Beijing Boyce

A sea of orange at Club Le

Some photos taken during a tour of Sanlitun and Workers Stadium during last night’s World Cup final. I intended to hit twice as many places but beverage stops at Uama and Union ate up most of the clock. In China View, Danger Doyle’s and Drei Kronen 1308 had modest crowds, while Vienna Coffee surprisingly had about 50 patrons. The Den, of course, had a bum in every seat. In Sanlitun, the shocker turned out to be Club Le, formerly known as Club Le Zazou, which had hundreds of Dutch fans. Nearby, Union and Blue Frog had modest crowds, and I imagine — given the number of people outside after the game — that places such as Luga’s and 1F in the Tongli strip area had big turnouts. I had planned to go to Paddy O’Shea’s first but given the place was already packed some three hours before the game time, I instead headed there for a final post-game drink…

The Dutch took over the bar, lounge, and lobby.

Hundreds watched on the Sanlitun Village big screen.

Sanlitun post-game: A Spanish flag up front.

Spanish fans with a replica trophy.

A Dutch fan finds solace at Paddy O'Shea's.

Then gets a good morning's sleep.

While manager Karl Long looks forward to this week's pub quiz.

Yeah, these updates come from Sunday, but if the French team can skip practice and mope on a bus, then I can take some time off, no? Places visited…

Pre-game

Souk: What do you want first, the bad news or the good news? Let’s go with the bad news. It looks like more than two-thirds of the dozens of bottled beers listed on the menu are no longer available. There was no Yanjing dark draft. And Corona has been replaced by Sol at five kuai more per bottle – doesn’t it usually work the other way around? The menus themselves are beat up, with running text, and the sofa we used sagged and creaked as if it were on the point of collapse.

The good news: The patio near the door looks like a good spot to catch a match or two, though if you want to save the frustration of hearing “we don’t have that” you best stick to common brew such as Heineken and Tiger or to Tsingtao pints at RMB20. And the place does have two large screens and several smaller ones inside, a certain rough charm, and a staff that seems nice enough if not particularly efficient.

Paraguay 2, Slovakia 0

Parkside Bar & Grill: A light crowd inside, a heavier one outside. Matches come with English-language commentary that, similar to other places, was about a half-dozen seconds behind the video. There are several large screens inside and an even bigger one on the deck.

I caught the tail end of happy hour: Samual Adams is RMB20 per bottle. And I tried the club sandwich (RMB48): Tasty, though it looked diminutive on that big plate (maybe a garnish would help). I found the fries too heavy and that tiny bowl of ketchup far from enough. And the ghost of poor service seems to be following chef Zach Lewison, who recently came from Union, where the staff have long seemed averse to providing silverware. The Parkside staff forgot it, too.

Pine Hill: Next door to Parkside, it has Korean-language commentary for the World Cup games, just in case you like Hangul with your bibimbap.

Rosedale Hotel: The beer garden has brew from RMB13, plus chuar and other typical drinking fare.

Between games

Frank’s Place: About a dozen people on hand, though it was between games. Manager Vish said a large group of Brazilians were booked for the late game.

Lido Hotel: What distinguishes this beer garden from the one at Rosedale Hotel? For one thing, the fruit plates on display are much fancier.

New Zealand 1, Italy 1

Eudora Station: Again, the biggest draw in Lido with 100-plus people on the patio watching the matches (Chinese-language commentary), more than all of the other none beer-garden spots I visited put together. About 20 to 30 people camped inside to take advantage of the air-con.

Irish Volunteer: About a dozen people on hand, meaning it was almost half-full.

Café Del Mar: The Tsingtao is RMB15, apparently the Filipino band is good, the food passing by looked OK, there were three screens showing the World Cup, and, this may be a downside or an upside depending on how you view such things, a couple of women seemed intent that I would “spend some time” with them.

Aperitivo: As expected, the Italians were out in force to watch their team manage a draw against New Zealand, a disappointment especially since the team laundry bill will be massive given how much time the players spent rolling about. This place has a decent Sicilian red (Nero D’Avola) at RMB38 per glass, though it looked like most people were content with the Aperol-based cocktails.

