Heaven Sent: Heaven Supermarket 2.0 Opens

The new Heaven Supermarket seamlessly continues serving the purpose of its former incarnation. Based on a quick survey I conducted there last weekend, the typical customer is a bearded Spanish- or English-speaking man in his 20s, but really you could run into almost anyone you know here.

The drink stock certainly caters to every possible taste, including some tastes I’m not sure actually exist (does anyone actually drink Banana Bols?). We’ve grown accustomed to bars offering a big beer selection, but Heaven still surprises, fridges brimming with well-priced bottles from Belgium, Germany, the UK and beyond. Many house-pour level liquors are available for under RMB 100 per bottle, with plenty of mixers to experiment with. Try telling me vodka and cream soda isn’t a great idea.

Sipping slowly on a Maredsous Brune and then a Brew Dog Punk IPA, I decided it made sense to order some lamb skewers and chicken wings. In hindsight, it didn’t make sense at all, but when you’re hungry, chuanr always has its way of luring you in.

Heaven is not a "nice" bar. It’s smoky and dingy, and is appealing entirely because it's cheap. It's also exactly what many of us want from time to time, and will continue to be a great success because of that.

Photo: Beijing Boyce