Beijing Boyce

Plenty of end-of-week drink deals about town, from the two-for-one drinks special on Thursday at Mesh (map) to ladies night on Friday at TUN (map). Here are a few newcomers:

Club Juicy Spot (map) replays last Friday’s opening night special with free Sangria from 9 PM to 2 AM tonight.

The Saddle Cantina (map) holds Boozecham tonight, with an Aussie BBQ (what does that mean? Shrimp Prawns on the barbie?) from 5 PM to 10 PM. Aussie beers Crown Lager, James Boags, VB, and XXXX, American micro brew, and vodka cruisers for RMB20.

Danger Doyle’s (map) is holding “Femme Fatele” on Friday night, with free cocktails for the ladies from 8 PM to 11:30 PM.

Phoebe Wong, former manager of Red Capital Residence and RBL, is founder of Sense Beijing, a travel and event consultancy. These are her top five watering holes:

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To be honest, it was difficult to come up with a top five, just because it’s difficult to find consistency with respect to the quality of drinks and service. My picks tend to be about atmosphere and vibe, and in Beijing, that tends to change pretty quickly. But of recent days, here are my top watering holes, which I would introduce to any visitor or newcomer to Beijing.

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Song
I’ve always had a great time going to Song, and this would have been my top pick last winter. This is where I was introduced to Manuka Honey 42 Below Vodka, which is great on its own with lime juice and soda water, or in a few of the Song cocktails. I typically like the music here and the nostalgic Canto movies they show on the wall, but the best part of this place is running into half the town on a Friday night.

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Q Bar
Just the experience of going up to Q-bar is so much fun. I always get a kick out of going in the elevator all decked up with my girlfriends and having a Chinese guy from Inner Mongolia coming in with his paper hotel slippers and pajamas. Peach Party is my favourite drink here, and they usually make them strong. Another bar where everybody knows your name, as this is a regular place for many of my friends. But at the same time, it’s also easy to be inconspicuous, as it’s so dark. I can easily hide off in the far corner, or in the summer on the patio.

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Mesh
Walking into the Opposite House reminds me of walking into the W Hotel in Sydney or somewhere I’d been in San Francisco, and I really like that vibe. This lobby bar resonates that international feel. I’ve had a great Mojito here, and they have a few other interesting (mostly girly) cocktails, so for happy hour on Thursday, this is my choice.

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1949: The Hidden City
This complex is a great hangout, ironically one of my favourites BEFORE their actual bar 1/5 Lounge opened. I like Sugar Bar in the day, and 1/5 Taverna has always served up good food and drinks, although Duck de Chine apparently has a more extensive wine list. I only discovered 1/5 Lounge last month, but I liked the outside patio, and on Thursday nights, they were playing 80s music!

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Face Bar
I really like that old China feel, but in a non-tacky and non-grungy way. Probably the classiest place one could find a pool table. As I recall, they have many house cocktails, and a pretty extensive wine list.

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Honourable mentions:

• Blue Frog: I love their do-it-yourself Bloody Mary kit
• Aria: For consistently made drinks, happy hour, and a comfortable, well-lit place to chat.
• Yin Bar: For the view from the deck on a clear summer day at dusk!
• 2nd Floor: For reasonably priced drinks. I’ve had a couple of great girls’ nights out here, hanging out with Jian, the owner/bartender. They also serve samosa!

After checking out the China Open on Thursday, p3wong and I headed to Sanlitun for some post-match libations. A quick summary:

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1/5 bar (1949: The Hidden City)

If spots like 1949 and Union Bar & Grill are determined to provide overly keen and aggressive service, then patrons should receive, free of charge, the same drugs taken by the seemingly hopped-up employees. Seriously, there is a fine line between being helpful and annoying, and a growing number of places in this town are leaping across it and into the latter territory.

Take 1/5: As we looked for a seat, the waitress practically ploughed into us while energetically making hand gestures at this or that spot to indicate the obvious – they were empty.* Several requests for her to relax brought temporary relief – until we sat down, at which point she returned and stood about a foot behind us as we perused the menu. Several additional requests for space and to “please give us a few minutes” finally encouraged her to stand about two meters away.

I don’t doubt the staff friendliness, but who is doing training here: Richard Simmons? Are employees timed on how fast they take orders, with severe penalties for those who can’t secure one in under 10 seconds?

This is not to say 1/5 lacks positives. The design, décor, and “check him/her out” vibe (at least on this night) make it a decent place to entertain business clients and/or for the expense account crowd to relax after eating at the associated Duck de Chine or 1/5 Taverna. Actually, the place reminds me of a smaller classier Browns.

The bar includes a small but sedate patio (though it faces that huge KTV across the street). If you like eighties music – The Bangles, Yes, Human League – this was your night. And we received plenty of free popcorn. p3wong also liked the coasters, which include space for name, phone number, and message, and presumably can be sent between tables.

