kuai Martinis made with exotic flavors just don’t resonate with me, although I’ve had some fun nights watching the expensive, imported hookers working Asian businessmen at a couple of upscale hotel bars I can think of.

Speaking of martinis, though, increasing sophistication hasn’t ironed out all the rough edges. About a year ago, I ordered a Martini - I can’t remember where - and was given a shot of pure Martini vermouth on the rocks. Yow. Still, the diversity is good, and the most expensive night of drinking in Beijing is still cheaper than the cheapest night of drinking in Singapore, so I guess I can be thankful for that.

JIM BOYCE, Canadian, NGO, in Beijing 2 years, 5 months

Favorites
Q Bar for its cocktails, bartenders, unassuming ambience; Cheers for just being Cheers, a good happy hour, live music; Shooters, for its steady staff, people-watching ops, good DJ. I enjoy Browns on occasion for its spacious layout and good clean fun. Phil’s Pub is my top 10-kuai drink joint, though a recent visit to Black Sun reminded me it’s good, too. Sequoia Cafe (nice wine tastings), Cafe Europa (more wine), Pavillion (big chairs), China Doll (ambience), Maggies (music), The Den (pizza), Cox (wings) and many others have their charms.

All-time
First Cafe, hands down. It was a cozy spot with good ambience, music, cocktails and people - show up alone, leave with a half-dozen friends. I first met Agent Red Wolf, O-Zone, The Flash, bartenders George and Echo, and many others there, gave out its name card by the dozen, brought every colleague and client I knew. I literally felt sick when I walked by one day and saw workers dismantling it with hacksaws and crowbars. Still in shock… somebody, get me a martini!

The scene
I’ve seen many Beijing bars fail because the owners were too arrogant or too stubborn to listen to the customer. It’s especially true at high-end places, which are often touted as cutting edge but are really bringing or copying a model from somewhere else. The most creative and interesting bars, and the most energetic and entrepreneurial bar people, arise in, focus on and cater to the Beijing scene, and rarely tend to be on the high end.

It’s official: nhu will close and renovate. “The first floor will be a full fledged cafe and restaurant and the second floor a lounge. It will be even more high end than before,” said one owner of the spacious Lido-area dining, drinking and event venue.

nhu will hold a “closing for renovation party” on Saturday night, with free drinks from 9 to 10 PM and big discounts afterwards. It’s your last chance to check out the old nhu before it turns into the new nhu.

Welcome to Readers’ Writes week, starring the collective wisdom of 17 fellow bar-goers who answered my survey about their favorite Beijing drinking holes and the city’s general nightlife scene. They include men and women, span five decades in age, hail from four continents, and provide some appreciated insights. (Note: This first appeared in last week’s newsletter. To get the newsletter, send an email with “Eat, Drink and Be Merry” in the subject line to beijingboyce@yahoo.com.)

Without further ado…

M-DAWG, Sidekick

Favorites
The fantasy: Suzie Wong’s, because I am rich, young, single, a total chick magnet, and when I break into an impromptu dance with the choicest babe in the bar, people spontaneously form a circle around us.
The reality: Phil’s Pub. Because it’s dark. And the 10-kuai Gin and Tonics.

All-time
The fantasy: Centro, because I meet all my multimillionaire business associates there, the valets always park my Lamborghini with care, I’m given a fresh-pressed, fitted linen shirt each and every time I spill wine on myself, and the waitresses fawn over me because of my habit of gently placing a crisp, folded 100-kuai note into their cleavage each time they deliver me my drink.
The reality: Phil’s Pub. Because it’s dark. And the 10 kuai Gin and Tonics.

The scene
1. Bartenders make the bar.
2. If the alcohol in Beijing seems cheap now, wait until the bill for your liver transplant arrives.
3. Those who don’t know the history of Beijing’s drinking scene are doomed to repeat it.

ALAN UJCIC, Slovenian, 3 years

Favorites
With bars opening daily in this town there is no reason to spend an evening in one place. When out, I try to check at least four or five drinking holes per night. There is always a core group of traditional places in my itinerary mixed with “newcomers.” I reserve Fridays for Sequoia Cafe wine tastings, which is probably the best warm-up for a long night. However, it’s not healthy to be too attached to one place in Beijing - tomorrow it will probably be a new shopping mall.

All-time
There are not many long-standing drinking spots, but I found Centro in the Kerry Centre to be the most reliable when you want to escape from the regular bar/club scene. Great selection of (overpriced) Cuban cigars and definitely the best Mojito in town are the main reasons to hang around in the evening. Not really a hip spot by Beijing standards but when you are planning to spend an evening there you know exactly what to expect (which is sometimes positive because Beijing is trying to shock you every single day). Centro is also a convenient place to meet people during the day with its quiet atmosphere (if you manage to shout out the always-present TV), good service and convenient location. And who says that you can’t sample some Cuban products before noon?

The scene
There is no drinking scene in Beijing - there are only people who want to earn some money and others who are looking to spend it! Everything between is a black hole. Beijing expects only one thing from you: love me, feed me and never leave me!

AGENT RED WOLF, Taiwanese, marketing professional, 8 years

Favorites
It depends on my mood. When I want to dance and be with friends who love to dance, my favorite is Latinos. In addition to dancing salsa, you can sit at the round bar, chat with people, drink Mojitos and Caipirinhas, and listen to the South American band.

