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.