Beijing Boyce

Kokomo stripped off its rooftop covering today. Expect an opening party Friday with two DJs and summer drink specials.

The Saddle Cantina will close from11 PM tonight (Sunday) to 6 PM on Tuesday as it refinishes its floor. The Saddle was packed last night with one going-away and three birthday parties.

Construction on the new China Doll, on the top floor of 3.3 Building, is coming along. The lounge will face Sanlitun’s main strip and be accessible by an elevator. The main area has a bar and dance floor, with a VIP room and seven themed private rooms extending off them. Two elevators will provide access from the street behind. Expect plenty of curves, ellipses, and circular platforms in the design. An extension will be built to the north with China Doll taking the 400-square-meter rooftop.

The Cellar Rat says that his “find of the month” is the OT Lounge. Decent cocktails and good jazz in a relaxed and intimate atmosphere impressed him. “It’s not huge, but if you’re out with a few friends, it’s nice place to hang out,” he says.

It sounds like the Kokomo / China Doll standoff is over for now. Two co-owners of Kokomo told me last Thursday that Tongli Studio management fixed the damaged lighting console at the core of the dispute. I spotted no ominous guards as I headed upstairs to Kokomo last night, though I found the place closed (to be fair, it was around 2 AM).

Across the street, Lugas (ex-Saddle) is expanding. The place is more than doubling in size as it takes over a venue just around the corner, with the two spots being connected by a door. Expect a similar layout and decor, and a side room that fits about a dozen people. Luga says he expects to open the place on Friday.

Meanwhile, The Saddle Cantina opened Thursday with a party by Local Noodles. The spot was packed, the beer and Margaritas flowed. I popped in Saturday afternoon to try the food, as I’d received an email listing the opening hours from “afternoon” to 4 AM on weekends. I found it closed and since discovered the opening time is 6 PM. I returned last night for a few Stella at RMB40 per pop. The beer is literally ice cold, with co-owner Nick Ma explaining that it pours at -1 or -2 degrees Celsius. Ma provided a sample of the guacamole, which was tasty. The Saddle Cantina is much bigger and stylized than The Rickshaw, and the prices are higher. I’ll have more about this place soon.

On Sanlitun North, 1949: The Hidden City will start opening venues tomorrow. The first: Sugar (11 AM-7 PM; no wireless at the moment), a coffee bar that offers salads and other fare. The Noodle Bar (11 AM-7 PM) opens Wednesdays, while Duck de Chine is slated to take flight on the weekend. I sampled Duck de Chine’s menu last Thursday and, as one might expect, we had plenty of duck. Webs, livers, tongues, eggs, breasts - pretty much everything but lips, feathers, and bellybuttons. I also discovered from the chef that they can fit cook turkey’s into those wood-fired ovens - come Christmas, I’m going to be calling these guys.

Finally, I dropped into Nanjie in the wee hours last night and, as usual, it was bustling upstairs with the usual mix of locals and expatriates. With ten-kuai beer and a deck that is perfect for people watching - this place is hard to beat.

Before I get to the now very public fight between Kokomo and China Doll in Sanlitun’s Tongli Studio, some notes from a walkabout I took at 7:30 last night.

Walking the gauntlet of neon-laden bars on the main strip, I heard three “lady bar” offers, far from my record of 13, though to be fair, it was early.

Security guards still line the fence in front of that huge empty building in back of the bars. A long, ongoing dispute between building management and construction workers continues, and the workers have a poster-plastered van parked in front to repine*.

In the new Nali Studio, Saddle Cantina is almost ready to go for this Thursday’s launch. Next door, the new Muse looks close to being finished.

Meanwhile, the lights were out in the new Project H2O and in the new China Doll, though I did see work being done on the latter last Friday. Speaking of unfinished projects, what’s happening with that boutique hotel in the Sanlitun project? Is it going to open by the Olympics?

And here’s another question: Le Freak! by Party la in the Thai Empress Restaurant. Anyone been there?

Around the corner, The Tree, Smugglers, Kai Club, Butterfly, Shooters and Fish Nation are all in their proper spots, while in Tongli, Le Bistrot Parisien had a decent crowd. I ate there last week and had a good steak.

And then there’s Kokomo and China Doll.

Following reports that China Doll security recently beat a customer and prevented patrons from going to Kokomo upstairs, a message from Facebook group China Doll Club Heads states that a water leak from Kokomo damaged China Doll’s lighting console, that Kokomo has been “remiss in fixing the damage” and has threatened China Doll, and that security was added to protect China Doll staff and “pressure Kokomo to repair the console…” Re the beating, it stated security was attacked first.

“We have been left with no other option as we are not the first club in Tongli to have been threatened by Kokomo and refuse to be ‘bullied’,” it states.

Kokomo responded, also via Facebook, that Kokomo did leak water into China Doll and agreed to fix the lighting panel but was told by “an authorized repair center” that the damage could not have been caused by the leak. It adds that China Doll security has stopped people from entering Kokomo, but the police have been unable to stop this due to a lack of evidence.

Kokomo owners have been “pushed around by China Doll’s security force” and the situation culminated “Friday night with the unfortunate beatings of customers wanting to go to Kokomo,” says the statement.

