Beijing Boyce

Saturday marks the first-year anniversary of Houhai area bar la Baie des Anges. Get into the birthday spirit with some cake, a quiz and quality music, plus specials on wine all night. Check out the bar’s website or call 6657-1605. Thinking it’s too hard to find? Well, there’s a handy map below

While you’re in the area you might drop into Buffalo, a bar best known for its billboards that proclaim wisdomatic tidbits such as “Shangri-La is in your mind, but your buffalo is not” (see this China Daily review).

The map to la Baie des Anges…

Here is the second of two recent tips delivered straight to my mailbox and now straight to you…

Carolyn O reports on a bar she says doesn’t make the listings of the English-language mags - Jianghu. “Thursday nights are gypsy jazz nights,” she says, with the duo of Nico Torrese (French) and Daniel Brustman (American) providing entertainment.

“They are, in my untrained opinion, very good musicians,” she says. The shows starts at 9:30 PM and, says Carolyn, the pair also play on the first Saturday of every month at La Baie des Anges in Houhai, the first Sunday of every month at the Vineyard Cafe, and occasionally at Salud.

Sounds like it’s time for some exploring Houhai way…

Note: Carolyn provides the following directions to Jianghu / 江湖. “Head east along Ghost Street (鬼街) until you hit the junction where if you keep going straight, you hit 鼓楼东大街. Turn left onto 交道口南大街 (往南走). Stop at the second traffic lights. You will see a hutong on your right, 东棉花胡同. The bar is just about 50 meters in (6401-4611).”