Beijing Boyce

Part seven in a series on where Beijing residents enjoy a beverage (or two). This round is with Diane Fermin, who is director of communications of China World Hotel and does her fair share of getting out and about in the city’s bar scene.

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Diane Fermin with husband Heiko Roeder at the "other" beach

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Although my favourite watering holes in Beijing vary, all do have one thing in common: some kind of outdoor seating, whether it is a rooftop terrace or a courtyard patio. Of course, it is a given that I only like to hang out in these places during that half of the year when Beijing is not one gigantic ice cube.

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5. The Beach (Block 8)

When The Beach made its debut a couple of years ago, it reminded me of one of my favourite bars in all of Asia: the legendary Ku De Ta in Bali (minus the Indian Ocean’s waves and sunsets, of course). Somehow they were able to get that Southeast Asian beach chic vibe right: the pseudo-Dedon sleek day beds, flowing champagne and sexy cocktails, the music reminiscent of Ibiza, the elusive “beautiful people” nonchalantly lounging around - right down to the dusky-skinned, smiling, oh-so-friendly mostly Filipina waitresses in cute little beach shorts. To dial down the glam a bit, those occasional “shower scenes” by bikini-clad Eastern European girls added just a hint of sleazy fun. When they re-opened in the spring of 2008 with a new Mediterranean look, I missed the Bali vibe but pretty much almost all the elements which hooked a beach bunny like me are still there - which is why The Beach still makes the list.

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4. Yin Bar (Emperor Hotel)

A place to bring out-of-towners so they can gasp at that Forbidden City view over some excellent frozen Mojitos and marvel at how hip and chic Beijing really has become. The “Raise the Red Lantern”-like ritual they do with the lamps at dusk is enough to get the Canons (or iPhones) out and clicking away. It was while sitting here with our drinks once on a lovely late summer afternoon, that my husband and I concluded we were indeed lucky as hell to be living the kind of life that we are living in one of the world’s most fascinating cities (the Yin induces these types of musings.) Also, this is my secret little hideaway on those Sunday afternoons when my husband is at work and I’ve got a great new book or magazine to huddle over.

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3. Q Bar

It reminds me of a pair of Uggs - not the greatest looking, but somehow endearing, because you totally know what to expect: solid nourishing cocktails (especially those Caipirinhas, Caipiroskas, and Mojitos) and a comfortable, reliable, and unpretentious vibe. No-nonsense service and bar food of surprisingly good quality, unlike a lot of Sanlitun bars. Cool music wafting through to the terrace, but not blasting your ears off. Always makes for great hanging out with your best friends.

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2. Domus

How sleek and fashionable is this new little place? We loves it! (As gossip blogger Perez Hilton would say.) Yet unlike most places which come with the requisite designer furniture and place a premium on style, Domus doesn’t feel cold. A charming, cozy bar and lounge upstairs, with an adjoining little courtyard patio. Good service, with smiles. Attracts a good-looking crowd, but not overtly so. This place doesn’t try too hard and doesn’t need to. Yes, you can sit and sip your martini or a glass of your favourite wine and be a relaxed sophisticate for an evening.

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1. PURE VIP Room & The Terrace (both at Suzie Wong’s)

After five years of living in Beijing and seeing so many bars and clubs crash and burn - there is still no place like Suzie Wong’s. Suzie’s has not only endured but has - like our favourite 50-year-old (Madonna) - constantly re-invented itself. Yes, it sometimes reeks of skank but, hey, let’s face it, this only adds colour and edge to Beijing’s multidimensional nightlife. Suzie Wong’s is always guaranteed to serve up an intoxicating mix of extremely watchable people, from Beijing’s regular weekend party set to glam models and visiting celebs, still-superb music from its resident DJs, and Champagne that seems to be on tap - it never seems to run out. I like that in the new PURE VIP Room, you can listen and dance to great live music. Lastly, given the notoriously high turnover in Beijing’s bar and club scene, the people at Suzie Wong’s must be doing something right, with the always-in-demand Anson and Frankie still running operations very well behind those velvet ropes.

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Runners up: Stone Boat (Ritan Park), Aria Bar (China World Hotel) and Red Moon (Grand Hyatt)

Stone Boat

You have to love the Stone Boat for its cuteness factor and the refreshing trees and lake of Ritan Park surrounding it. Along with its no-frills drinks, the serene company of amateur anglers at the lake and the occasional live music night - this is really one of the rare places in Beijing’s CBD where you can just dress down, have a drink, kick off the flip flops, and simply hang out. Translation: bliss.