I gave the World Cup a red card after the Japan-Cameroon game for boring the life out of me. After a few days off, I got back to watching matches this weekend. Places visited…

Friday night

Serbia 1, Germany 0

Kiosk: Standing-room only crowd that included citizens not only of Serbia, the homeland of gregarious owner Sasha, but also a half-dozen other nations. Watched most of the first half here while waving away cigar smoke, enjoying a “big bite” burger, and watching DJ Chunky scarf down a chicken sandwich. The food is excellent value.

United States 3 2, Slovenia 2

George’s: Not a sports bar, but with a big screen, a cozy chair, some blues and jazz, and a well-made dirty martini, I was happy. The comeback by the United States rekindled my interest in the World Cup though that nonsensical decision to disallow the third American goal with five minutes left showed why I will probably never be a long-term fan of this sport. It’s nice to have such epiphanies while getting plastered on quality cocktails.

Saturday night

Ghana 1, Australia 1

Ned’s: In the annals of Australian history, I am sure numerous citizens of that country have at one time said “I probably shouldn’t have another beer” and am sure few have decided to follow through on the sentiment. Certainly no one appeared to do so at Ned’s last night. No doubt due in part to an earlier rugby game that saw England edge Australia by a point, many Aussies here were nine sheets to the wind and I half-expected a VB bottle to be hurled through the screen during tenser moments. On the other hand, this is the type of camaraderie that sees people hold up a mate so he can funnel that ‘another’ beer down his throat.  Summary: Rowdy crowd packed into a hot bar and armed with ice-cold beer.

12SQM: What would have been a rather sedate post-game experience at this Aussie-managed bar became entertaining when the guy sitting – wedged? – in the window frame decided to share his views on The French, Beijing restaurants, and other topics. Much more entertaining than debating whether or not the dingo stole the gravy.

Denmark 2, Cameroon 1

1F: Busy as usual even at 2:30 AM though the furniture arrangement makes it difficult to get to the toilets. Wouldn’t some kind of waist-high room divider(s) help funnel people? (More peeing equals more drinking equals more earnings.) Anyway, screens inside and outside, a very good beer selection, and a couple sloppily making out on the patio. (If you ever read of two people dying from swallowing one another’s tongues, it will likely be them.)

Aperitivo: Cute Italian girls drinking Aperol cocktails and kind of watching the World Cup. This should be a fun spot to watch the Italy-New Zealand game tonight. By the way, that replica of the World Cup that owner Stefano mounted on the wall after Italy won in 2006 is missing. Is it in storage? Is it hidden behind the bar? Was it stolen? (In that case, my guess would be the Slovenians took it.) A mystery in Sanlitun…

My fleeting interest in football / soccer was put to the test by the mind-numbing Japan-Cameroon match. I might even have to miss a day or two because of it. In any case, spots visited on night four…

Netherlands 2, Denmark 0

Beer Mania: About 20 people drinking and watching the match. This place has a buy-one get-one-free draft special. By the way, C’est La Vie next door and the snack shop across the street are also showing matches. A shocker that Lovely Nails has not also set up a screen.

Tun: About 100 people here, including 30 on the new deck. I have always liked the layout here and it is better with the pool table closer to the door. There are now two foosball tables as well as drink specials pretty much every night. Games are shown outside on a big screen or via that massive projection inside on the wall behind the stage. There are about half-dozen places on the patio for groups of six to ten people. Surprised more people weren’t here…

Rock n’ Roll: This place is advertising the World Cup, but I passed by because the last time I entered, on Halloween, the guards told me it was crowded when it really only had a handful of people, including two assertive ones  “dressed up” as “ladies of the night.” Maybe I’ll stop in next time… if I’m with a half-dozen friends.

Japan 1, Algeria 0

Miss Saigon: Formerly Zhongyu Hanging Gardens, with its ponds, bridge, and grassy areas, it is a sedate — I’d say too sedate — spot to watch matches and shares the pricey menu with the lounge of the same name inside. I skipped through the menu to find beer, including Tsingtao, starting at RMB40 (they had a two-for-one deal a few weeks ago and I forgot to check if it is still in play), mixed drinks from RMB35, cocktails from RMB40, and a bottle of Moet Chandon at a prohibitive RMB980, though the wine and whiskey sections list some decent choices.

The Den: Packed again, including plenty of fans from the earlier Denmark game.