The Kokomo statement also refers to this video that purportedly shows China Doll security forces blocking customers from going upstairs.

Frankly, the last thing any bar should do is bully customers. China Doll says it isn’t doing this, Kokomo and several readers tell me it is. I’ll leave it up to readers to decipher the video.

Kokomo’s statement notes, “If this is a case of their feeling we owe them money, why not file a civil claims case and pursue the issue through peaceful, legal means.”

Exactly. Solve this privately. Don’t impact customers and don’t bring undue negative attention to Tongli at a time when the authorities are hypersensitive.

For more details on the situation, see this thread on The Beijinger.

* This word is brought you by Special K.

This is the third in a series of posts on places that I have recently toured and that are projected to open over the next few months. Previously: The new China Doll; The Legation Quarter
The new Nali Studios, that glaringly white structure beside the 3.3 building on Sanlitun North’s main strip, features four sections that range in height from two to six stories. Over the next few months, expect to see a steady stream of openings of restaurants, bars, and retail outlets, with the latter including - hold your breath, cast iron cookware fans - the household goods outfit Pantry Magic.

In terms of the food and beverage scene, the three key projects appear to be Ciro’s Pomodoro, which opened last month (see this review), The Saddle Cantina (by the owners of The Rickshaw), and Project H20 (by the owners of Spencer Grey, which includes Alfa, Muse, Mission, and other Beijing establishments in its portfolio).

The Saddle Cantina, a two-story building on the west side, is slated to open on March 15, though it might finish ahead of schedule and thus defy the bar scene’s seemingly omnipotent Law of Late Launches. The facade, deck, and interior are quickly being finished, with the aim being to create a Hacienda look. “When you walk in, you will know it’s a Mexican restaurant,” says manager Chad Lager, who gave me a tour.

The place has double doors, though these will be sealed in winter in favor of a smaller entry. Lager says the management learned a thing or two at The Rickshaw these past few months about the effect of chilly breezes on patrons - in short, the only cold draft you should find is the one in your glass.

The first floor includes a bar, booths, a room reminiscent of The Rickshaw, and a glass-walled area to showcase the copper brewing tanks in which The Saddle will make its own beer.

The second floor includes a long bar, an area with high tables and chairs, a series of tables near the window, a retractable roof, and a narrow 200-square-meter deck.

Nick Ma, the man behind the menu, has been giving taste tastes of the planned Mexican dishes to patrons at Rickshaw to see what people like. The Saddle will have the biggest tequila selection in China and an extensive Margarita selection, says Lager. Unlike The Rickshaw, it will neither be festooned with TV screens nor will operate 24/7.

The owners have gained experience and a sizable following via previous projects The Rickshaw, COX, and The Saddle, and the new Saddle seems part of a natural progression for an outfit that delivers unpretentious venues with solid comfort food and a diverse group of patrons, including many from the food and beverage industry.

Project H20, comprising the sixth floor and a 500-square meter deck on the studio’s east side, will include a lounge with Asian tapas and a French-Chinese restaurant on the main floor, and a grill up top. Two bartenders and several chefs have been, or are being brought, on board to handle the drinks and food respectively. The deck offers what is arguably the best 360-degree rooftop view in the city.

The plan to soft launch in January is a distant memory. According to Blane Kieng of Spencer Grey, renovations of the entire building took longer than expected: “There really was no point in being the first to open if everyone else in the building is still jack-hammering away.”

There has been some turnover at Spencer Grey of late in areas such as management, the kitchen, and the PR department. Kieng states that some people didn’t fit Spencer Grey’s needs and that more are coming in. Let’s hope these changes don’t impact the planning or quality of the venues. For now, the situation is wait and see, and hopefully what appears is nothing more than excellent rooftop views.

This is the second in a series of posts on places that I have recently toured and that are projected to open over the next few months. Previously: The Legation Quarter

Ai Wan (far left) and China Doll vie with Suzie Wong at last year’s TBJ awards. (Photo: that’s Beijing)

Venue: the new China Doll

Stated opening: mid-May

When China Doll opened in Tongli Studio just over a year ago, I quickly associated it with several things: 1) cozy seats and subtle lighting and thus an avoidance of the excessive neon that plagues other places; 2) an excellent four-sided padded bar manned by efficient staff; 3) a looping (to some) erotic video that rapidly got old; 4) a diverse client base of locals and expatriates; and 5) and a spirit that seemed like it would quickly outgrow the venue’s tight confines.

A split between owners last fall saw the creative side, Ai Wan, leave and she is now part of a team set to reopen in new digs on the fifth floor of the nearby 3.3 building (the building’s north face already sports the China Doll banner). The space is bigger - much bigger - with more than 1200 square meters of enclosed space, including an open area of 850 square meters, and an additional 400 square meters of rooftop.

China Doll will include a lounge, a compact dance floor fringed by two levels of seating, and seven VIP rooms and a VIP lounge. Patrons will access the club via two elevators at the back of 3.3.