When I am or want to stop for a drink on the way home from work, my favorite is Q Bar. It is not only the hospitable owners, Echo, George and Ralph, but also the whole place making me feel comfortable. Sometimes you can meet people and chat even when Q Bar is very crowded. The good cocktails are another advantage. When George and Echo have time, we explore new drinks and I can learn about cocktails.

When I feel wild, my favorite is Browns. It is spacious, with three layers of seating and high ceilings, and you can dance anywhere. You can watch people or be watched by them. I would not use the term “pickup bar” to describe Browns, I rather use “encounter bar.” You would not believe how often I coincidentally meet friends at Browns. When you are feeling wild and meeting friends, you won’t pay much attention to how bad the drinks can be.

All-time
First Cafe, though it no longer exists, was like a good friend for four years in Beijing. Moreover, I made lots of friends there. Some of them are more than personal friends and have become business acquaintances. I had happy, sad, exciting, wild and peaceful moments at First Cafe.

Bruce Li, perennial candidate for bartender of the year and well-known fixture at Centro in the Kerry Centre, will jump to China World Hotel to become bar manager at Aria, says a well-placed source in the hotel. Li mixes a mean cocktail and spent time in Australia perfecting the art, and will likely bring not only his drink-making skills but also a loyal following to Aria.

Welcome to Readers’ Writes week, starring the collective wisdom of 17 fellow bar-goers who answered my survey about their favorite Beijing drinking holes and the city’s general nightlife scene. They include men and women, span five decades in age, hail from four continents, and provide some appreciated insights. (Note: This first appeared in last week’s newsletter. To get the newsletter, send an email with “Eat, Drink and Be Merry” in the subject line to beijingboyce@yahoo.com.)

Without further ado…

NATASHA, Australian, writer, 4 years

Favorite
Q Bar: If you manage to get to the bar without dehydrating, Q is pretty funky and unpretentious. Plus the balcony is a great place to while away a balmy summer evening.
Face: Love the decor, and love the fact that there are so many different nooks and crannies to hide in.
Hatsune: Some of the best cocktails around.

All-time
Bed: See Face (above) re: nooks and crannies to hide in. One of the few places in town where you can actually have a conversation without it being drowned out by music, which is always nice. Good tapas, and a great courtyard come summer.
Candy Floss: I’ve never actually found Candy Floss on the first go - it usually takes me at least 20 minutes of running about the hutong to locate the small hidden bar. Stepping inside is a bit like falling down the rabbit hole in Alice in Wonderland: it’s another world in there.
Drum and Bell: The amazing views, cheap drinks and free crunchy peanuts get me every time. I always take visitors here to wow them.
The Tree: There are just times when the sticky-floors and bustling pace of The Tree appeal.
Stone Boat: One of the best places for a bevy in summer (apart from all the mosquitoes)

The scene
Actually, I find the bar scene in BJ a bit disappointing, and have to admit that I’ve never really found a regular place that I just love hanging out at and would go to every night of the week. Service at most places around town is pretty hit and miss, which is probably why regular “hit” service tends to promote bartenders into celebrities. And we all know about fake alcohol and just how much Beijing bars love the stuff: the situation is so bad in some parts of town that I just flat out to refuse to drink anything that isn’t beer - you just don’t know what you’re getting (and it’s not just small hole in the walls either). I know I sound like a bit of a whinger, but it’s not all bad. Depending on what you’re in the mood for then there’s usually something to suit your tastes.

CAMPBELL THOMPSON, Australian, 9 years

Favorite
Q Bar for cocktails, especially the lychee Daiquiris

All-time
The original Durty Nellies in South Sanlitun - the first (?) place in town with a pub atmosphere and Guinness on tap, plus good live music. Back in 1999, this was the best place in town!

ET, designer

Favorite
Recently I have been going to the Black Sun bar (Chaoyang Park) more frequently because it is a laid-back bar that does not come with the sleaze often found in other places like Kai, Nanjie, etc. The drinks are fairly cheap and the atmosphere still feels cleaner than the latter bars. Additionally, pool, darts and foosball are available for patrons’ amusement and these games are a great way to meet people. Being a regular there, it is almost like a second living room; the service is consistent, you can plug in your iPod (i did that!), etc. Depending on which day of the week, it can be quiet for conversation but also can get filled on the weekends when there is a DJ playing. A surprisingly wide variety of people stop by during a night.

All-time
Cheers is unpretentious, not expensive, has a great location (close to other bars but I can never leave once I am there) and has a great band playing music perfect for a weekend night out. It is good to meet for drinks or go alone if you love the music - you always meet other music fans there. There is a lot of dancing yet it is not intimidating like a latin bar where people are checking each others’ salsa moves.

The scene
To owners: bars and restaurants in Beijing are a cutthroat business, this we can all understand, but the most important thing is a customers’ experience. If customers are complaining about something, take it into consideration. To customers: if a bar owner doesn’t listen to your advice, don’t take it personally. They ‘gotta do what they gotta do’. Just have fun.