Aria & Red Moon

I wasn’t going to include any five-star hotel bars, but these two places are like my “neighborhood bars“, if you define that as places clustered around where you work and live. I derive a tremendous degree of comfort at both places. The Aria and Red Moon staff tend to recognise me, so there’s always a bit of nice familliar chit chat and I’m always taken care of very well (at Aria, they know my favourite drink: my Kir Royal). Both serve superb drinks (I love that sparkling shiraz at Red Moon) and excellent bar food (I love eating dinner, while tucked into a corner, at both bars). Both play good, unobtrusive music in the background, provide great vantage points for fascinating people-watching, and I’m always bound to run into friends!

Part six of a series on where Beijing residents enjoy a beverage (or two). This round is with entrepreneur, IT specialist, and former full-time bartender Badr Benjelloun.

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“Beijing has changed a lot over the past few months and the Olympics have left a scar on the face of the city’s drinking establishments. However, some bars / restaurants have managed to consistently get my patronage.

1. Salud: I’ve been going there over the past few months quite consistently. I love the atmosphere, the homemade rum, and the mix of locals and expats. It’s a bit of a pain to get there from my area but completely worth it. Add the great environment in Nanluoguxiang, with the hutongs and the locals, and you get a great experience!

2. The Rickshaw: Yes, they have a few service problems but overall that’s been the place that got most of my drinking moolah the past few years. I know almost everyone in there and it makes it comfortable. It’s my local basically! The grub is nice and they still make great quesadillas and serve one hell of a stiff drink. The owner, Kris, has been around for a while in the Beijing scene and deserves a lot of credit. The current manager, Andy, bends backwards to make sure everyone is happy.

3. Peter’s Tex Mex: A bit weird to include this one in my list of watering holes, but when I want good value, this is where I go. Best Tex-Mex in Beijing bar none and they have a great selection of wines at prices slightly above supermarket rates. The staff is friendly, the place is clean, and it’s a nice quiet hideaway.

4. Wain Wain: One of the city’s best-kept secrets. Hard to beat for a little mid-week beverage overlooking the city lights in a cosy environment. They have practically doubled their prices for the Olympics but still run some pretty good specials.

5. Kokomo and Q Bar: These two are tied because they are the only two places to make a decent Mai Tai which is one of my two favorite drinks. Kokomo even offers two varieties, an authentic one and a Hawaii Mai Tai. Q makes a hybrid Mai Tai that just rocks and had they managed to keep their patio opened longer, they would be in sole possession.

Posthumous mention: Maggie’s. Spare me the jokes here! Despite the shady nature of the establishment, they offered a great mix of atmosphere and DJing night in and night out! The cocktails were solid and affordable when compared to some of these new places opening left and right.

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Previously:
Elisabeth Tchoudjinoff & Katrina Arndt, designers
Paul Adkins, entrepreneur
Chandler Jurinka, Local Noodles
Kevin Shen, T3 Terminal
Steven Schwankert, SinoScuba

Part five of a series on where Beijing residents enjoy a beverage (or two). This round is with music and nightlife lovers Elisabeth Tchoudjinoff and Katrina Arndt.
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(1)

Black Sun Bar
This is our neighborhood bar and a good place to start the night. The cocktails are standard but cheap. This is the only bar we know in Beijing where the foosball players’ feet are not too high above the field. It doesn’t meet professional EU standards, which is probably why we are used to it. We enjoy kicking sets of men off the table and we do so often. We are not cocky, just confident.

(2)

Liang 30 Bar
Elisabeth: This is my reason to visit Houhai. The young (read: uncomplicated) Xinjiang musicians listen to our requests and the service is friendly. We also get to plug in our iPod during music breaks, us being the music snobs we are. Plus: Live music can still be heard from the upstairs, which offers a view of the rooftops of Houhai. Major plus: The flattering mirror in the bathroom helps you turn into Narcissus for a few hours or to see the rings in your eyes Downside: The bartender can only be trusted to make Gin Tonics. And open beer bottles.

Katrina: I only come for the music and the mirror.

(3)

Salsa Caribe
If we don’t dilly dally too much, we might try to catch the end set of the salsa band, since they play with explosive energy. We don’t know how many bands play in this venue, but they recently had a singer from the Middle East. A sweaty salsa band + Amr Diab’s ‘Habibi‘ live = very happy moment. Afterwards, we dance to salsa and Arabic and African music until the wee hours. Sure, this place can be a bit of a meat market, but at least the women are playing games as well as the men.