The slogan is “Sexy - Hip - Cool” and management says there will be a focus on promoting art and culture. The strategy is to start drawing patrons into the lounge from the afternoon on. Ryan Horne, from the Los Angeles clubbing scene, is managing the place.

Ai Wan brings a loyal following from the original venue, a successful track record, and strong contacts and creative design ideas. The downside of opening in a mall is somewhat offset by the private elevators. The big question is whether enough people can be drawn to 3.3 to regularly fill this massive space. That, and the status of the original venue - will both places promote themselves as China Doll?

Previously:
- It’s a bar, it’s a club, it’s a blub, part 2
- Trouble in the Doll-house
- Cat fight: China Doll or Suzie Wong as best club?
- First impressions: China Doll

In Last Wednesday blues, part 1, I covered adventures at Sequoia Cafe, LG Towers, Kenny Rogers Roasters and McDonald’s. Now it’s time to go out on the town, visit Block 8, Suzie Wong and China Doll, and get fashion advice from Special K.

Block 8
I pick up Special K on the way to Blanes “ten most influential Beijing people“ party, which is linked to Spencer Grey (Alfa, Muse, etc). Hang on: hasn’t this party already happened a dozen times this year? Anyway, I can tell by the look of Special’s K shirt that he doesn’t own an iron. On the positive side, if he gets in a fight or falls asleep on a park bench, it can’t get any more wrinkled.

We catch the last half of the awards - the winners include Alan Wong (of Block 8, no less) as bar creator, Jackson Ren (of Aria) as bartender and Bai Cai as DJ. It seems very “group hug” to me.

Afterwards, we go to a VIP area in I-Ultra Lounge (in Block 8) to drink free Champagne and vodka with about 40 other people. Some observations:
- There is a nice group of locals beside me and we toast each other and relax. Unfortunately…
- Some guy drinks two Champagne flutes of vodka in about 15 minutes, breaks the glass, and two minutes later breaks another one, leaving a mess.
- At the next table, an extremely drunk guy, face red as a lobster, repeatedly (endlessly?) shouts slogans and encourages everyone nearby to repeat them, even though there is ZERO interest in this.
- Another guy takes me aside and asks several times, “Where do you see Beijing Boyce in three years?” In such cases, I try to provide a polite answer, such as “helping orphans and whatnot”, but my overriding thought is “anywhere but this place.”
- Half of the women in our area are taking advantage of the photographers on hand to pose for vanity shots.
- And I think I spot Special K drink his fifteenth glass of Champagne - you gotta keep an eye on this guy.
- Anyway, after the free Champers dries up, most people quickly disappear, including the glass dropper and the yeller. Special K, a patron I’ll refer to as JS, and I order - that is, pay for – two more bottles. Alan Wong, don’t say we don’t care!

It is past midnight, time for bed, and we do the only thing possible when Special K is past a half-dozen drinks: onward ho!

The World of Suzie Wong
This is my first visit to ladies night and the place is moderately full. We order three Gin Tonics and the pours are weak. Before the bartender adds the mix, we note the weakness of the drinks, he denies it, and I want to get a shot glass and strain the alcohol from the ice to prove our case. JG says he has guanxi and will talk to the manager. He comes back five minutes later and says in exasperation, “I can’t believe it!” It appears his guanxi is gone.

Meanwhile, Special K learns it’s best to wear a protective cup on ladies night, as some of the drunker attendees like to check out your assets before asking your name. We quickly finish what Suzie Wong calls a Gin Tonic and head to

China Doll
If you rank my current desire to go to China Doll between one and ten, with one being “I’d rather tattoo an image of a dragon fruit on my forehead with a rusty fork prong” and ten being “I’d rather hang out with that slogan-yelling guy from Block 8,” it was somewhere in the middle.

China Doll turns out to be okay. The drinks are good, the bartenders are proficient. The place is lightly filled, with a handful of people around the bar and several full tables in those canopied lounge areas.

I see an editor from a local magazine. He apparently didn’t like an email exchange we had earlier today and he calls me, in colloquial terms, an anus. He is really drunk and I guess some might think he has a point. I ask the staff to change his diaper, give him a fresh bottle (with a touch of Bailey’s) and rock him to sleep.

Then, I search for Special K. I spot the wrinkled shirt. He has made friends with Czech students and once again shown his tolerance for the peoples, and especially the women, of the world. I check the time and decide to head home - right after this drink - so I can get a few hours sleep before those jackhammers start.

Joop Shen, who’s worked at China Doll, The Bank* and (most recently) Mingle over the past year, is moving to Project H, a large restaurant, lounge and deck development in Sanlitun’s Nali Studio that management says will open by the end of January. Shen will serve as general manager.

Billy Kawaja, executive chef at the Canadian Embassy, is also on board at Project H and will head up the French-Chinese restaurant, the Asian tapas menu in the lounge and the grill menu on the deck. Kawaja is known best for his brunch menu at Café St. Laurent.

Meanwhile, the management behind Project H, which runs establishments such as Alfa and Le Hugo, plans to open a second Muse in Nali as well as a strip of five bars nearby. More details on the latter to come soon.

* A series of SMS messages from The Bank announces that pole dancing will be featured every Friday night.

