Beijing Boyce

During the past few years on this blog, dozens of Beijing residents have agreed to list their five favorite places to grab a drink in the city. For a change of pace, this edition is switching from cocktails to coffee as Sarah Peel, known to many for her work with Kindermusik, tells us her top five spots to get a cup of Joe in Beijing. As the cream on top, she provides some links for those who want to get locally grown or ground coffee.

“I love everything about coffee. The smell, the taste, the feel of a hot mug in my hands, the ritual of making it, the endless varieties of pots and cups, and most importantly the kick in the pants it gives me to get through the day. At home I have no less than five different pots I use, and I keep three to four kinds of coffee in the house at all times.

“I’m not a snob about coffee. I’ll drink almost anything that purports to be coffee as long as it is not sweet. That said, the instant packet stuff is swill, and should be done away with for the good of humanity. If you’ve got a source of boiling water, you can have fresh French-pressed coffee in two minutes. But I digress…

“The one delicious form of coffee brewing I have never attempted is espresso. As far as I can tell, it’s a bit of an art to do it well. It also requires expensive equipment I’d rather rent the use of by the cup than buy outright. Since I’ve been lucky enough in my life to avoid the Barrista Rotation so far, here are some of my favourite places to grab a cup of joe around Beijing.

“Café Zarah (Gulou Dong Da Jie)

“This is the gold standard for espresso in Beijing, and my favourite cafe. The café is à la française, offering the smoothest cup, perfect milk foams and, even better, the option right there on the menu to add ice cream or Bailey’s to your coffee. Great location near the Jiaodaokou, the café is comfortable, relaxed, and populated by one of the most interesting mixes of people in Beijing.  Indoor and outdoor seating are both quite limited. Be prepared to wait for a table any time of day.

“Sculpting In Time (locations include Lido and Xueyuan Lu, opposite Beijing Normal University)

“The food at S.I.T. is rather hit or miss, and varies greatly by location, but their Illy coffee is strong and reasonably priced.  Every branch is a little different, but they all feature movie posters, wooden tables, cheerful if wildly inconsistent service, and iffy wifi connections. The location opposite Beijing Normal University is beautiful, light and airy, built into the second floor of the University of Aeronautics & Astronautics Gymnasium.

“Storygarden Café (Xizhimen)

“From the outside, this seems like an odd collection of café meets library meets trinket sale. Somehow it all comes together to be a quirky little place that serves some great lattes. Known for its Saturday coffee schools, Peka Kucha-like salon offerings, and Beta Camps, this is the not-so-secret hangout of a lot of Beijing’s young social media / web 2.0 crowds. Think social justice meets the Internet for a cup of coffee. Fun staff and great cast of local characters. Bring your laptop if you want to fit in. Indoor and outdoor seating.

“Element Fresh (Lido and Saniltun locations)

“I think the coffee at Element Fresh often gets overlooked in favour of its (quite rightly) popular fresh juice, smoothies, and even cocktails.  Worth checking out the caffeinated part of the menu, especially as their organic house blend is a really decent cup of plain old North American style brewed coffee. Plus, the mug is bottomless if you get it with one of their breakfast specials, which are excellent value for money.

“As for the espresso options, they’re tasty and huge! Regular espresso-based drinks like lattes or cappuccinos have two shots, large ones have three, giving you more kick for your money. I find the milk a little sweet here (UTH perhaps?) and usually stick to the brewed coffee. Nice design even if the restaurants do get loud when they are full, and the patios at both locations are gems. Indoor and outdoor seating.

“Costa Coffee (various mall locations)

“If coffee has to be takeout, this is the place.  Their tag line is “Italian About Coffee” which I translate to mean “We serve really really good coffee and just happen to put it in a paper cup 80 percent of the time.” Sure, when it comes right down to it, Costa offers the same features of the infamous green chain from Seattle, but it’s the little things that make a huge difference. They use organic Wonder Milk rather than UTH packs, the staff appears to actually know quite a bit about coffee, and best of all, they hand deliver. Not cheap, but the quality is there.