AUSTIN KRAMER, American, writer / bartender / educator / cultural researcher / consultant, 6 years

Favorites
Q Bar (or my apartment) for cocktails and when I need to feel cool.
Tim’s Texas BBQ for the worlds greatest frozen Margarita-cum-slurpee
Yugong Yishan brings the rock! and avant garde, and once just some blind guy with an erhu.
Lush for drinking before lunch or after 2 am, and good pub grub
The Bookworm for wine and single malt scotch
Alameda for a nice long drunken Sunday brunch
Beer Mania for Belgian Beer, and the best four-hour “happy hour” ever.
The Summer Palace or Fragrant Hills (bring your own baijiu and a bunch of friends, hike in, lose the night watch security in these endless parks, and drink to the moon on the mid-Autumn festival!)

All time
The departed:
The original What Bar (2001) for claustrophobic punk rock riots. Drink Beijing Beer (formaldehyde > alcohol content) and listen to bands with names like Dirty Mum, Kill Tomorrow, One Shot Skull Menz, and La Shi. It’s also the only chance you’ll ever get to mosh in a cafe furnished like a Starbucks on skid row.

No Name Bar (2001) in Houhai. These people deserve a medal from UNESCO. If every bar shared their ethos, Beijing would be hands down the coolest city in the world for drinking. Back when I first got to Beijing I was doing research around Houhai, before there were any bars there, and I saw a house by the lake. It had unusually large windows and there were a bunch of people drinking and having a good time inside. So, I’m the kind of guy who, when he stumbles upon a scene like that, I walk in and act like I was invited. To my surprise, it was a bar. “This is a bar? I didn’t see the sign…” “We don’t have a sign.” “So what’s this place’s name?” “We don’t have a name either, but people call us ‘that bar with no name’” Then the Roshi hit Austin with his Zen stick, and Austin achieved enlightenment on the spot!

The Suburban (2002) for shitty hip hop, shitty atmosphere, shitty food, shitty bartenders and *Halleluja!* (and I swear I shit you not!) FREE ALCOHOL FRIDAYS. That’s right. F r e e A l c o h o l F r i d a y s! Every Friday night, anything you wanted to drink, no charge. Hands down, this was the cheapest bar I’ve been to, ever. This is kind of what I’m talking about when I say that the Chinese don’t totally understand the concept of free-market competition. Myself and every Mongolian in town descended every Friday night, and drank until dawn for the roughly three months before they promptly went bankrupt.

Orange / Lava Lounge (2002): This place I thought was really cool. It provided the perfect balance for someone like me, who doesn’t mind dance clubs and music, but prefers to drink. It had a cool atmosphere, fun scene, and fell perfectly between the big warehouse discos like NASA or Banana and the Teflon-coated nouveau riche see-and-be-seen lounges, a la Henry Li.

The First Cafe (2004): Alas, this place was too smooth to last.

The survivors:
The Tree: Even if it isn’t hidden any more, it’s still damn good, and it’s a bar in Beijing that’s been around long enough to be nostalgic about, so that’s something special in and of itself. I just wish it was easier to find a seat these days. I also miss the old location.

The World of Suzie Wong: Good place to pick up chicks without feeling dirty. (Yes, that’s me taking a shot at Maggies). It is also the king of the cool opium-den style lounges. It’s a fun scene, although a few too many frat boys these days. Also, in a freak occurrence which has yet to be repeated, I somehow got the best Mojito ever there. I have witnesses!

Bed: Now this is what a hutong bar should be. There’s enough of the courtyard home left so you can notice the original architecture. It’s not cluttered with vaguely Tibetan hippie crap. Cool music, good drinks. Good balance between Chinese antiques and modernist concrete minimalism. This also extends to Cafe Sambal.

Alfa: I was trying to find a short cut through some alleys when I found this place. Great food and an awesome scene, even if my generation has to wait a few years before they give us 90s night. The summer of 2005 had the all-time greatest outdoor patio ever, honestly in league with some of the best places in Barcelona. I guess the management decided that they didn’t want too much of a good thing, but I still hold a grudge for taking it away from us!

The scene
Actually, I think the bar scene is moving up. The devastation of Houhai and the proliferation of score upon score of generic pre-fab low-class semi-Western bars was definitely a low point. The party scene elbowed in, and there are still too many discos for my tastes, and then you have to deal with the obnoxious jet set at some of the swankier places, but for developing a good, well-rounded bar scene, the progress is obvious. I think there are enough establishments here now to put us on the map - we just need to work on quality control! (Isn’t that the story with everything in China?)

I usually don’t write much about restaurants, but that’s Beijing’s annual awards are an exception, especially this time around, because:

1) I’ve been on a Cafe Europa kick and, just after celebrating its one-year anniversary, this spot received five nominations, one behind Alameda, which took restaurant of the year honors in 2005 and 2006;

2) I’m amazed by the lengthy nomination process that’s Beijing goes through, with over 200 people called upon to come up with nominees. Yes, cynics claim that’s Beijing uses the awards to appease advertisers, but many major advertising restaurants go home empty-handed and some non-advertisers win, so the exercise is more likely to bruise than massage egos.