Renovations were apparently done with super speed as China Doll is open again (see Tongli in Trouble). They had just enough time to change some light bulbs and buy new bottle openers for the bar.

Meanwhile, in Lido, The Cellar is now Cave or, to be less cryptic, the wine bar called the Cellar that was part of Trio,  which includes Frank’s Place and Park Grill, has been sold to a Korean company that is re-launching it as Cave. Tonight’s opening party drew a sizeable crowd and I’ll have more on this soon.

For now, it’s time for Halloween fun…

“Due to reasons beyond our control we will be closed tonight. We hope to be open again tomorrow. Sorry for any inconvenience.”

This is becoming a mantra for Bar Blu, which saw its windows darkened yet again last night.

Two floors down, Tanewha appears to be have bitten the dust after an identity crisis - there was a brief stint as Wonder Bar - and will become Golden something or other.

Meanwhile, on the other stairwell, China Doll is locked. “Sorry that China Doll will be closed for renovations these days. We will be open soon. Thanks for your cooperation.”

According to two industry insiders, China Doll’s problem is another kind of layout - one involving unpaid bills. Peeking through the windows, I spotted stickers on the wall that seem suspiciously like those on Browns‘ doors when that spot shut up shop. I could be wrong - does anyone have the inside scoop on this?

Cheers (with about a dozen people) and Kokomo (about half of that) remained open.

The Cellar Rat and I gave up on Tongli and headed around the corner to Mingle. This spot, run by ex-China Doll, ex-Bank guy Joop Shen, is tightly designed and held this night four small groups of people. A quick Bloody Mary and we called it a night…

China Doll picked up numerous bar and club awards this year, but it sounds like playtime is over. Ai Wan, the face of this place, and a new investor have parted ways.

This might be a blessing in disguise for Ai Wan. Whether she is involved or not, China Doll seemed destined for decline. The designers did an admirable job but this space appears too limited to go any further and didn’t seem a particularly good fit for Tongli.

With her ties to Cloud Nine, and a following from China Doll, it’ll be interesting to see what she does next. Hopefully, it means no end to the Ai Wan Jamaica and the 42 Below (with a grapefruit slice, not an orange or lime one) cocktails.

The winter chill shall soon be upon us, so I met friend and fellow wine lover, The Cellar Rat (TCR), at Apertivo on Tuesday night to relax on the patio and fuel up before going on a walkabout. The Cappuccino (20 kuai) was tasty, the personal-size salami pizza (25 kuai) a decent snack, and the place moderately full, a good showing for a Tuesday after a weeklong vacation. (Note: I dropped into Apertivo last Friday with Eddie O and Jolly and also enjoyed a drink there, the only downside being the frequent beeping horns, shrieking car alarms and grumbling motorcycles on the facing street that would work so much better if it were pedestrian-only.)

TCR and I finished our beverages, tied our shoelaces, and headed out. Our first stop was L’Etage, around the side and on the second floor of Tongli Studio. It appears the place has changed hands, become a wine bar, and started selling bottles, mostly French labels, imported by its new owner, who we were told supplies numerous French restaurants. The bottle prices seem reasonable and the place is comfortable enough, especially the snug side balcony fitted with about a half-dozen tables for two, though the open window of Taniwha just above it means loud music is your likely companion as the night wears on.

The Smugglers, across from Kai and Butterfly and backing onto The Tree, is, like Shooters nearby, a step or two above the average cheap Qingdao dive. The decor is simple - stone floors, wooden tables and chairs, a basic wooden bar, and walls plastered with colorful posters and prints. The layout consists of numerous rectangular rooms designed for a dozen or so patrons, with the bar squeezed into a space near the center. It’s a bit of a labyrinth and might be a decent stop for friends seeking a few drinks, though the excess of hard surfaces suggests it will be noisy. According to the a sign, a bottle of Grolsch will cost you 15 kuai.

China Doll was empty, not surprisingly given it was early on a Tuesday, so we headed to the main Sanlitun drag, though not before TCR noticed a broad banner above Tongli’s entrance reading: “Severely blow to the drug-related crimes.” I haven’t been harassed by a single drug dealer in this area for more than four months. Is a criminal element running rampant beneath my nose because I look too square for them to make a pitch? Or is it hidden amid all those underage drinkers that infest the area on weekends?

Anyway, we continued our walkabout and passed that new white building south of 3.3, which will house Project H (more on this to come), and headed north to Bocata. This place looks cozy from the street and doesn’t disappoint up close. The large sand-and-stone patio is partly protected by shrubs, modestly lit, and furnished with 18 tables that each seat two to four people. An elevated and fairly wide deck provides good views of the street while inside there are ten small tables. This place shares the same owner as Tapas, though this menu is focused on soups, salads and sandwiches. The drinks list features cocktails at 30 to 45 kuai, including tomato and vodka lemon at 42 kuai and honey, rum and vanilla at 45 kuai. Coffees are 18 to 28 kuai and the place offers a few German beers I’ve not before seen (sorry, I forgot to write down the names).

We next headed north to Dine and Wine. Along the way, we passed Cappuccino. I’ve been once and think my lack of patronage might be linked to an allergy induced by the profusion of neon and lighting on this place’s façade.

