Beijing Boyce

I met MH and friend last night in Nanluoguxiang about 11 PM. Here are the spots at which we stopped and sipped:

12 SQM: Billed as Beijing’s smallest bar, this place has a nice stock of liquor and beers (I had Coopers Pale Ale: RMB30). Squeeze in at the lone table, short bar, or window seat, and make yourself at home.

Salud: Crowded as usual, downstairs and upstairs. MH and I tried the orange & clove and apple & cinnamon homemade rums (RMB20: large shot). A good atmosphere, though this may be the most “physical” bar in Beijing, whether that means getting jostled by fellowing patrons, banged into by drunks, or random hugs.

Bed: No taxis, so we walked and found that more than 100 people had the same idea to visit this hutong bar. Lots of action on the dance floor, lots of ice-cold Tsing-tao on hand.

Cheers: This remains a favorite Saturday night stop, with reasonably priced drinks and excellent live Xinjiang music. We met Mad Max and friends here and partied for a few hours.

Halfway through, I did a tour of Sanlitun and the place rocked. Outside Tongli Studio, a band from Cameroon played drums for a large crowd, while the street in front of Kai and Butterfly saw drinkers flank to shank (though they looked more like regulars and less like tourists). I didn’t check the rooftops at Bar Blu or Kokomo, but given the people pouring into the entrances I can imagine how busy they were, and The Saddle Cantina had a large crowd upstairs. I walked the main Sanlitun bar strip and found it to be tourist central, with Swing seeming to be the busiest - two Olympics lads stood on the bar and sang along with the band while people cheered on.

Back at Cheers, I had a final Tsing-tao, danced a bit, and called it a night…

Note: Luga, of Luga’s, has opened a new bar in Sanlitun in the former Vietnamese restaurant Marguerite.