(4)

Le Petit Gourmand
The terrace seating is comfortable (when the weather is not too hot), the food is consistently good, and it is a good place to bring a laptop and concentrate on work. We once ordered food and told them we didn’t think the wine list was sufficient, so we were allowed to bring two bottles of our own. They provided the ice bucket and glasses. However, now this place has a new wine selection, so we might not be able to do that anymore. Still, it’s a fond memory.

(5)

Ichikura / 12SQM
Katrina: Ichikura is a one-of-a-kind bar with a very nice intimate setting and a bartender who takes great care in all the details that go into making a cocktail. Each drink is like a piece of performance art. It is nice to see someone in Beijing who puts so much passion into his work. To be honest, I don’t really want to mention this bar because it doesn’t have a lot of space.

Elisabeth: 12SQM has a nice cozy setting and offers Grey Goose vodka and lychee liquor on the beautiful back wall full of liquor. The lighting is soft and the conversation is low. It is nice to sit on the cushioned window sill and watch Nanluoguxiang life pass by.

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Previously:
Paul Adkins, Entrepreneur
Chandler Jurinka, Local Noodles
Kevin Shen, T3 Terminal
Steven Schwankert, SinoScuba

See also:
Beijing Olympics picks: Wine bars
Beijing Olympics picks: Sports bars

Part 4 of a series on where Beijing residents enjoy a beverage (or two). This round is with beverage quality control expert Paul Adkins.

First an honourable mention to Havana Bar. It has the potential to be a great little bar, once people discover it. Nicely decorated, with an excellent selection of drinks, along with some slick music from the house band, The Eleventh Commandment. Management just needs to hang in there and get some marketing happening. But don’t rush - sometimes it’s nice to have the place to myself.

Coming in at number 5, Cheers in Tongli. Cheap beer, great Xinjiang music. But the feature that most attracts me (not the art) is the world’s worst pool table. It’s the pool equivalent to crazy golf, but it evens up the scoring, so that’s OK by me.

Aria takes spot number 4. Maybe because I am Australian, and my usual Aria outing is Friday nights. It’s always great to get back to the tribal roots, say “g’day” to mates, and talk about the important things in life - cricket, footy and sheilas. Aria would have got a higher rating, but the AustCham Kooka Pub organisers have been kicked out for the Olympics.

Sequoia Café is in many ways the inverse of Aria. Where Aria offers the tribal roots, Sequoia gives me a chance to meet friends from all over the world. Any time I go there, I am likely to meet acquaintances from Slovenia, France, USA, Ireland, Germany - Frank even lets Canadians in. Frank’s Friday night wine tastings are usually a magical mystery tour - wines from parts of the world that I have never tried before. Frank and Jennifer are always friendly and take the time to say hello, which is nice.

Second prize goes to Saddle Cantina. I love the music, the burritos, the drinks list and the deck. Their pool table is too new yet, with a true surface - so I tend to lose more often.

Top place however goes to a private little place. It’s well-stocked with everything I like to drink, and music that I can choose according to how I feel. It’s a spot where I can sit quietly and veg out or enjoy the company of friends. It’s an oasis - but it’s my bar at home, and it’s where I go when I am not out on the town. Not only that, but the bartender there makes the best margaritas in town.

Finally, I want to put down a ghost vote for Maggie’s. Why this dead den of iniquity? Because my girlfriend and I used to love going along and bopping to the music. A couple of hours on the dance floor there was a night well-spent. Sure it got a bit sleazy when the “ladies of the night” arrived, but they never went anywhere near the dancers.

We are looking forward to seeing it re-open after the Olympics.

Previously:
Chandler Jurinka, Local Noodles
Kevin Shen, T3 Terminal
Steven Schwankert, SinoScuba

Part 3 of a series on where Beijing residents enjoy a beverage (or two). This round is with regular bar hound Chandler Jurinka, founder of localnoodles.com.

There are no surprises in my five picks. Originally a wine drinker, I moved to Beijing and it destroyed my palate. I turned to Yanjing for solace. I love whisky but when the right labels aren’t in attendance I’ll settle quite comfortably for a dirty vodka martini – shaken.

