Beijing Boyce

A few notes from last night’s “out and about” (~11 PM to ~3 AM):

The Rickshaw: A rowdy crowd, no doubt fueled by beer and burritos, audible from outside The Bookworm.

Nanjie: Unusually quiet, with the balcony empty. Sister establishment Tun saw a light crowd. (By the way, someone said Tun, with its huge screen, proved to be a good place to watch the US-China basketball game.)

Beer Mania: Busy, inside and out. Then again, this place often seems to draw a crowd.

W Sports and Music Bar and Restaurant: Light crowd, with about two dozen people on the deck.

Q Bar: Bustling, but not as packed as other nights. In other words, comfortably busy.

Mesh: I peaked in the window and saw about 50 people in this newly opened lounge. I decided to come back later. Unfortunately, by that time – 2 AM – the place was empty.

China Doll in 3.3: The bar and dance floor were busy, the lounge less so, with many people in national colors. Expect a RMB100 cover charge and a wait at the elevator – it takes only six people at a time.

The Saddle Cantina: Nearly empty, with the rain no doubt clearing the deck.

Kokomo: Packed… again. Even with the rain, the rooftop rocked and the downstairs area had a good number of people, including many obviously associated with the Olympics. It also had quite a few drunks. One guy fall face first into that huge aloe vera plant near the door (he’s lucky it is a fake). Another group came downstairs and hassled the door staff at Club China Doll.

I’m spending a lot of time in the Workers Stadium-Sanlitun area, so I’ll try to take the next “out and about” a bit further from home.

Bars and restaurants continue to open in Beijing even in the midst of the Olympics. Here is an update on some openings and a closing.

Gino Café
Unlike Vics, Mix, et al, it had survived closure at the north entrance of Workers Stadium, perhaps because it sat beyond the gates. It is now closed through September 21, according to a sign on the door.

Mesh (Opposite House, Sanlitun North)
This slick lounge opened on August 11 and saw a decent turnout last night.

Drei Kronen 1308 (China View)
This massive German pub is slated to start serving its home brew – wheat beer, dark beer, and lager – tomorrow.

Bling (Solana)
Opened last week, it closed for renovations on Monday and Tuesday, and is now open again.

All Star (Solana)
Partner establishment of Bling, it also closed for two days, and is now open 24 hours per day.

Punk (Opposite House, Sanlitun North)
This B1 club with seating for 100 is slated to open August 18.

Ru Lounge (China Central Place)
Partner of Japanese restaurant Makoto, this place seems ready to go; I’m waiting for the opening date.

Element Fresh (Sanlitun Village)
This top-floor getaway seats more than 150 and is scheduled to open on September 1.