Uama Teppanyaki: Ended up parked in a plastic chair with a mug of draft again, feeling both transient and, given the sloppiness of the game, truculent. Arguably the best spot in town to hear Europeans make those always entertaining jokes about Budweiser — available at RMB20 per mug — and enjoy all-you-can-eat teppanyaki. A reliable spot since day of the tournament…

Catching up on my visits to spots showing the World Cup. Here’s a wrap for night three, which featured South Africa dribbles and Beijing drizzles…

Slovenia 1, Algeria o (Tomaz at Enoteca must be thrilled with this outcome)

Parkside Bar & Grill: Matches are shown on 55-inch screens at this Lido newcomer that offers seating in booths, at the three-sided bar, or on the patio (though the rain drove all but a few hardy patrons inside) and a somewhat intimate vibe due in part to the lighting. Re drinks prices, Carlsberg draft is RMB30, red and white wine starts at RMB38 per glass, and cocktails are ~RMB40 and up. (The best happy hour deal looks to be Samuel Adams at RMB20.) Beware the aggressive lady bar touts operating across the street in front of the Rosedale Hotel. One guy stuck his hand through the taxi window and it looked like his goal was to shove a card into my shirt pocket.

Frank’s Place: I just missed a big South Africa party but heard in person my first, and hopefully last, vuvuzela, those annoying horns that drone throughout the matches and rank right with nuclear waste, rabies, and ThunderStix as things we do not need on our planet. Anyway, lots of screens here on which to watch The World Cup, and the happy hour, from 3 PM to 8 PM, overlaps with the start of some matches, which means among other things RMB25 Stella and Kronenbourg pints, RMB20 Budweiser, Heineken, and Corona, RMB25 James Boag’s, King Fisher, and Newcastle Brown, and more.

Ghana 1, Serbia 0

Eudora Station: The largest crowd of the night, though this is also the largest venue, with fans spread about the covered deck, first and second floors, and back room. I like the layout and seating options at this place. Apparently it has RMB30 Guinness pints during happy hour.

Irish Volunteer: Some of the regulars must be tuckered out from the NHL finals as only 10 people were on hand, and most of these looked only fleetingly interested in football / soccer.

Paddy O’Shea’s: That RMB20 Sol special (RMB90 for a bucket of six) is hard to resist. My second stop, my second good time. I like the fun touches, whether it is a bagpiper playing “The Cup of Life” or the No More Bunz hot dog guys or manager Karl Long matching music to the mood (how about downloading the theme song from Team America for the next match involving the United States?). Three days in, my favorite spot so far…

A few notes from bars visited during night two of the World Cup…

Argentina 1, Nigeria 0

George’s: I helped test the projection screen and speaker system with former Q Bar co-owner George Zhou at his soon-to-open place in the base of Workers Stadium. All systems go as far as watching football is concerned. With the floor finished and furniture set up today, this place should be open within two weeks.

Danger Doyle’s, Drei Kronen 1308, Uama Teppanyaki: A walk-by found decent crowds at all three.

The Den: Both upstairs and downstairs, it was standing room only, and I hear the place remained packed right through the England-United States match.  The Den could use a dumb waiter at such times in order to save the employees from weaving through patrons upstairs, squeezing down the stairs, and then weaving more to deliver the food. Look for plenty of Danish fans at “The DenMark” tonight for the game against The Netherlands. (I hear Dutch fans will gather at Blue Frog.) Love the fries with The Den burger.

United States 1, England 1

The general rule in Sanlitun — and I’m talking mainly about the Tongli area — is that the proportion of jackasses on the street steadily increases as the night wears on. Saturday night did not provide an exception. (That ‘s not to say a lot of people cause problems, only that a significant minority is affected by too much booze, ego, testosterone, or who knows what else.)

Union: About 30 people on hand at a place that gets high marks for comfort, with that three-sided bar among the better elbow rests in town. FYI: This place will only be open for post-midnight games after the knockout round starts. Best to call ahead. And best value is to go on Tuesday when happy hour prices are in affect all day.

Blue Frog: Already wrapped up for the night, though new manager Greg Dover says this place, too, will be open  for late games as the tournament gets into the knockout round. You can catch earlier games inside or on the big screen on the deck.