Ichikura: To quench my Whisky whistle there is simply no bar in Beijing that parallels Ichikura. Walking into the bar is like walking onto a James Bond set. This is where Ted Turner would go to discuss offing Jane Fonda. The bar manager, with his bow tie and vest, is a man that approaches life with the precision of a true artist. Expect hand-shaved ice, theatrical lighting, and perfect drinks every time.

D-22: The first music venue I ever was introduced to ended up being my favorite music bar. This place is raw and uncensored. On the evenings when the local / foreign mix is just right there is a palpable energy coming from the crowd and the stage. The same acts sound and feel stale elsewhere. The bathrooms are horribly uncomfortable but the graffiti is skillfully done and makes one want to suck down a few more RMB15 beers in order to go back and study it more.

Q Bar: Add one part pierced sexy bartender, one part rooftop balcony, two parts George and Echo, and mix together Beijing’s best crowd, and you have the making of a kick-ass martini bar. It’s even better now that Beijing’s riffraff have been deported. I am a loyal fan although my Sunday mornings hate this place.

Yin Bar (The Emperor Hotel): As rooftop bars go, this one has got it nailed. Looking west over the Forbidden City at sunset is about as posh as it gets. There are times when it’s easy to forget we are living in Beijing. Sitting on that deck it’s hard to ignore all that has happened in China up to that moment.

Jianghu Jiuba: Character is what upgrades a crappy bar to the status of “dive”. I love dive bars. Other requirements include good music and a good pour to frequent patrons. This is one located in my neighborhood.

Previously:
Kevin Shen, T3 Terminal
Steven Schwankert, SinoScuba

The next time you pick up booze in the T3 terminal, thank Kevin Shen: he’s in charge of picking the wines, Whiskies and other whistle-wetters there. Here are his Beijing bar picks:

Kro’s Nest
I am not a beer drinker, but I would not say no to Kro’s on a Tuesday night when Tsingtao flows for five kuai (sometimes into paper cups!) and goes well with the New-York style pizzas. At Kro’s, I can just be myself, talk sh*t, and nobody cares much. That’s how I like it.

Face
I simply adore the place: the interior design, the attentive staff, the wine selection, the food, and the gourmet chocolates.

Intercontinental Hotel (Financial Street)
Oscar Wilde, who famously said, “Work is the curse of the drinking classes”, repeatedly expressed his love of Champagne. I totally agree with him. With Champagne prices up 10 to 15 percent per year, a Sunday brunch that includes free-flow Moet Chandon, Veuve Cliquot, Laurent Perrier, and Mumms is a bargain! Who needs food, when each glass contains 150 calories, no fat, and no carbs?

Q Bar
The cocktails here are about fresh ingredients, quality spirits, and the right garnishes by bartenders with know-how. Q Bar simply has it all. On top of that, they have the best vodka and Whiskey selection in town.

Awana
OK, it’s more restaurant than bar, but the lovely Chris lets me work behind the bar when I’m in the mood to make my own Martini. And let’s not forget the authentic Malaysian food!

This kicks off a series of posts about where Beijing residents enjoy a beverage or two.

Steven Schwankert is founder of Beijing-based diving school SinoScuba. Last year he led an Explorers Club team on a two-week diving expedition of Lake Khovsgol in Mongolia. Next week he will lead a dive on the underwater parts of the Great Wall. Long story short: He is familiar with liquid. Here are his bar picks:

Drinking and diving don’t mix, but kept separate they are fine. Overall, I try to patronize bars that are owned and/or run by divers.

The Rickshaw
They offer the thing that is most important to me at a bar - a stable Internet connection. The service and food is just OK, but they have sports and news on big TVs, the location is convenient, and there’s a regular crowd that’s usually annoyance-free until 6 pm. Kris, one of the owners, is a diver.

Tim’s Texas BBQ
Great bottomless iced tea, a very refreshing drink after a dive except if it was an ice dive! Good Internet for afternoon use. The owner Tim dives - we had SinoScuba’s fifth anniversary party here.

Face
Nothing to do with diving, but visitors love it, they make a decent malarial cure (gin and tonic), and the crowd is tolerable.

The Press Club Bar
I’m looking forward to this place re-opening when the St. Regis finishes its renovation. They make the best Tanqueray and tonic I’ve ever had.

Maggie’s (R.I.P.)
Spare me the crass comments, it was the one bar that, regardless of its patrons, was open late, had great bartenders, great rock music, and just a bit of an edge.