Beijing Boyce

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.