Razing the Roof: Places You Can Still Drink Outside in the Hutongs

46

Who’s going
Beer drinkers trying to fill the Fangjia bar street-shaped hole in their hearts. 

What they’re drinking
Bottles of Baby IPA (RMB25). 

The lowdown
46 is a massive Astroturf lawn on one of the highest rooftops in the hutongs. So yes, it’s weird. (On our visit, the TVs are showing a back catalogue of Dwayne Johnson films.) But it’s also the only place on this list with a rooftop big enough to play football on. And with a decent selection of craft beer and ciders by the bottle, it’s a pretty cool place to hang out for a few hours.

See a listing for 46

The Other Place

Who's going
Nostalgic hutong hipsters looking for a one-stop-shop.

What they're drinking
Inventive brews from El Nido's list of draft beers (RMB50 and up) and eccentric craft creations from Fang Bar, like the tart and creamy Dharma Rum (RMB65).

The lowdown
The Other Place is a mash-up of hutong favorites huddled into one cozy courtyard on Langjia Hutong. With a stacked lineup featuring El Nido 2.0 and Fang Bar of Fangjia past, it's an ideal spot for day drinking, complete with tasty Korean-Mexican fusion fare provided by Taco Stop to keep you going into the night. 

See a listing for The Other Place

Aotu

Who’s going
Artists and wannabe artists. 

What they’re drinking
Housemade lemonade with fresh herbs (RMB30). 

The lowdown
This cafe hosts periodic art exhibitions and cultural events, but we like it best for its gorgeous hutong rooftop. Coffees and lemonade make it a great place to hang out with your laptop during the day – huge glasses of spritzes make it an even better spot when the sun goes down. 

See a listing for Aotu

Z-Space

Who’s going
Bookworms; cool kids who look like extras in an arthouse film.

What they’re drinking
Lattes (RMB34), hot teas (all RMB38). 

The lowdown
Z-Space is built for anyone looking for an easy dose of cool. With two open-air courtyards, several rooms named after planets, and a library, it’s a large, inventive location just begging for creatives to camp out in it. The design alone is enough reason to come through the door – its natural-light flooded open floor plan feels like it’s designed with us in mind, lost and hungry wanderers wanting something more out of the afternoon. 

See a listing for Z-Space 

Big Small Coffee (Forbidden City)

Who’s going
Design nerds; refreshingly few tourists given its proximity to the Forbidden City. 

What they’re drinking
Hand-poured coffees, plus Big Small’s signature tea-based takes on espresso drinks including the chappuccino and the chaffogato (RMB25-35). 

The lowdown
The design-forward and playful interiors of Big Small are surpassed only by the roomy terrace above that looks over the surrounding hutongs. Freelancers armed with laptops abound. A plus: If you take a bag of their coffee home, you’ll get a cleverly designed dinosaur tote bag. A hipster’s delight. 

See a listing for Big Small Coffee

Soloist (Qianmen)

Who’s going
Young professionals; occasional laowai. 

What they’re drinking
High-quality pour-over coffees (RMB55-120); cold brews (RMB50). 

The lowdown
In Dashilar, Soloist’s terrace is far enough from the racket of Qianmen that you can enjoy a nice view of the Arrow Tower but not of the tourists. Inside, the warm interiors evoke a European studiolo with retro touches, but the bikes on the wall remind you it’s still Beijing. Soloist is good both for a morning coffee or an afternoon break, but if you just want to enjoy a beer outside on a warm evening, you still have a couple of choices (RMB50). 

See a listing for Soloist

Bear Brew

Who’s going
Xicheng residents; coffee buffs and architecture aficianados. 

What they’re drinking
Brew Bear’s ice-drip ‘fruity’-roast coffee (RMB45). 

The lowdown
With its cozy interiors and fan-tas-tic terrace overlooking Baitaisi, Bear Brew is like a diamond in the rough. On the rooftop, you are dwarfed by the imposing white pagoda, so close you can almost skip paying the ticket to access the temple gardens.

See a listing for Bear Brew

Zarah

Who’s going
Europeans (Europeans love Zarah); daytime laptoppers; people on dates. 

What they’re drinking
Espressos by day, wine by night. 

The lowdown
You already know about Gulou institution Zarah. But if you haven’t been since the temperatures have risen, here’s why you should: Zarah boasts not only a beautifully renovated hutong courtyard, but also a rooftop. This, plus daily happy hours and regular parties, means this is an excellent go-to spot, all season long.

See a listing for Zarah

Great Leap Brewing #6 Original

Who’s going
Longtime expats who say “I remember when this was the only Great Leap”; people with dogs. 

What they’re drinking
Honey Ma IPA (RMB40). 

The lowdown
Great Leap’s iconic Sanlitun location (the #12 Brewpub) shut suddenly, but there’s no need to mourn – the brewery’s excellent beers are still available here, in one of the best hutong courtyards in the city. 

See a listing for Great Leap Brewing #6

The Great Outdoors

Who's going
Bar rats still trying to barhop on Fangjia.

What they're drinking
Beijing craft beer classics or Fireball on tap – the night could go either way here.

The lowdown
Great Outdoors is more than meets the eye. No really, despite how tiny it looks upon entering – through a heavy duty curtain – there's a spacious upstairs with a large backroom (used for hosting events) and a giant beer fridge stocked with all kinds of brews, from local basics to trendy imports. The small rooftop terrace is chock-full of foreigners almost every night. Keep your voices down for the whiny neighbor trying to sleep next door – it's just like old times.

See a listing for The Great Outdoors

This article was originally published on June 14, 2016. It has been updated and republished on May 8, 2019.