We made a quick stop to check out progress on Paddy O’Shea’s, the bar being opened by Glenn Phelan From outside, it looks airy, has high ceilings (I’d guess 12 footers), features an L-shaped bar that would be even nicer if a few stools were pulled up to it (and I was on one of them), and includes in its décor… hmmm… shamrocks. Well, I was excited up to that point.

By the way, Paddy’s is beside A-Che, where I have thrice dined and thrice regretted it. Luckily, this place isn’t in some U.S. states where three crimes of a certain type will see one tossed in jail for life (I’m not sure if sub-par food and service is one of them, but it should be under consideration). Mind you, I have had a few okay Mojitos there. Perhaps the secret is to stick to the liquids.

Anyway, our goal was W Dine and Wine, and we finally made it. We parked at the small bar (seats three) and checked the wine menu, which lists about 80 different bottles as well as, by the glass, three red and white (30 to 60 kuai) and a sparkling (65 kuai) wine. The place is long and narrow, with a subdued décor of modern white and black furniture and grey curtains. It falls on the right side of the line dividing elegant and pretentious, though it is a bit tame for my tastes.

TCR and I each ordered a glass of wine (the staff quickly changed his after giving him the wrong pour) and enjoyed the free eats - a selection of salami paired with un-pitted black and green olives, onions and peppers that carried a salsa and, according to TCR, refried bean flavors. Though perhaps not the best match for wine, these snacks were gratefully received, as was a second helping provided without our asking. Nice.

Mingle opened in the basement of Margherita, around the corner from Tongli Studio in the building formerly housing The Bund.

Joop Shen, who’s bouncing about the Beijing bar and club scene faster than a Xiali cab changes lanes - note: he’s held positions at China Doll and The Bank in the last six months - is involved, though this is a cozier fit and it will be a challenge to keep a lounge feel given the temptation to take advantage of the sound equipment no hand — we’ll see if Joop can work his magic with the staff, theme and layout.

Another bar nomad, Glenn Phelan - The Pavillion, Browns, and TRIO (Frank’s Place) - will soon be running his own gig as Irish bar Paddy O’Shea’s is projected to open next month near A-Che and Dine and Wine. Look for an interview here with Glenn later this week.

Sir Campbell T informs that a new bar called White Rabbit opened in Nurenjie on Friday night. Time enough to visit this weekend there was not, so I’ll aim to check this one out in the near future.

After a lull in The Land Down Under, wine guru Sir Campbell Thompson is back in Beijing for good. I met him on Saturday night for a lengthy tour of the local sights. Some random observations:

Block 8: The third-floor bar - I-Ultra Lounge - reminds me of a super-sized Centro. We headed to the rooftop bar, The Beach, where lounge areas surrounded by sand sit amid a network of elevated walkways. You’ll fork out 2000 kuai for one such spot and up to 5000 kuai for premium spaces. The only free seating - or free standing, given there were no chairs - was at a large round bar in the far corner. The place seemed somewhat soulless - maybe it was the too-slick design, lack of greenery, the nasty night pollution or the fact we were the only patrons - so to be fair another visit is in order, especially since several readers have praised this place, although usually in relation to the eye candy they say patronizes it.

In any case, given the beach theme, you might expect Margaritas and Pina Coladas on the menu. They aren’t. 42 Below vodka and Tanqueray gin are, but were out of stock, so we settled for Bombay Sapphire GTs at 55 kuai. I suppose the price was worth it given the spectacle of a bartender twisting the base of a tonic can into his hand, thus forming a vacuum and allowing him to pour the mixer without using his fingers (try it at home, it’s surprisingly easy). By the way, best to book a table at The Beach - as we left the staff told us that every spot had been reserved for the night.

Suzie Wong: The third-floor area has been redecorated since my last visit and reaching the deck now requires a trip through the back end of the dance floor, but other than that, it was the same old Suzie. We parked on the deck and enjoyed bottled Stella as the place steadily filled with a most diverse crowd - a woman anxiously sitting alone (let’s hope the guy showed up), several groups of local friends, a man out cold on a bench, the usual gaggle of older expat male-younger Chinese female couples, and so on. I’ve never been a big fan of Suzie Wong in general, but I’ve always liked the deck - earthy, nicely lit and seeming as though it’s cut off from the city.

Q Bar: This night saw a light crowd, and while the music is too loud inside, the place does have its compensations - the Q Bar team is well-trained and the drinks are good. Sir C had a Lychee Margarita and engaged co-owner Echo in a discussion as to whether there should be salt (as he likes) or sugar (as many customers prefer) on the rim. I had a Horse Neck, a pleasant drink with Bourbon, ginger ale, and a long curl of lemon peel. Just before we left, a guy walked up and ordered ten Jagermeister shots. Sir C sternly described this as a blasphemous request in such a cocktail heaven and nearly beat him to death with a mint masher (just kidding). By the way, Q Bar’s collection of single malts continues to grow.

The Rickshaw: A rugby had just ended and the place was packed with Aussies and Kiwis - Sir C, being a member of the former tribe, knew half the people there. It was Stella yet again.