“Parting shots:

“Best value for money on coffee is the weekday FREE bottomless cups of coffee at Ikea in Wangjing. Show your Ikea Family Card (also free), and then go to town. If this place had wifi I would never leave. Even without the card, it’s just RMB6. The coffee is passable, just like the atmosphere, and hey, the place is non-smoking!

“When all else fails, I hit Starbucks just like everybody else. I don’t really like their coffee, but it’s easy to find and very consistent. They also sell the best steel mugs anywhere. Get yourself one, then feed your addiction on the go with home brewed or decent takeout coffee.

“Local Chinese coffees are fine and sometimes even fantastic. Mostly grown in Yunnan, or roasted here using imported beans, they offer lots of tasty ways to feed your habit without shelling out for imports. Here are some to try:

• Arabica Roasters
• Uganda Crane Coffee
• Shangri-la Farms
• Jade Emu

The floor of Sanlitun Village that houses Herbal Cafe, Element Fresh, Blue Frog, and Union Bar & Grille, among others, bustled with eaters and drinkers on Sunday. So much for the economic crisis and a diet of cardboard-stuff dumplings. Anyway, a quick rundown of an afternoon spent with ksquare:

Union Bar & Grille: I went with my default, the breakfast with Canadian bacon and rye bread, and it did not disappoint. I received four pieces of toast (two slices of bread), but was charged for the bottomless coffee. The rule is that regulars get free coffee, so I guess my status has been downgraded since last visit, though I am still batting something like five for seven when it comes to gratis java. ksquare says the eggs Benedict at Union best those at Maison Boulud, not the first time I have heard praise heaped on this particular item.

Blue Frog: We managed to grab the last table on the crowded deck as people enjoyed the abnormally warm weather. The staff hustled back and forth with drinks and food and constantly rearranged tables and seats to accommodate incoming groups. A hopping day for the Frog, though RMB50 for a Whiskey and Coke is a bit stiff.

Element Fresh: Again, another strong crowd, even at 4 PM. We sat inside, since the deck was out of the sunlight by this time. At RMB40, the Whiskey and Coke is cheaper than at Blue Frog and Union, though this place lacks the “bar” feel of those latter two places. Maybe that explains why ksquare went with a large tomato juice (RMB28).

Herbal Cafe: andylee had reported earlier that Herbal Cafe was crowded and at 4:30 PM we could still see dozens of people in the place, with every table on the deck taken.

Shane Crombie is a digital brand strategist, organizer of the ‘First Thursday‘ monthly ad industry event, and regular contributor to localnoodles.com. Here are his top five watering holes and his five suggestions for restaurant and bar owners on how to improve their offerings in a weakened economy. First, his five suggestions.

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1) Distill down and define in one short sentence what your brand stands for and then ask , ‘So, what makes us so special?” If you draw a blank, ask your customers.

2) Price promotions are popular right now. Create an offer that sounds almost too good to be true for maximum impact. Remember the formula: Quality ~ Price = Value

3) Invest in proper staff training and management and treat them like family. Bad service always ruins a good meal and good staff are made not born

4) Pay attention to what your patrons say about you online. Look for trends and gaps and act on them.

5) Those small magazine ads are not cost effective. Connect with your audience online when they’re really paying attention.

The bottom line is get online, keep it simple, and execute flawlessly, and you will prosper.

My top five places:

Ichikura: You cant just go to Ichikura the first time, a friend must take you there. Why? Because watching a master craftsman at work is a sight to behold in good company. Learn about the copper cup, ponder how they make those perfectly formed ice balls, and enjoy the best Moscow Mule in Beijing.

Tun & Nanjie: An oft-asked question around town is, ‘Why is Tun so popular’? Its simple. They give the people what they want: fun music, a very well-run bar and low prices. Its where east meets west in the city. And when I’m about done with the hot hits of the eighties, I head across the car park to Nanjie and some groovin house tunes.

Face: For important occasions, Face is bulletproof. It’s a magnificently designed environment with multiple Asian menus and a generous lounge area to while away the after hours. You’ll never get fired for making a reservation here.