3) Someone deep in the innards of that’s Beijing sent me behind-the-scenes analysis so that I didn’t have to wear out my calculator, i.e. 164 restaurants were nominated in total, including 69 restaurants not on last year’s survey, partly due to four new categories. The restaurants with the most nominations are Alameda (6), Cafe Europa and Din Tai Fung (5), Annie’s, Cepe (The Ritz-Carlton Financial Street), Da Dong Roast Duck, Hatsune, People 8 and The CourtYard (4) and Aria (China World Hotel), Hazara, Lan, Steak & Eggs, The Orchard and Xiao Wang Fu (3).

More relevant to this blog’s readers, nominees for best wine selection are The Pavillion, Palette Vino, Mare, The CourtYard, Capone’s, Cafe Europa, Aria (China World Hotel) and +39 Italian Restaurant and Lounge.

The Wine Word 

What defines best wine selection? Is it having Grand Cru-heavy offerings, the most wine available by the glass, the best prices, the most professional service? It’s a combination of factors, which adds up to “best value.”

A few thoughts on the nominees:

Pavillion - Good ambience, decent prices and okay selection, though it’s all from ASC.

Palette Vino - An excellent selection and a nice environment, though it’s a trek if you don’t live Shunyi way.

Mare - Haven’t had wine there.

The CourtYard - Haven’t had wine there.

Capone’s - It has the biggest by-the-glass selection in town (45) and good service, but also sky-high prices.

Cafe Europa - An eclectic and rotating bottle / by-the-glass selection, and okay prices (a few cheaper wines would be nice), but hard to find in Soho.

Aria (China World Hotel) - Excellent selection and ambience, and good service, though it doesn’t come cheap.

+39 Italian Restaurant and Lounge - I haven’t had wine there.

My vote goes to Cafe Europa, though the choice was not easy, since Palette Vino and Pavillion are worthy wine stops, as are Aria and Capone’s if you have some cash. It’s a good group of nominees.

Here are a few other notable spots:

Apertivo - An earthy atmosphere and over a dozen wines by the glass, and in the heart of Sanlitun to boot.

Bookworm - It has a nice selection for those who like Bordeaux with their books.

Sequoia Cafe - True, this place only has a tasting once per week, but these are the most original, fun and economical wine events in town.

The Cellar - It opened with a pricey wine list, which is now more affordable, though I’ve had service problems in TRIO, where it’s based.

Ritz-Carlton Hotel - If only for serving Grace wines!

Disclosure: I know the GM of that’s Beijing and have been a fan of the initiative behind the restaurant (and bar) award nomination process since I arrived in Beijing.

Welcome to Readers’ Writes week, starring the collective wisdom of 17 fellow bar-goers who answered my survey about their favorite Beijing drinking holes and the city’s nightlife scene. They include men and women, span five decades in age, hail from four continents, and provide some appreciated insights. (Note: This first appeared in last week’s newsletter. To get the newsletter, send an email with “Eat, Drink and Be Merry” in the subject line to beijingboyce@yahoo.com.)

Without further ado…

OLIVER SEDLINGER, Austrian, 6 years

Favorite Beijing Bar(s)
Cafe Pause and Cafe Europa for wine from home (Austria), Q Bar and Bed for drinks and cocktails, Maggie’s for 80s music and eye candy.

All-time Favorite Bar(s)
First Cafe, Neo Lounge

The Beijing scene
Beijing needs a place like YY in Shanghai

BH, American, business manager, 9 years in China

Favorites
As a thirty-something ex-pat, the Pavillion works for me. Nice atmosphere (especially during the warm weather months), few if any twenty-something riff-raff, lots of screens playing sporting events, and a “real” bar with footrests. For similar atmosphere (a la Lost in Translation), Red Moon is also a nice spot. Centro has somehow managed to retain its reasonably hip and comfortable “see-and-be-seen” atmosphere.

All-time
No Name at Houhai - the low-key atmosphere is the perfect alternative for those who can’t stand Babyface (or similar). Goose and Duck is, IMO, the single best “drinker’s bar” in Beijing. Good cheap draft beer. Genuinely friendly staff. Always a fun crowd (as opposed to Suzie Wong’s, across the street, where it seems everyone is itching to get into a fistfight - over girls, perhaps? Could that be possible in a town that has Maggie’s?). And pretty good snacks to match (best Sloppy Joe in town, IMO).

The scene
There are truly, positively, 100 percent without a doubt, not enough “real” bars in Beijing. And by “bars” I mean places where people go to unwind after a long day, perhaps catch a game on TV, chit chat with the bartender, etc. This must be the case if I find the bar at Friday’s (by St. Regis) to be among the best “bars” in town. At some point, the night scene here became usurped by an obsession with fashion, design (often bad), and bar-owner narcissism. Beyond that, the “pure” dance scene seems to be great. However, it is clear (from comments made to me by both men and women) that there is very little here between the traditional “bar” and “can’t hear you screaming over the music” nightclubs. There is a large group of frustrated singles out there who find it virtually impossible to find a nice little place with good music where nice people can mingle (The Tree comes to mind here, in terms of what Beijing needs more of).

STELLA GUO, Chinese, freelancer, 20 years

Favorites
Q-Bar: The place to end the evening (slumped over the bar ;- ) ). Great mixed drinks and friendly owners / bartenders
All-time
The Tree: Stinky four cheese pizza and Belgian beers
Touch Bar by Houhai: Not for the drinks, but a place to relax and watch the world go by, especially good on a warm spring afternoon
The scene
While there’re lots of bars in Beijing and new ones coming up every day, most kind of run together and good drinking spots are still hard to come by.

