Like reading bar reviews in That's Beijing? We realize there are a lot of them. So to help you keep track, here's a list of the ones from 2017 we liked the best. If you're interested in our top picks for the best new Beijing restaurants, click here.
1. Good Bait
In addition to a huge calendar of live jazz shows, Good Bait's menu has 90 (!!!) original cocktails. This is a book-length cocktail menu, with chapters devoted to different base spirits. It’s filled with photos of jazz musicians and inspirational quotes about music, which may come across as overly ambitious - but if there’s a man in this city skilled enough to master an army of cocktail recipes, it’s Good Bait’s barman Travis Yuan. Drinks go for around RMB100.
See a listing for Good Bait and read our full review
2. Press Release
One step inside PR’s stunningly hip, neon-accented barroom, and you'll feel a world away from the mediocre mall restaurants surrounding it. The Italian vintage (RMB65) is the best house wine we’ve had in recent memory, and it’s just as unexpectedly bangin’ as this the bar’s decor, which features vintage typewriters and indie magazines. The sous-vide cocktails are out of this world. The Dazed – a red wine cocktail with vodka, vanilla and mango – is just as good as any drink from a Sanlitun bar. But at RMB75, it’s cheaper.
See a listing for Press Release and read our full review
3. Red Dog
The decor at Red Dog is Thai Full Moon Party meets Parisian gentlemen’s lounge. Red Dog is as unexpected as the quality of its cocktails – solid, potent drinks developed by a bar manager with experience at Beijing’s shrine-to-mixology, Botany. Go for the sake-based Pacific Conference (RMB75) – light and fruity yet still packing a punch. The Cucumber Cooler (RMB75) is a slightly sweeter Tom Collins mix. As for another mix – does Spotify have a curated playlist called ‘twee’? Because that’s the only way we can describe the music selection.
See a listing for Red Dog and read our full review
4. Out of Step
Out of Step opened quietly in January on Sanlitun Dongsanjie, near Sanlitun DRC. The capital has plenty of nerd-worthy brewpubs, but Out of Step is not a typical one: Rather than brewing its beer here in Beijing, the bar imports kegs of beer exclusively from Vancouver, where the Chinese-Canadian founder is from. The Pacific Northwest produces some of the finest beers in the world, and Vancouver is its de facto brewing capital. Our hands-down favorite is the Black Kettle IPA, which has to be one of the best brews in Beijing, even if it’s not brewed in Beijing.
See a listing for Out of Step and read our full review
5. The Black Moth
Nothing at The Black Moth is typical - indeed, the assortment of conversation starters on display here leads us to dub this place A Great Spot For a Date, albeit a date you’re willing to spend RMB100 per cocktail on. Make that RMB120, by the way, if it's the Truffle Martini you're after, one of the few RMB120 drinks in the city that's actually worth the price. We also love the undeniably sultry Cumin Gin Sour (RMB85), the Hot & Numbing Margarita (RMB85) and the Mandarin Old Fashioned (RMB120).
See a listing for The Black Moth and read our full review
6. Mokihi No. 3
No. 3 is in 3.3 Mall, get it? You’ll find this Mokihi on the top floor of this once-gaudy shopping center, in a secluded corner behind Mega Vintage. One might term this a ‘speakeasy.’ And yet, this 'hidden bar' in Sanlitun is veritably convenient. Go for creative cocktails (from RMB80-95) with style and substance. Plus, the nicest bartenders you’ll ever meet. Make sure to try the Delay in M (RMB90), a classed-up gin-and-juice with parmesan cheese sprinkled on top. Yeah, you heard us – parmesan.
See a listing for Mokihi No. 3 and read our full review
0 User Comments