Evening places to hang out in Beijing

Hello,

I'm going to Beijing on a business trip for a couple of days.

After work I'd like to find somewhere nice to hang out - a cafe, bar or restaurant.

People who know me know that I like relaxed places, Cafe Puck or Lenbachs spring to mind. People who don't know me should know that I like relaxed places, Cafe Puck or Lenbachs spring to mind.

I certainly do not want to go to Bar Street ever again, or anywhere like that. Nor that big Irish pub call Dirty Mollys or something.

Oh, and I intend to hang out in the city. Apparently there's a big wall near Beijing, plus a forbidden city. Well, I've seen lots of walls and I don't intend to cause a diplomatic stir by going somewhere you're not allowed to go.

Any friendly advice will be appreciated (and I have done a search on TT already).

Cheers,

TPWNN

As I thought, judging from the lack of responses, there's nowhere to hang out in Beijing.

Well nowhere that meets The Poster With No Name's exacting standards, that is, it musn't be Bar Street.

which hotel will you be staying in?

City Hotel Beijing this time I'm afraid (t'others were booked out for a late notice trip). So very keen not to stay in the room straight after work.

The TTer known as marka lived in Beiking a year I think. Why dont you PM him?

that's in the Chaoyang district isn't it? There should be plenty of bars within a close walk of the hotel so I am sure you'll find soemthing. Sunlitun isn't be too far away so plenty of bars and restaurants there.

I can personally recomend this place:

http://www.facebars.com/bg/facebar.htm

they had recently opened in Beijing when I was there in March/April. The place has a Thai and Indian restaurant and a very cosey bar downstairs with comfy chairs and a pool table. Very nicely decorated, great food, not too loud. Nice place to relax and unwind.

Tel: 6551-6788

26 Dongcaoyuan
behind the Cervantes Institute

工体�路东�园26�

Open 12am-2am

I did indeed live in Beijing for a year and a half (mid 1998 - end 1999) so I am pretty sure that all the places I went to have been closed down or flattened to make way for the Olympics next year.

However, a couple of places that I would definitely recommend if you fancy a decent place to eat and chill out include:

1. The Courtyard Restaurant - exellent fusion restaurant and a cigar lounge upstairs where you can wind down after the excesses of your dining experience. For the address you will need to check when you arrive, as there doesn't appear to be a consesnsus on the pages I found when googling the restaurant. When I was there is was located by the east gate of the Forbidden City.

2. Maybe not a place to hang out but definitely worth a visit if you haven't seen it already is the Donghuamen Night Market. About 3 blocks from Tianmen Square at Wangfujing Dajie. You won't believe what you can get on a stick at this place !

3. Not as crappy as it sounds (at least when I was there) is the Paulaner Brewery in the Kempinski hotel. If you are missing a decent weissbier while you are away this place won't let you down.

Apart from these places there are the usual soulless bars on Sanlitun (which I thought had been bulldozed). If I think of anywhere else I will add it here.

My flatmate will be going to Beijing in about a week. She said that there are parties on the Great Wall. LOL. I went to Beijing a couple of years ago, but didn't get to go to a party.

So, perhaps a Great Wall party is up your alley?

I did an overnight party on The Wall which was organised by the Sheraton Great Wall hotel. You could ask if they have anything planned for while you are there.

Thank you all for your suggestions.

The Poster With No Name, or Sense of Time.

Thanks OG, Facebar was extremely good.

Compared to other good places I've so far visited out there (not that many so far) it is quite pricey. Think Northern European prices. But worth it.

I also found a series of places on Lucky Street. It is actually sign-posted as "Lucky Street".

Good range of restaurants including Italien and Japanese. At one end is Berena`s Bistro which has the advantage of menues in good English. In fact when I went there all the guests were Western. And the food was good. Other places down are less likely to have English menues and less likely to have Westernised Chinese food.