CHELSEY “LIVING THE DREAM” MARK, Canadian, performer / host / actor / singer / artist / model / freedom fighter / nightlife writer, 7 years

Favorites
Zeta, mainly because my friend is the manager there and the DJ is also my friend… ha! It’s like my Cheers in Beijing. I’ll always know that Sammy, Norm and Cliff will always be there… :)
I usually follow my party friends, which have finally moved from Suzie Wong to China Doll, which is nice… People at China Doll seem to be more polite and a little less “tipsy.”
Goose and Duck … John is going to rock it with the new space … he also sponsors my ice hockey team here! Go Hot Wings! The Jerseys are the coolest thing on ice…

All-time
Kai, because you can drop in any time, the staff are always calm and will never give you attitude, the drinks are cheap, the music is always an adventure, in a good way! And people are always ready to have fun and meet people. The size is perfect. Summer time … man, look out!

The scene
Beijing’s drinking scene is vast, don’t get sucked into always frequenting the same bars, have some fun and go to random places. Stick the bar list on the wall, and take your pick. Get used to having bad cocktails - there are few places in the city that can actually mix proper drinks, i.e. Centro, Zeta. Also, be aware of the fake alcohol, so if you want play it safe, stick to bottled drinks. When ordering, speak slowly, check it twice, and get used to the slow service in receiving your drink and change.

I held a wine tasting at home during Spring Festival and the surprise star, in terms of value, was a magnum of Changyu sparkling cider. At 5 percent alcohol and less than 30 kuai, it packed 1.5 liters of bubbly fun - thanks to Fongyee and Edward for bringing it.

I had not since spotted it in local supermarkets or corner stores, until last night, that is, when I found a bottle at 7-ELEVEN, just east of the Gongti West club street. This cider won’t win any awards, but at 28 kuai, it may be the best value out there for those who like to sip some bubbles without draining their wallets.

Also spotted at that 7-ELEVEN: Frontera (Chile) Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot 2006, both at 68 kuai; Hardy’s (Australia) Cabernet Sauvignon and Shiraz 2004, both at 98 kuai; and Jacob’s Creek (Australia) Shiraz Cabernet and Merlot 2004, both at 108 kuai. A 750 ML bottle of Johnnie Walker Black goes for 230 kuai.

The Changyu (apologies for the poor picture quality).

Sequoia Cafe in Sanlitun offers the most imaginative, enjoyable and affordable wine tastings in Beijing. Period. Last Friday, I tried seven Austrian and German wines, munched on appetizers and chatted with wine distributors, a winemaker and plenty of friendly folk - all for 50 kuai. The tasting of eight Slovenian wines and the tasting where every attendee brought a bottle of wine and some cheese were also memorable. I can only see things getting better once Sequoia’s two decks open (to get on the event mailing list, email frank.siegel@gmail.com).

With an exhausting week behind me, I was going to call it an early evening after trying those wines. Fortunately, a new friend from Siberia steered me from evil. We ended up checking out:

- Kokomo: This place looks a bit better every time I visit, though the closed kitchen and our grumbling stomachs made this stop a quick one, as we headed to…

- Apertivo: It was packed, but comfortable, with an earthy feel and a calming rumble of conversations as background noise. More than a dozen wines are available by the glass, from 35 kuai, and my Sangiovese was a sizeable pour. The calzone hit the spot.

- Cheers: We popped our heads in to find the usual cast of characters and the band getting ready to unleash some Xinjiang music.

- China Doll: The second floor was getting crowded by 10:30 PM and I always enjoy propping my elbows against that soft, sloped bar edge and sipping a drink. China Doll has some promotion whereby two people who kiss for ten seconds get free drinks. What’s next? Spin the bottle? Truth or dare?

- Q Bar: Though it was busy, we wrangled two seats at the bar. As for drinks, I had my favorite of the year, an Alfonso Special, and then a Strawberry Margarita, which someone bought for me (I can guarantee you, this is not a cocktail for which ye olde Beijing Boyce parts with cash). I also tried a splash of Caol Ila 18-year-old single malt, which inspired me to rewrite my will and demand that I be embalmed with this liquid… Note 1: I ran into Trevor K, who makes the best burgers in town and will (hopefully) again organize, with Kenn, a few BBQs on Q Bar’s deck.  Note 2: The usual DJ was off, sparing us the dance music. Instead, his replacement had the good sense to play Peter Schilling’s Major Tom, Talk Talk’s It’s My Life and numerous other rarely heard tunes. Q Bar owners, this music is good! I repeat, this music is good!