China Doll: The second floor seethed with dancers. We struggled to the bar and decided on hydration - the fruity Ai Wan Jamaica. The patrons to our left were most happy and eclectic - one wore a suit, thick dark-rimmed glasses and a foamy farmer’s hat, another had a sleeveless T-shirt and Scott Baio aura, and so on. Celebration was in the air and we speculated about a newly signed joint venture, hopefully one that will produce some kind of vacuum to suck coal particles from the air in summer andGobi sand in the winter - the latter can be used to replenish The Beach. People-watching at its finest…

Cheers: This place was also hopping, to live music. Even better, Sir C - who used to play in a band - knew one of the musicians, a guy from Madagascar. I’m not sure what they talked about it, but perhaps it concerned their two countries containing at least half of the world’s weirdest creatures.

Maggies: This place was even more packed than China Doll, with men far outnumbering the women - the horror! My advice to these guys: why not just go to China Doll to meet the opposite sex? We parked outside and watched people pass while Sir C enjoyed one of Maggies most excellent hotdogs. By the way, you know a guy is drunk beyond redemption if he squints at me to see if I might be a potential “short-term” female companion. Realizing that being packed like sardines in a can with hundreds of other guys wasn’t our thing, we decided against going inside and instead bid farewell and called a close to a busy but fun night…

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 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…

OLIVER SEDLINGER, Austrian, 6 years

Favorite Beijing Bar(s)
Cafe Pause and Cafe Europa for wine from home (Austria), Q Bar and Bed for drinks and cocktails, Maggie’s for 80s music and eye candy.

All-time Favorite Bar(s)
First Cafe, Neo Lounge

The Beijing scene
Beijing needs a place like YY in Shanghai

BH, American, business manager, 9 years in China

Favorites
As a thirty-something ex-pat, the Pavillion works for me. Nice atmosphere (especially during the warm weather months), few if any twenty-something riff-raff, lots of screens playing sporting events, and a “real” bar with footrests. For similar atmosphere (a la Lost in Translation), Red Moon is also a nice spot. Centro has somehow managed to retain its reasonably hip and comfortable “see-and-be-seen” atmosphere.

All-time
No Name at Houhai - the low-key atmosphere is the perfect alternative for those who can’t stand Babyface (or similar). Goose and Duck is, IMO, the single best “drinker’s bar” in Beijing. Good cheap draft beer. Genuinely friendly staff. Always a fun crowd (as opposed to Suzie Wong’s, across the street, where it seems everyone is itching to get into a fistfight - over girls, perhaps? Could that be possible in a town that has Maggie’s?). And pretty good snacks to match (best Sloppy Joe in town, IMO).

The scene
There are truly, positively, 100 percent without a doubt, not enough “real” bars in Beijing. And by “bars” I mean places where people go to unwind after a long day, perhaps catch a game on TV, chit chat with the bartender, etc. This must be the case if I find the bar at Friday’s (by St. Regis) to be among the best “bars” in town. At some point, the night scene here became usurped by an obsession with fashion, design (often bad), and bar-owner narcissism. Beyond that, the “pure” dance scene seems to be great. However, it is clear (from comments made to me by both men and women) that there is very little here between the traditional “bar” and “can’t hear you screaming over the music” nightclubs. There is a large group of frustrated singles out there who find it virtually impossible to find a nice little place with good music where nice people can mingle (The Tree comes to mind here, in terms of what Beijing needs more of).

STELLA GUO, Chinese, freelancer, 20 years

Favorites
Q-Bar: The place to end the evening (slumped over the bar ;- ) ). Great mixed drinks and friendly owners / bartenders
All-time
The Tree: Stinky four cheese pizza and Belgian beers
Touch Bar by Houhai: Not for the drinks, but a place to relax and watch the world go by, especially good on a warm spring afternoon
The scene
While there’re lots of bars in Beijing and new ones coming up every day, most kind of run together and good drinking spots are still hard to come by.

CHELSEY “LIVING THE DREAM” MARK, Canadian, performer / host / actor / singer / artist / model / freedom fighter / nightlife writer, 7 years

Favorites
Zeta, mainly because my friend is the manager there and the DJ is also my friend… ha! It’s like my Cheers in Beijing. I’ll always know that Sammy, Norm and Cliff will always be there… :)
I usually follow my party friends, which have finally moved from Suzie Wong to China Doll, which is nice… People at China Doll seem to be more polite and a little less “tipsy.”
Goose and Duck … John is going to rock it with the new space … he also sponsors my ice hockey team here! Go Hot Wings! The Jerseys are the coolest thing on ice…

All-time
Kai, because you can drop in any time, the staff are always calm and will never give you attitude, the drinks are cheap, the music is always an adventure, in a good way! And people are always ready to have fun and meet people. The size is perfect. Summer time … man, look out!

The scene
Beijing’s drinking scene is vast, don’t get sucked into always frequenting the same bars, have some fun and go to random places. Stick the bar list on the wall, and take your pick. Get used to having bad cocktails - there are few places in the city that can actually mix proper drinks, i.e. Centro, Zeta. Also, be aware of the fake alcohol, so if you want play it safe, stick to bottled drinks. When ordering, speak slowly, check it twice, and get used to the slow service in receiving your drink and change.

