Mailbag! Readers Writes (1 of 3)
In the BB33 piece “Readers Writes,” 17 people named their favorite Beijing bars. Here is one of three responses to that piece, as published in the most recent newsletter. (To get the newsletter, email beijingboyce@yahoo.com with “Eat, Drink and Be Merry” in the subject line.)
CHRIS DEVONSHIRE-ELLIS, lawyer, publisher and adventurer, produces China Briefing, China Expat, Mongolia Expat and 2point6billion.com, senior partner of Dezan Shira & Associates in China and India, 20 years in Beijing this year
Favorite bars
Centro: Bruce is the coolest barman in town, though he just moved back to Aria, and I get a great deal on Champagne. Pretty girls, jazz, Cuban cigars, and Pol Roger - what more could you want?
The Writers Bar: Newly reopened in the Beijing Raffles Hotel, this is where foreign correspondents used to hang out in the 1920s and 1930s. As far as I know, the only remaining pine sprung dance floor in the city.
Aria: To read the day’s flown-in International and Hong Kong newspapers from 6 PM for sundowners. Quiet, relaxed and good cocktails
Maggies: Well, I thought it should be mentioned. But I never go.
All-time favorites
Charlie’s Bar: Sadly now a pale shadow of its former self at the Jianguo Hotel, this was the place in the late 70s early 80s. It was a major event when the hotel got the first fax machine in Beijing. Man, there were some deals done in that bar.
The Snake Pit, Shekou: Near Shenzhen, this was one of the first bars in China. Serving the oil industry, so it was full of Scots and Texans. Nonprofit making, so the cheapest beer in town. No ties, no mobile phones and a disgusting snake-infused baijiu ritual to join. Brilliant.
Thoughts on the Beijing scene
To be honest, a bit repetitive. Hopefully, some of the old hotels will refurbish some of the bars that used to be the places to hang about in about 80 years ago. All wood paneled, steeped in intrigue and history. I find the insistence on Beijing’s new glitz a little wearing and rather tacky to be honest. There’s no real historic classic bar in Beijing.
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oh dear, this sounds like the wet dream of a Commonwealth officer coming back from his elephant hunting trip: smoking cigars at Centro, reading HongKong newspapers while having a Scotch… it does not sound as if there is much Chinese about China that the author fancies? The one senctence that was missing was “old Maggy’s was much better”. Oh those old days, their glory lost, their colours paling!
it’s possible to hunt elephants in China?
Well it’s Chris and this is his taste and I am sure he liked the old Maggies more. One correction: he does go to the new Maggies!
There ARE Elephants in China, but not many of them. I believe they are restricted to a handful in Yunnan, near the boder with Laos. As for the old Maggies, well it was a bit of a dive, wasn’t it ? Dreadful really. However, the new one, well obviously I do go - but then I publish “Mongolia Expat” so what do you expect ? Get with the tough in cheek comments lads. As for the more club like ambience, what’s wrong with that ? I find the likes of Lan, the Phillipe Starck designed joint for example, utterly over the top and rather trashy. If I prefer wood panneled, log fires and glasses of whisky, well I would have thought that is more indicative of my Scottishness rather than elephant hunting. And who is going to turn down a decent Cuban cigar ? Not me ! I’ve been here awhile so it’s a bit unlikely that there is much Chinese about China that I don’t like….unfortuantely there are no Cuban cigar smoking Sichuan restaurants with decent Chinese wine lists that I can find about town - maybe someone should open one. Kinda like Red Rose, but hotter….
A cigar after Sichuan food? Probably a reason we’ve not seen that place. But after a big Xinjiang meal? I could see how a nice Cuban cigar might work with that…
Well, OK, maybe a cigar after a round of mohitos after a Sichuan meal, how about that ? Preferably while riding on an elephant ?
How would that taste, having a mouth full of spicy oil and having a cigar? Actually there have been cigars that had spices in them, a bit like Indonesian kreteks. Brrrrr. terrible things. But a flashy sichuan hot place….I would go for that even without the cigar.
OK, onto smoking: I love Kratek and always hassle friends of mine going to Indonesia to bring me back some. Otherwise I don’t smoke cigarettes at all. But kratek - what a taste - and keeps away the summer mosquitos. Once I sent a couple of packets back to a mate in Manchester, UK, and he lit them up in a pub. He got arrested for suspicion of taking drugs and was banged up for a few hours until the cops worked it out ! Man he was cursing me but saw the funny side later. Otherwise, it’s gotta be hoohkahs, sitting outside one of those bars along Sanlitun, puffing away - double apple or rose flavor being the best imo….I love a good Cuban cigar but at RMB300 plus for a decent one I only have them when I have something to celebrate…the cigar shop at the St. Regis being my shopping mecca for all things mellow…anyone wanna get together and sit doen in their lounge and have some Siglos and a few brandies after work one day ? Jim you on for that ?