Beijing Boyce

The extremely annoying “lady bar” touts on the Sanlitun Village side of Sanlitun North appear to be gone – let us hope it is not just for the holidays. On my last five visits at night I have heard not a single “Sir, lady bar,” “Massage-e”, or “Sexy girl!”

Other happenings…

Rooftop Pepper, known for flair bartending shows that delayed drink delivery, is closed. (Hat tip to Mr. Brau and apologies to him for taking two weeks to follow up).

Timeout reports that Song has joined the likes of places such as China Doll 3.3 that have closed for “renovations”. I thought the design was the main selling point? Or maybe the place is finally getting toilets.

Hatsune is slated to open its Sanlitun Village branch in March, while sibling restaurant Karaiya is due a month later. Next month, the current Hatsune outlet will offer a free appetizer and bottle of sake if you say “Samurai sushi” upon ordering.

Maxim’s in Solana has a handful of new French liqueurs, five new flavored coffees, and stocks several Chinese wines, including a Xi Xia Chardonnay at RMB88.

All-Star, which in my mind still needs to earn the words “Sports Bar” behind its name, will reopen for dinner on the 31st. It appears the “open 24 hours” concept is falling by the wayside. A sign on the door lists the hours as 5 PM to 2 AM.

Across the way, a new Banana Leaf is under construction, while a bit further on, Water Bar & Restaurant is slated to re-open on February 6. Meanwhile, the long-awaited Crobar is giving new meaning to the words “opening soon.”

And over on Lucky Street, Tao gets back to business on February 1 and The Stumble Inn is looking to increase its list of 54 beers. One patron has already tried the lot.

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!