Sequoia Cafe in Sanlitun offers the most imaginative, enjoyable and affordable wine tastings in Beijing. Period. Last Friday, I tried seven Austrian and German wines, munched on appetizers and chatted with wine distributors, a winemaker and plenty of friendly folk - all for 50 kuai. The tasting of eight Slovenian wines and the tasting where every attendee brought a bottle of wine and some cheese were also memorable. I can only see things getting better once Sequoia’s two decks open (to get on the event mailing list, email frank.siegel@gmail.com).

With an exhausting week behind me, I was going to call it an early evening after trying those wines. Fortunately, a new friend from Siberia steered me from evil. We ended up checking out:

- Kokomo: This place looks a bit better every time I visit, though the closed kitchen and our grumbling stomachs made this stop a quick one, as we headed to…

- Apertivo: It was packed, but comfortable, with an earthy feel and a calming rumble of conversations as background noise. More than a dozen wines are available by the glass, from 35 kuai, and my Sangiovese was a sizeable pour. The calzone hit the spot.

- Cheers: We popped our heads in to find the usual cast of characters and the band getting ready to unleash some Xinjiang music.

- China Doll: The second floor was getting crowded by 10:30 PM and I always enjoy propping my elbows against that soft, sloped bar edge and sipping a drink. China Doll has some promotion whereby two people who kiss for ten seconds get free drinks. What’s next? Spin the bottle? Truth or dare?

- Q Bar: Though it was busy, we wrangled two seats at the bar. As for drinks, I had my favorite of the year, an Alfonso Special, and then a Strawberry Margarita, which someone bought for me (I can guarantee you, this is not a cocktail for which ye olde Beijing Boyce parts with cash). I also tried a splash of Caol Ila 18-year-old single malt, which inspired me to rewrite my will and demand that I be embalmed with this liquid… Note 1: I ran into Trevor K, who makes the best burgers in town and will (hopefully) again organize, with Kenn, a few BBQs on Q Bar’s deck.  Note 2: The usual DJ was off, sparing us the dance music. Instead, his replacement had the good sense to play Peter Schilling’s Major Tom, Talk Talk’s It’s My Life and numerous other rarely heard tunes. Q Bar owners, this music is good! I repeat, this music is good!

- Browns: The bar was less crowded than usual, but the vibe more than made up for it, as did the 20-kuai Guinness, Kingfisher and Beamish served from the bathtub out front. It’d take about 10,000 words to describe the weirdness at Browns, so two brief sketches will have to suffice. First, there was a scraggly haired guy on the bar top, with biceps the size of Christmas turkeys, lots of tattoos and a baseball hat, whose dance routine consisted of pointing at his crotch, pointing at the crowd, and pulling his baseball cap over his face as though he were crying. For reasons that will confuse scientists and therapists for centuries, this stimulated numerous female patrons. Second, there was a girl on the bar top, who has obviously done some modeling, and she shook out her hair and jerked her lanky body about like a hyperactive vogue-ing insect-robot - it was better than it sounds and mesmerizing in strobe light. Also, being an empathetic person, I think I pulled a calf muscle just watching that display…

(By the way, what’s with the mini toll booth, they’ve set up on the street that goes past The Bookworm on the way to Browns? See below)

On Saturday, after doing my best to develop my carpal tunnel syndrome by answering about 70 emails in the afternoon, I went to a going away party for one of my favorite bloggers. Weirdly, I found myself sitting around a coffee table not only with him, but also with this blogger, this blogger, this blogger, this blogger and this blogger. Being the junior blogger, I didn’t know what to say, so I got on my Blackberry and left comments on their sites (kidding). Actually, this blogger earned his place in heaven, should I ever be on watch duty the day he approaches the pearly gates, as he showed up not only with a bottle of The Balvenie, but also one of Talisker, and later cracked open yet another The Balvenie before finishing with the equivalent of a dessert wine after a long and hearty “meal” of single malts - a 12-year-old Chivas. A smooth finish to a fun evening…

The Hyatt’s Phoebe Lee is checking out of Beijing and heading up the corporate ladder with a move to… where? what’s that? wei? wei?… well, she was at the airport and I couldn’t hear her clearly, but there’s a ladder and she’s moving up it, right after she flies there. Phoebe is a fellow First Cafe and Q Bar aficionado, and all-around funster.

Meanwhile, Aussie Karen Nelson has left ASC Fine Wines to work at BCG, while compatriot Campbell Thompson will soon follow her out the door to do private research on Chinese wine consumers (does that include buying them drinks?). Special thanks to Campbell for answering many wine-related queries and being a symbol of tolerance during this past year.

Finally, Joop Shen has left a stressful life at Moet, where he was under as much pressure as a thoroughly shaken bottle of Champagne, and is now at China Doll. He looks so much more relaxed and much less corporate that I hardly recognized him with that second button undone.