Cheers: Only a handful deciding to stay inside and take advantage of the RMB5 drafts.

Aperitivo: Not sure if people were there to drink or to catch the match, but expect more of the latter for Italy matches.

1F: This place is usually pretty busy of late, so nothing new here. A fairly intense crew watching the game on the patio.

Red Club: That parking space out front had one of the biggest crowds of the night as it attracted people heading back and forth along the Tongli strip. Enjoy the unpredictably of highly boozed students in the red light district-like glow of the club’s signage. For those who want to enhance the experience from any “stuff” they might have taken, you might want to watch the warped image that comes through on the back of the projection screen.

Poachers: Modest crowd watching the game on a big screen. Could be a decent option in rainy weather.

Saddle: I did a walk-by and found the deck closed with a modestly sized group of people inside.

Luga’s Villa: The patio, balcony, and street out front was full. Rowdy. But at least one patron was unhappy as she says the place did not, as advertised, give her a free drink for wearing team colors.

Overall, most places pulled good crowds. To experience the squeeze of humanity, try Luga’s Villa or The Den, for comfort, go with Union or Blue Frog, and for a combo of football, beer, and people watching, 1F works.

Karl (left) models the Ghana V-neck, with Mick and Colin getting in on the fun. We have no freaking idea what Robin (back) is doing.

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My sixth sense tells me a flood of requests will soon arrive from those who wonder where in Beijing they can get a V-necked short-sleeved 2010 World Cup shirt that includes the Ghana crest and the country’s name in Chinese characters. Let me get all preemptive and stuff and state that you can get such a shirt– and shirts for the other 31 teams — from GongTees.

The full line is on display at Paddy O’Shea’s and shirts are also available at The Pavillion, Frank’s Place, The Irish Volunteer, and Parkside Bar & Grill. Word has it that siz\ small and the North Korea shirts are nearly gone.

For more info, email gongtees (at) gmail.com or call Mick at 13522-605-314.

The lads take a break after a hard day in front of the camera.

The World Cup started last night so I checked out a few spots screening the matches. Here is a wrap up, from the final stop to the first one.

Uama Teppanyaki: A beer garden in a box, with plastic tables and chairs, two big screens, and reasonably large crowd. There is a 158-kuai all-you-can-eat-and-drink deal and 20-kuai Budweiser draft. Wondering if you just spotted ex-Souk headman Robin Howlett working the garden? Yep, you did.

Danger Doyle’s / Drei Kronen 1308: Sibling establishments, one is a two-floor sports bar, the other a three-floor German brew house, and both have superb decks. Most first-floor seats were full at both, with 1308 having the busier second tier, no doubt due in part to that large projection. Big mugs of beer, big plates loaded with more sausage than a weekend at Destinations. Worth a stop especially if you are cheering for Germany… or like sausage.

Workers Stadium East Gate: A massive screen along with seats for more than a thousand people, most of them full on this first night. Enjoy Yanjing beer in a parking lot beside the home of the Beijing Guoan? If you are going to be out every night watching matches, I’d recommend a stop here.

Latte: Walked past the modest beer garden at the base of my favorite Gongti club. Good crowd. And you can later head upstairs for some Chivas and green tea.

Pavillion: Looked full but I decided not to patronize a place with a one-hundred kuai cover charge, even if it includes a drink. Yes, the patio is nice but not nice enough to inspire me to visit even a handful of times over the past year, so better to spend it at a place that has offered some fun. Like…

Paddy O’Shea’s: This place had the best vibet, though getting everyone in required a tight fit. No More Bunz grilled hot dogs, “Major” Tom sold Sol and Tsingtao was RMB20 from a makeshift stand, and a bagpiper played “The Cup of Life“. Best stop on the night.

Capital Club: Went for a wine tasting, stayed to watch part of the first half and enjoy that spectacular view from the fiftieth floor. A comfy if pricey place to watch matches if you are a member or can get one to sign you in.

For info on other spots screening games, or comments from readers on their experiences, see here.

Buy a meter of booze, get a half-meter free, during World Cup games at Tun.

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Good times in Beijing during the last World Cup as nearly every bar and its sibling had a TV screen to attract football fans (see All About Placement: World Cup Venues). Here is an an updated list of spots to catch games this time around. I hope to add more venues, and maps for each, by the end of tomorrow afternoon. If anyone has info to add, please let me know at beijingboyce (at) yahoo.com.

