Getting blitzed in Beijing: The Bomb Shelter Bar at Red Capital Residence

October 30th, 2009 | Category: Uncategorized

0 beijing boyce bars blog bomb shelter bar red capital residence

Relieve yourself before you enter.

Nearly fifty moons waxed and waned between my last descent to the Bomb Shelter Bar (map) and one earlier this week as part of planning a long-promised visit for some readers. (By the way, this place is ideal for a “tweet-up” since the odds of getting a signal and using Twitter are low, thus people would have to go old school and talk to each other.)

Accessed via a hole in the courtyard of the Red Capital Residence, getting down requires flexibility given the steep stairs and low ceiling. After scooting through a tunnel, you emerge into a three-room bar decorated with Cultural Revolution kitsch, old communications equipment, and roughly hewn furniture. A screening of a propagandist opera is optional. (See photos below)

Out of sheer laziness, I’ll borrow an excerpt from my February 2006 write-up of this place:

Fancy an eve of claustrophobic fun? The bomb shelter bar below Red Capital Residence might be your glass of maotai. It’s definitely one of the more interesting drinking holes (in the ground). Getting there is half the adventure as you climb into a manhole-sized opening and down steep stairs under a low ceiling: awkward for all but the most nimble. (Note: The toilet is upstairs, so go before starting your journey to the center of the earth.)

The house drinks are, uh, revolutionary. I tried the “Lin Biao Crash” (88 kuai), which includes vodka, apricot and lemon juice, and peppermint white and blue caracao. It’s topped off with maotai and lit afire: thus, the “crash.” (I took mine “un-crashed.”) When my friend M-Dawg returned from the bathroom (again, go BEFORE you descend), he asked, “What stinks?” That would be the maotai, although the drink was surprisingly good. Other house cocktails include “The Long March” (”for fierce steadfast drinkers”), “Dream of Red Capital” (”in the morning you will feel as if the market has undergone a correction”) and “Black Cat / White Cat” (”excessive intake may inhibit one’s ability to catch mice”). Five-star Beer is 30 kuai.”

Given this space is sometimes booked for events, you are best making a reservation by calling 8403-5308 or emailing Rola Suzanne Heng at rolasuzanne@redcapitalclub.com.cn.