In tomorrow’s blog Browns: … or Hate It

I first stumbled into Browns one year ago, on its second day of business. The place was virtually empty, but the food, drinks, service and layout, including the tiered seating and high ceilings, showed great potential (Browns: Carnegie’s Comes to the Middle Kingdom). Brown’s excellent hard launch party reinforced this:

Browns put its money where its mouth is by holding an all-night two-for-one party two weeks ago. The special didn’t suddenly end halfway through the evening when the owner panicked about losing money. It wasn’t limited to those drinks that are dirt cheap to make. And the drinks themselves were not watered down. It all raised the question: Was this really happening in Beijing? I mean, did I really witness from opening to closing - which came sometime after I left at 4 AM - Guinness and Kilkenny for a mere 17.5 kuai per pint?

I’ve now been to Browns about ten times, either for drinks or food, and it has the potential of becoming the year’s best bar.  (See No Blues for Browns for the full review.)

That potential was due to investment in hardware and software, a decent location in Sanlitun south, the unpretentiousness of the clientele and the uniqueness of the bar, at least in the Beijing market (although Agent Red Wolf called it “a big Suzie Wong’s”).

There were problems - typos littered the menu, some employees struggled with taking orders and the music left something to be desired. It was also sobering to hear someone describe Browns as “the hottest bar in town” while I listened to Michael Jackson’s Beat It, sipped an average Gin Tonic and watched two nerdy expatriates try to pick up.

But Browns was on its way. That party kick-started many a night of good clean fun, and a few months later, it won as best new bar and best overall bar at the that’s Beijing annual awards.

A year on, Browns is slightly battered and bruised. Some key employees have recently left, most notably the supervisor, who had been on board since day one. The space behind the main room, which was to hold whiskey and tequila bars, remains unfinished. And while Browns still makes for a fun night out with friends, the crowds are sparse at times. There is also more competition, with the newest kid on the block being China Doll.

Two weeks ago, Browns marked its anniversary, and M-Dawg and I showed up to find a 50-kuai cover charge and a two-for-one special where the free drink was a beer from a serving station near the coat check. Not exactly 17.5-kuai pints of Guinness. To be fair, though, the music was good, the crowd fun, and the blue cheese wings tasty, making for a good night. (Thanks to owner Philip for giving me one of the “best customer” plaques.) 

Overall, Browns deserves credit for a solid year - its excellent Halloween party, its great selection of draft beers and the many memories it has given to those brave enough to dance on the bar top and those sensible enough to remain on solid ground. Now that the rookie campaign is over, Browns faces a substantial challenge, in Beijing’s increasingly competitive and unforgiving bar scene, of raising its game and maintaining momentum.

After the wine tasting at Sequoia, I met Eddie O to discuss the nuances of that esteemed organization known as BRAWL – The Bourbon, Rye and Whiskey League. We decided to hold our confab at Cheers, which continues to offer an interesting combination of live Xinjiang music, cheap booze, a pool table, and about a dozen oil paintings of nudes (the owner went to art school).
 

This gave me a chance to check out China Doll, a new three-floor club with an entrance abutting Cheers. Former Moet man Joop Shen, now working at the club, gave us a tour and my initial impression was good. China Doll has skipped the large open spaces, excessive neon and annoying light displays of other places and gone for intimacy - cozy seating, subtle lighting and clever use of mirrors and space (though the bathroom has some problems). I’ve been back twice and my next newsletter will have a full report on the drinks, service and ambience (to join the mailing list, email beijingboyce@yahoo.com with “Eat, Drink and Be Merry” in the subject line).
 

We returned to Cheers and after a long and confusing discussion with Eddie O about Jagermeister – does the mascot we see around town look more like a reindeer or a moose? – headed for Browns to see if the owner, Philip, received the bottle of Bourbon that Eddie O left him as a wedding present.
 

On the way, we popped into Swing, a bar I have passed a hundred times, but never entered, given my aversion to establishments on the main Sanlitun North strip. I had heard that this place has a great band from the Philippines and they were indeed fun if eclectic, with the last four songs covering Suzanne Vega, Nirvana, what sounded like Joan Jett, and Pink Floyd (the guitarist really got into the last one, though the bassist looked in pain and possibly in need of prunes). After the set, the band members circulated and talked to the patrons, while the DJ played his own eclectic set, ranging from Queen to The Proclaimers.
 

Swing is small and packed tight with seats, but the layout works, and the atmosphere is cozy, the crowd diverse and the place a cut above the average bar on this strip (the band helps). Eddie O thought the beer was too pricey (Heineken: 35 kuai) and the bathroom facilities too limited (one person at a time). “They want you to buy the beer here and process it somewhere else,” he said. But if I were to regularly stop on this strip, and that’s purely hypothetical, Swing would likely be my place.
 

We headed for Browns. About a dozen people there looked like bit players from The Dukes of Hazzard or Talladega Nights. What a joy to have someone wearing a tank top, in January, brush by after working up a massive sweat dancing on the bar top. That fashion statement is hard to top unless that same person is WEARING A BACKWARDS BASEBALL CAP! Okay, Ill stop making fun now and just say that Eddie O, Philip and I enjoyed a few drops of Bourbon, watched the crowd, thanked to the Prime Mover that we had decided against wearing tank tops and shortly thereafter called it a night.