- Browns: The bar was less crowded than usual, but the vibe more than made up for it, as did the 20-kuai Guinness, Kingfisher and Beamish served from the bathtub out front. It’d take about 10,000 words to describe the weirdness at Browns, so two brief sketches will have to suffice. First, there was a scraggly haired guy on the bar top, with biceps the size of Christmas turkeys, lots of tattoos and a baseball hat, whose dance routine consisted of pointing at his crotch, pointing at the crowd, and pulling his baseball cap over his face as though he were crying. For reasons that will confuse scientists and therapists for centuries, this stimulated numerous female patrons. Second, there was a girl on the bar top, who has obviously done some modeling, and she shook out her hair and jerked her lanky body about like a hyperactive vogue-ing insect-robot - it was better than it sounds and mesmerizing in strobe light. Also, being an empathetic person, I think I pulled a calf muscle just watching that display…

(By the way, what’s with the mini toll booth, they’ve set up on the street that goes past The Bookworm on the way to Browns? See below)

On Saturday, after doing my best to develop my carpal tunnel syndrome by answering about 70 emails in the afternoon, I went to a going away party for one of my favorite bloggers. Weirdly, I found myself sitting around a coffee table not only with him, but also with this blogger, this blogger, this blogger, this blogger and this blogger. Being the junior blogger, I didn’t know what to say, so I got on my Blackberry and left comments on their sites (kidding). Actually, this blogger earned his place in heaven, should I ever be on watch duty the day he approaches the pearly gates, as he showed up not only with a bottle of The Balvenie, but also one of Talisker, and later cracked open yet another The Balvenie before finishing with the equivalent of a dessert wine after a long and hearty “meal” of single malts - a 12-year-old Chivas. A smooth finish to a fun evening…

Welcome to Readers’ Writes week, starring the collective wisdom of 17 fellow bar-goers who answered my survey about their favorite Beijing drinking holes and the city’s general nightlife scene. They include men and women, span five decades in age, hail from four continents, and provide some appreciated insights. (Note: This first appeared in last week’s newsletter. To get the newsletter, send an email with “Eat, Drink and Be Merry” in the subject line to beijingboyce@yahoo.com.)

Without further ado…

DON ST. PIERRE, U.S. and “Canuck” citizen, founder of ASC Fine Wines, 21 years in Beijing and “only a little bit crazy”

Your favorite bar(s), and why
The Capital Club: It’s very relaxed, with many friends, and the best service in town. I helped design the bar.
The Pavillion: I love getting there early and chatting with my good friends Russell and Christine, even though neither of them drinks wine, and Christine not at all. Lots of old friends there, too, and it’s right on my way home. No detour necessary.
The Press Club bar in the St. Regis: It’s where I live and I can crawl home if I have to.
Capone’s: Strictly because of the singer Bobby Taylor, and Dougie, his piano player. My kind of music. Lots of Motown.

Your all-time favorite bar(s) and why
The Old Frank’s Place… friends, friends, friends
The Capital Club: Somebody asked about 10 years ago, “What time do you close?” and Dennis the bartender replied straight-faced, “When Don leaves.”

Thoughts on the local drinking scene
Generally speaking, a little low on class and I’m surprised so many people haven’t figured out that cheap drinks equals poor service. You can’t buy a Rolls Royce for the price of a Tianjin Diahatsu! The best days were the old days with my band of Beijing Jeep expats in places like Charlie’s Bar and The Gallery in the Lido. Lots of yelling and screaming and cursing, but we accomplished a lot.

OLLI ROBINSON, British, editor, 2 years

Favorites
The Saddle: I’ll always respect a place where the owner says you can carry on sleeping at the bar as long as you lock up when you leave. Plus, the fact the drinks are cheap, it’s unpretentious and the burritos aren’t half bad.
Red Ball: Beer + Football = : )
Luna: Great decor, good wine, friendly service - all in a nice part of town

All-time
Nanjie: The perfect place for any Beijing newcomer. Hot, steamy and sleazy. And cheap - very important for Beijing’s unemployed laowai community.
Yugong Yishan: Well… it’s Yugong Yishan.
Bed: In my opinion, the measure of a bar is if you could plonk it down in any city around the world and it would still be considered cool, even outside Beijing, you have yourself a fine establishment. Bed is one such place.
The Tree: I never had the fortune of frequenting the Hidden Tree, but its successor is a comfortable, sociable place to drink good beer.

The scene
While not being the most sophisticated night out, Beijing’s still… fun

EDDIE O

Favorites
My spot is Cheers. They don’t try and put on any airs, the prices are right and there is a good mix of live music and recorded stuff to request. Where else will they play the La Marseillaise, George Thorogood, Celine Dion and Frank Sinatra in the same hour while selling you a shot of Wild Turkey for 30 kuai?

JASON BEDFORD, Canadian, financial advisor, 3.5 years

Favorites
It’s hard to name one place because depending on my mood / situation, I normally vary between three places. When I’m with close friends or friends from out of town, I normally go with Suzie Wong’s: somewhat classy with an old Shanghai feel to it, drinks are good albeit pricey, and lots of women. If I am with colleagues, a date or just want a quiet drink, I’ll normally hit Centro (close by and the happy hour makes the prices pretty reasonable). If I’m feeling young and looking to get very inebriated, then Shooters is the place for me.

All-time
The recently torn down First Cafe. Made me feel like I was back home and the martinis are the best I have ever had. I was definitely sad to see it go… On that note, has anywhere managed to stand up to the plate and replace it?