Finally, if you are looking for country flags, SLS is hard to beat. For jerseys, it looks like some are already hard to get, though I did spot quite a few at the sports shop in Workers Stadium this week. I’ll also have info very soon on some special T-shirts a crew are making in Beijing for the World Cup.

More places, more maps to come…

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WORKERS STADIUM

The Den (map): A veteran on the sports bar scene, it is open 24 hours and has five screens, good pub grub, a reasonably efficient staff, and an excellent happy hour (5 to 10 PM daily, with half-price drinks and pizzas), though you would require the Hand of God to finagle a free glass of water here. Look for Danish fans to hang out here — The Den, The DenMark, get it?

The Pavillion (map): Among the busiest spots during the last World Cup, it has large screens on one of the better patios in town, as well as screens and TVs inside, though the latter are at an angle that can lead to sore necks.

Uama Teppanyaki: The Budweiser-sponsored beer patio outside includes two large screens. Bud draft is RMB20 and there is a variety of other beers and mixed drinks available.

Hooters: The only Beijing outlet of this U.S. franchise; expect pricey but passable food (try the chili dog), a handful of screens, and waitresses dancing and singing to songs such as “You Are My Sunshine.”

Danger Doyle’s (map): Formerly known as Stadium, this two-floor Irish bar, with back and rooftop decks, has screens upstairs and downstairs.

Drei Kronen 1308: Sibling establishment of Danger Doyle’s, this three-story German beer house offers three kinds of home brew.

Workers Stadium: Look for the Football City beer ‘garden’ with large screen. Guoan fans can catch the World Cup in the shade of their home stadium.

SANLITUN NORTH

Tun: Buy a meter of drinks during the World Cup, get a half-meter for free. Tun will screen games on the deck outside and on the TVs and that huge surface behind the stage inside.

Beer Mania: Buy one, get one free deal on Beijing draft during the games as well as T-shirt and ball giveaways for Stella drinkers.

SANLITUN SOUTH

Blue Frog: Wear you team colors on game day at Cafe Europa and the first beer is free (with purchase). Look for lots of Dutch fans to hang out here.

Luga’s Villa: Free drink for those in uniform when their team is playing. Option of hanging in the villa, in the basement, or on the second floor or ground floor decks.

Saddle Cantina: Catch games on the first or second floors. Should be a wild night when the World Cup coincides with Cinco de Drinko.

Union Bar & Grille: One of the comfier bars in town, it has a handful of screens and will show games starting at 7:30 PM and 10:30 PM. All-day happy hour on Tuesdays.

Paddy O’Shea’s: Will shows games downstairs and in Kamat’s upstair, have an outside bar and hot dog stand, and an Anyone But France campaign inspired by the Thierry Henri hand ball that dashed Ireland’s chances of making the Workd Cup.

LIDO

Frank’s Place (map): The Lido reincarnation of what is widely considered the first non-hotel bar to open in Beijing. Plenty of screens as well as a large party area out back.

Eudora Station (map): Located in the Lido area, this place shows sports, has a vast menu, and includes a lounge area out back and a nice patio up front.

MORE

The Goose and Duck (map) Recently upgraded, this is a 24-hour sports bar with loads of paraphernalia and screen and a diverse menu.

Obiwan: Three story Xihai area venue. More details on this spot soon.

Salud NLGX: Look for a good crowd to gather at this Nanluoguxiang bar, drink homemade rum shots, and cheer on their teams. Free draft for the first goal scored during the World Cup.

Ned’s: Aussies. Beer.

Souk: A Chaoyang Park West Gate venue that combines the feel of a lounge and some of the amenities of a sports bar.

Tim’s Texas BBQ: Home of a wide range of Tex-Mex food, including a decent “Mexican burger”, this place also shows sports.

All-Star (map): This place includes booth and table seating, solid pub grub, a four-sized bar, and dozens of flat screens in the Solana areay

Cafe Europa: Private areas for up to 20 people or up to 40 people, with big screen and CCTV feed, three 11-litre kegs of Krombacher Pils, and appetizers. RMB3000 for 7:30 PM games. RMB3500 for 10 PM games.