The downsides include the limited menu. The beer choices are Sol, Chill, Carlsberg, and Guinness, while only five wines are listed (the one I requested was unavailable). I imagine persistence might get access to the superior wine menu at Duck de Chine.

As for the cocktails, they didn’t live up to their prices. My Martini (RMB49) tasted like vodka cut with chilled water, while P3wong said her Bloody Mary (RMB59) lacked celery salt and needed more Worchester sauce, Tabasco, vodka, and… tomato juice. The drink simply had too much ice and, ultimately, water.

* Something similar happened when I recently entered Union and the host, finding himself behind me and unable to point out a hundred places I might sit, nearly tripped me as he pushed by to get in front.

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Mesh (The Opposite House)

We started the night at Mesh, where Thursday features a buy one get one free deal on a limited range of cocktails and beers from 7 to 11 PM. Drinks start from RMB60 plus RMB15 percent service charge, which converts to RMB69 and up. The chic decor continues to impress; the dim lighting continues to mean flashlights are needed to see the menu.

I found the cocktails weaker than on previous visits. p3wong called her Cosmopolitan (RMB69) “average” and said she preferred the Mojito (RMB69). I found the Aperol & Mandarin Sour (RMB80.5) and Passion Fruit & Lychee Martini (RMB80.5) OK, though light.

While some confusion occurred as to whether single malts are covered by the special (they aren’t), the staff was friendly, especially the bartender who explained some of the more unusual cocktails on the menu.

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Tun (Sanlitun South)

We ended the night at Tun, as I wanted to check out the band and to see if the snappy Italian joint next door was ready to open. As mentioned earlier, I love the layout of this place, though the men’s bathroom is a bit dodgy and the food could use work. Anyway, it’s a nice spot to see a band and have a couple of Tiger beers (RMB15), especially when the guitarist’s hands are so quick and deft that they almost look like they are smoking as he plays Let Me Stand Next to Your Fire.

Birthday bashes, going-away parties, returning friends, and visits to places both new and old made last weekend a busy one. Here are some quick notes. But first, fond farewells to two people who have helped this blog – Ali Robinton and Mark Rybchuk.

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Rumi
Not much to say about this Middle Eastern restaurant across from Pacific Century other than that given the laid-back vibe, clean and comfortable surroundings (especially the deck), and platters of meat, it’s no surprise it’s a hot spot for parties.

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Klubb Rouge
Not counting the packed-to-the-rafters launch party, my half-dozen visits to this Workers Stadium East club have found it pretty much empty. A pleasant surprise to see a decent crowd amassed around that “stretch limousine of bars” as well as a few dozen people busting moves on the dance floor, though it might be an idea to turn down the smoke machines.

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Q Bar
During the Olympics, I made a single short visit to this regular haunt, both because the fun and games were farther north and because I was a tad annoyed that the place increased drink prices. A weekend visit reaffirmed why I like Q: the Raspberry Martini, Side Car, and Tom Collins all were a cut (or two) above the vast majority of drink joints in Beijing.

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Northern Tribute
This restaurant is in a new serviced apartment complex near Sichuan hotspot Chuan Ban, but don’t expect a hot and noisy time. The focus is northern Californian cuisine and the 70-seat restaurant faces a serene lawn dotted with sculptures, trees, and… a swing. Lounge areas along the sides can accommodate up to 48 imbibers. I’ll have more on this place soon.

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Tun
About a hundred people downed reasonably priced drinks, which is far less than capacity but far more than usual. This place is my sleeper in the bar scene. The spacious but warm surroundings, ample nooks and crannies, and cheap drinks make me think business will pick up as temperatures go down, especially if Tun can feature some live music and become a kind of Yugong Yishan of Sanlitun.

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Luga’s Villa
In the former space of ex-Vietnamese restaurant Marguerite, this place evokes The Rickshaw, which is no surprise to those who know proprietor Luga used to work there. Expect a mix of the former restaurant’s decor and orange booths, as well as RMB15 Coronas, RMB35 burgers, friendly service, and a relaxed vibe.

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Mesh
Mesh provides comfortable seating, a stylish decor, a polite staff, and big pours (this time Gin Tonic). But lighting issues remain. On one hand, it’s annoying to have a waiter hold a flashlight over the menu. On the other, the headlights of cars pulling up to the hotel regularly pierce through the bar and temporarily blind patrons facing that way. Both problems should be easy enough to fix and make Mesh a player in the lounge scene.

The boutique hotel in Sanlitun’s Swire hotel will go by the name The Opposite House. The restaurant and bar “concepts’” are being handled by David Laris Concepts. Expect to find two nightlife destinations: Mesh, a lounge, and Punk, a club that communications manager Alex Chen told me will be “more intense and underground.”

I’ll have more on this project soon.

See also: Swire to open Beijing boutique hotel*

* Thanks to C. Thompson for the link