The scene
I’ll go with a memory… In the two and a half years since South Street bar street was torn down, nothing new has ever quite been able to capture the same energy. The string of cheap bars there were so small that there was never enough room to seat the flock of people that would inevitably show up every weekend, forcing people outside onto the street, making every weekend seem like a little street party. Some of the old bars from there have reappeared (i.e. Pure Girl and Taniwha) but it’s just not the same…

“I can’t but help notice the lack of info on the Wudaokou area. As you are no doubt aware, the student population has always been one of the largest supporters of the Beijing scene if not one of the most influential. Admittedly, it is a not so discerning taste, but a popular taste nonetheless. Anyways, be great if you could venture up the northwest once and a while and keep your finger on the pulse on what’s going on up there. A vibrant scene is continually forming, with Wudaokou being one of the true success stories of Beijing F&B. - JG

BB: Thanks for the email, JG. I freely admit my bias toward central Beijing (I explain it in the “about” section of my blog, www.beijingboyce.com/about/), plus I’m getting older, but I’ll try and make it up there soon.

Oliver Sedlinger, Stefan Fleischer, his friend Vera and I tried some Austrian wines a few weeks ago. (Disclosure: Oliver’s friend makes the Schandl wines tried and Palette Vino, where Stefan works, distributes them.)

First was a Schandl Cabernet Sauvignon 2003, the first Austrian red I’ve tasted. It had tobacco, spice and black cherry on the nose, though the fruit explosion on the tongue was a bit much. We let the wine breath and the fruit flavors evened out, giving us a palatable wine with a strong cherry and slightly berry finish. “This wine has restrained tannins and is exceptionally fruity, which is not typical of a Cabernet. Californian and Australian are heavy on tannins,” said Stefan. He added, “That’s a wine that really needs to breath,” to which Oliver added, “It appreciates breathing,” to which I added, “So do I.”

We then tried Kracher Cuvee Beerenanslese 2003 (ASC Fine Wines) and Schandl Cuvee Beerenanslese 2003, two sweet wines. The flavor and aroma of the Kracher was full-on honey, with a few floral scents on the nose. It was sweet and filling - nice. In contrast, the Schandl had a light and fruity nose with hints of sour apples. Stefan noted the acidity was noticeable in the Shandl, but not the Kracher.

Both sweet wines were appealing. From a marketing standpoint, the consistent and rich Kracher seems a better sell - it’s dependable and safe. The Schandl on the other hand is a bit more complex, something you might sit down, taste and talk about. Why not try both, I say, and stick in a Canadian ice wine and a Hungarian Tokai to boot?

(Note: We tasted these wines at Cafe Pause, in Dashanzi, where Stefan is co-owner. We also tried some new menu items, including bacon, mushroom and pistachio dumplings with lemon butter and deep-fried wonton shrimp with soy / wasabi sauce.)

(This story first appeared in issue 32 of the Beijing Boyce e-newsletter, mailed on March 1, 2007.)  

Next week is “Readers’ Writes” week on this blog as I shut my keg hole, so to speak, and instead draw on the collective wisdom of my newsletter’s readers. I surveyed about 25 of them two weeks ago and 17 replied, listing their favorite current and all-time Beijing bars, and providing insights into the city’s nightlife scene. They include men and women, span five decades in age, hail from four continents, and are an interesting, if small, sample for those bar owners out there who want to know what patrons think…

I’ll post three to four reader’s responses per day, starting Monday. They will also appear in issue 33 of the newsletter, which was due out last Thursday and will definitely be out in the next few days - I finished it last weekend, but have a few coding issues to figure out…

As America awaits Japan’s “sushi police” to surface in LA and Japan itself braces for French plans to critique Tokyo restaurants, China is staying the traditional course of not interfering in others’ affairs and instead rating its own eateries, albeit “Western” ones.

According to this China Daily story (thanks to The Crow for passing it on), ”Beijing is to introduce a rating system for its Western-style restaurants, bakeries, bars and cafes by the end of the year to help diners make more informed choices.” Evaluators will look at factors such as food authenticity, service, hygiene and management as they award establishments from three to five stars, though given the upcoming Olympics, you might have expected them to give out rings, or gold, silver and bronze medals, or even Friendlies / Fuwa.

The Beijing Western Food Association came up with the standards and, says its secretary-general, the aim is “to improve Beijing’s Western food services in a short period of time,” though skeptics might wonder how sticking stars beside restaurant names will eliminate the chance of tomato ketchup appearing on spaghetti noodles or encourage wait staff to refrain from screaming orders across dining rooms. However, she added that the association organized a “Western food expo and cooking contests” last year and will do so again this year, will organize lectures with foreign chefs and restaurant managers, and aims to have 10,000 chefs able to cook “Western” food by year’s end.

I instant-messaged M-Dawg to ask him what he thought were the biggest problems in Beijing’s Western-style restaurants and he (instantly, of course) came up with three:

“1 (by a longshot). The waitresses have never eaten anything on the menu

“2. The chef has never eaten anything on the menu

“3. The waitstaff thinks that “good service” means monitoring diners at all times, so that once you lift that last morsel off your plate with your fork, the plate is gone before the morsel has reached your lips.

Personally, I’m wondering how places such as Cox and Tim’s Texas BBQ, that serve up some very authentic food, will fit into this evaluation scheme…

China World Hotel’s Aria is lining up an international team of vodkas in April to drink straight up or in cocktails. The “vodka voyage” will touch down not only in Europe, including Sweden, Russia, Finland, France, Denmark and Poland, but also in New Zealand and the United States, with the vodkas including Grey Goose, Finlandia, Smirnoff, 42 Below, Ketel One, Stoli, Danska and Absolut. Bring your wallet: cocktails start at 85 kuai and a flight of four vodka shots of your choice is 250 kuai (for reservations, call Aria at 6505-2266, extension 36 or email danny.kane@shangri-la.com).

