The original Rollbox on Xingfucun Lu was a crowd pleaser. Reasonably priced banh mi and solid delivery times made for a strong lunch and dinner combo. We all know the story though: The bricks came. And now, after taking time to look around for new locations, Rollbox has reappeared just around the corner from their old digs. And they’ve added a cocktail bar to the recipe.
It’s an odd-sounding mix, but it’s a combination that can take you through a whole day. In the morning, start with a bacon, egg and cheese roll (RMB35) and a Vietnamese coffee (RMB35). Have a vegan grilled tofu and mushroom bowl (RMB48) for lunch with a minty lemonade (RMB25). Then, a grilled pork neck banh mi (RMB45) for dinner, with a glass of the house white (RMB40), perhaps.
Get up, stretch, close your laptop, do one of those arm-bent twisty things where your back cracks. Sit back down.
Then order, like, seven more cocktails throughout the course of the night.
Come back and sheepishly pick up your laptop the next day.
With all-day breakfast options starting at 8am, and food and cocktails throughout the day and night, Rollbox is looking to be one of the few places in Beijing that can truly function as an appropriate option for any time.
It might not be a party spot, as it only seats 20. But with a full bar and a terrace, it offers ample space for small get-togethers and groups.
To be honest, it would probably be enough to just be an open space serving coffees from 8am to midnight, but, luckily, Rollbox also serves good food. The banh mi bread is light-and-airy with a crisp, flaky crust. This is not the dense baguette you’re used to. And while you’re not in New Jersey, Rollbox’s bacon and egg sandwich is a solid take on the diner classic. We obviously recommend getting it with cheese.
The bowls are a satisfactorily flavorful and healthy option. Our grilled pork neck bowl (RMB52) might have benefited from a more robust dressing, as the chilies were slightly overpowering. And the rice paper rolls (RMB30-38) are hearty for the price, but not truly exciting. The sandwiches are the real stars here.
Oh, and the cocktails. Garth Wilson, formerly of Houhai cocktail bar Haven – remember Haven? – is behind the bar, and he has put together a murderer’s row of Southeast Asian-tinged cocktails. The Fig Old Fashioned (RMB70) will please the palate of bitter cocktail connoisseurs, while, on the fruitier end of the spectrum, the passionfruit-flavored Ella (RMB65) is a refreshing summer cocktail. One thing we were impressed by was the speed at which the drinks came out. Our fears about an overworked small bar trying to keep up with a crowd were allayed.
Mostly though, it’s exciting to have an all-in-one place for whatever the need is. Rollbox is a versatile character actor. A full-stack programmer. Your favorite day-to-night look. Whatever vibe you own, Rollbox is here for it.
Expect to see us double-fisting a cocktail and a banh mi all summer.
See a listing for Rollbox and read more Beijing Bar & Restaurant Reviews
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