Bed: After a dimly lit dinner at Sambal, Bed is the perfect place to enjoy the city’s best caprioska. It’s an ambient, subtly restored space hidden down an alleyway offering an original interpretation of a classic theme. That’s Beijing.

Element Fresh: They play the best down-tempo music in town, the brewed coffee is rocket fuel, the fruit plate tastes like real fruit, and the pancakes are done just right. What am I getting at? Beijings best weekend recovery session. Just be sure to get there early when its peaceful.

In response to this post about Element Fresh on Monday, regular commenter The Village Grouch asked, “How about doing a wrap-up of recent Shanghai entrants to the Beijing market and how they’re faring?”

Done and done: In alphabetical order, here are 3.5 places that hail from our sibling city to the south and opened in Beijing over the past six months. And yes, I realize some might be getting their houses in order*, so consider this post as based on first impressions (or in these cases, second, third, or even tenth impressions).

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Blue Frog (Sanlitun Village)

If they knocked one-third off the prices, I might become a regular. But given RMB75 for not exactly the biggest hamburger, RMB35 for a small Carlsberg draft, and a staff that is a bit too keen, this will be an occasional retreat, especially in the winter when getting to the rooftop at The Village will be no treat. Good for casual business meetings or for watching televised sports in more upscale surroundings.

Why I would go: To watch a special sports event or because I am looking for a kid-friendly spot, I have an expense account, or they knocked one-third off the prices (speaking of which, cocktails are RMB25 on Tuesday nights).

Why I wouldn’t: The Den, The Rickshaw and Paddy O’Shea’s are nearby and offer good screens and, especially in the case of the first two, lower prices.

Grade: B

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Element Fresh (Sanlitun Village)

As noted earlier, I’ve been there five times, been highly annoyed four times, and left without ordering the last time. Nice layout, decent coffee, and friendly staff, but something went awry with the training because the service is poor, while the food is getting mixed reviews.

Why I would go: To chill on the deck, have a coffee, and surf the Internet.

Why I wouldn’t: Given the service, nearby places such as Le Petit Gourmand and Panino Teco offer better value.

Grade: C

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Enoteca (The Place)

I’ve walked by it dozens of times – at lunch, in the afternoon, and at night – and seen it not even half full. The view of the big screen at The Place is excellent. The wine choice is based on what is imported by the owners, which limits consumer choice, though some bottles do go for less than RMB100. Several readers have complained of “attitude” here. Perhaps the “official” opening tonight at 6 PM will mark a new phase.

Why I would go: To drink wine while watching a screen the size of a handful of football fields.

Why I wouldn’t: The nightmare of getting a taxi at The Place at night and the wealth of other wine options in this city.

Grade: C

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Klubb Rouge

While not officially linked to Bar Rouge in Shanghai, a handful of top employees from that hot spot came north to open this pricey China View venue (they have since left). The staff ranks among the friendliest in town, the place is huge, and the rooftop deck offers excellent views. Unfortunately, this place has struggled to establish an identity and draw crowds, though new management is in place so perhaps some changes are on the way.

Why I would go: To hang out on the rooftop deck or to park at the bar and daydream while looking at those weird red glass blobs hanging from the ceiling.

Why I wouldn’t: The place often has a very light crowd, the drinks are expensive, and I always end up at The Den afterward eating my weight in deep-fried goods.

Grade: C

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* Though still charging full prices.

… as the most-searched-for bar or restaurant on this blog.

(Short intermission as I duck shoes, books, beer cans, mustard bottles, and other objects hurled by those who pine for a return of their favorite hot dog joint, closed since March.)

After being knocked out of top spot by China View dance spot Klubb Rouge a couple of times this summer, Maggie’s headed the search charts in September. The top five is rounded out by Legation Quarter, Maison Boulod, Mosto, and Element Fresh.

Maggie’s, which holds a dual identity as a spot with good music, people-watching, and hot dogs and as a place where, uh, joint ventures can be negotiated, must soon be reopening, no?

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See also:
The search continues: Maggie’s gone, but not forgotten