Note: I met Martin Newell, of New Zealand’s 42 Below vodka, at Q Bar last Friday and we did a quick interview that covered everything from Chinese consumers’ knowledge of spirits to the history of mammals in his homeland (did you know only bats lived there until as recently as one thousand years ago!?). That interview will be online within a week.

Cafe Europa in Jianwai Soho is marking its one-year anniversary this Wednesday, March 21, from 7 PM onward. Soho was never my hood, but former ASC man Campbell Thompson convinced me to visit and I’ve returned to Cafe Europa four or five times during the past six months. It has a well thought out wine selection that includes eight by the glass, and the owners, Joseph and Li, are friendly and informative. King of the kitchen is Aussie Tal Surmon, who’ll put a cleaver in your forehead if you dare to say, or even think of daring to say, “put another shrimp on the barbie.” (Kidding. Kind of…)

Wednesday night will feature finger foods and canapes as well as a roast suckling pig prepared on the outside patio. It will be a cash bar: RMB 5 for beer and soft drinks, RMB 10 for juices, and RMB 25 for a glass of red or white wine. If you’ve only heard and never been, this is your chance to give Cafe Europa a look. For more info, call 5869-5663 or email josefkiang@yahoo.com. See www.cafeeuropa.cn for a map.

Wine Warehouse Fire

ASC Fine Wines founder Don St. Pierre Sr says the company lost 20 percent of its stock in a recent fire that destroyed the company’s Beijing warehouse. ASC is shipping supplies to the capital from its operations countrywide. Meanwhile, VP Carrie Xuan says ASC will have its 24-hour delivery system on track next week and has been making deliveries within 72 hours this week. Don called the incident “another bump in the road,” a fitting image given his days and challenges at Beijing Jeep, and a “little baptism by fire” for new VP of Operations Werner Schuppisser. (Note: I’ve been to ASC’s warehouse and I’d describe it either as a) a temperature-controlled airport hanger with pallet after pallet of wine, or b) Shangri-la. It’s a sad day when that much wine is destroyed.)

Tongli Studio Update

Second-floor Tongli bars China Doll, Cheers and Taniwha have re-opened after fire safety inspectors shut them down two weeks ago. Top-floor bars Bar Blu and Kokomo re-opened earlier. I visited China Doll this week to chat with creative director Ai Wan and will include some notes on that in a future newsletter.

Newsletter News

Speaking of which, the newsletter (BB 33) was due out yesterday, but will likely end up in e-mail boxes this weekend. This one is a keeper - mainly because I didn’t write it! Instead, 15 readers picked their favorite Beijing bars and provided their thoughts on the city’s nightlife scene. For those F&B people who want to know what customers think, this issue has a wealth of information, even if the sample size is small. For those who enjoy visiting pubs, you might be surprised at - and not even recognize! - some of the favorites. (If you aren’t on the e-newsletter mailing list, but would like to be, email beijingboyce@yahoo.com with “eat, drink and be merry” in the subject line.)

I just found out that it’s World Consumers’ Rights Day. Was it a coincidence that my taxi driver this morning looked into his rearview mirror at least a dozen times on the way to my office (the usual number is zero)?

Anyway, I’m a simple person so, as a consumer, I have a single request for Beijing’s bar owners. I can live with poor service, poor location, poor ambience, even poorly made drinks, but what I can’t live with is bars that lie about their booze. That includes using who-knows-what in mixed drinks and using inferior alcohol to refill bottles of brand name booze. You’re not only ripping off your customers, you’re also endangering their health.

I’m not alone in these sentiments. Last week, I asked two dozen readers their thoughts about Beijing’s drinking scene (full results in tomorrow’s newsletter). One theme: people are cautious about the alcohol in this city’s bars. Some snippets:

“…we all know about fake alcohol and just how much Beijing bars love the stuff: the situation is so bad in some parts of town that I just flat out to refuse to drink anything that isn’t beer - you just don’t know what you’re getting (and it’s not just small hole in the walls either).

“…be aware of the fake alcohol… if you want play it safe, stick to bottled drinks.

“Generally, buy stuff in bottles. Especially if you can see the staff open the bottle in front of you - it minimizes the risks of being served god knows what.

Of course, many bars are honest, but even having one place that misleads customers about its booze is too many in my book. Until the story improves, here are a few things that can minimize your risk:
- Remember that if the price of a drink appears too good to be true, it probably is;
- Find and frequent bars and bartenders you trust and let other people know about them;
- Watch the bartenders, look at the bottles. Did that screw top cap come off a bit too easily? Does that “full” unopened bottle have about three inches of empty neck space? If so, you might want to skip the vodka tonic. (Thanks to W. Isler for those last two tips.)

Finally, think beyond tonight. Maybe a few crappy drinks here and there won’t hurt you, but it all adds up. As one survey respondent put it, “If the alcohol in Beijing seems cheap now, wait until the bill for your liver transplant arrives.”