Slides, a Neon Terrace, and Cocktails in Miniature Bathtubs: Stream Bar Has It All

Ever seen the cover of Stevie Wonder’s Songs in the Key of Life?

If you're a fan of Little Stevie, the LP's iconic, burnt orange and glowing cover will instantly spring to mind as you step inside Stream, one of the most colorful cocktail bars to have opened in Beijing this year, if not ever.

The bright neon lights, curved ceiling, cherry red coat of paint, and the faint lighting, along with a throwback R&B soundtrack pouring out the speakers, all evoke the spirit of Wonders’ classic album.

All cocktails under the "One Night In Beijing" section of the menu (priced at RMB 98) are Beijing neighborhood themed, a highlight of which is the nostalgia-tinged Fangjia Hutong cocktail, a nod to the now-quiet party spot of yore. While the alley may be bricked up, the breezy vibes that once drew crowds on any day of the week live on via this cocktail’s ingredients, which include vodka, lychee, and raspberry syrup along with a squeeze of lemon juice, for a bittersweet and heady concoction. Tasty, yet it took quite a lot of restraint not to pour a little out on the floor to commemorate the once vibrant hutong.

READ: Beijing Hutong Culture Reaches Crisis Point as Fangjia Hutong Becomes Care Home

Other options on the One Night In Beijing include the gin-based 798 pineapple cocktail, the rum-based Houhai dragon fruit, and the vodka Sanlitun mango.

On the regular menu list, the RMB 98 Take a Bath – Earl Grey tea mixed with apple brandy for a sweet-yet-earthy combination – is a fun order and served in (what else?) a mini bathtub with a rubber ducky on the side. Other cocktails are served in teapots on trays of dry ice, unleashing plumes of smoke – a flourish clearly designed to light up your social media feed.

The decor is also readymade for influencer-types. Be sure to walk past the first floor's slide and ball pit (no, you can’t try it because it’s only for show) and up the winding staircase. Upstairs, the kitsch levels go up a notch, with igloo-like plastic domes dotted among the plants on the bar's balcony terrace. 

Keep going until you find the room that looks like it came straight out of a 798 art exhibit, with stacks of TVs, incandescent bulbs strewn every which way, and giant, planet-esque light fixtures dangling from the ceiling.

In a sense, Stream’s concept – inspired by “stream of conscious” – couldn’t be more apt, as it seems to feature just about every oddity that sprung to the owner's mind during the design phase. The drinks here aren't as refined or intricate as Beijing's top cocktail lounges (think Infusion Room or Janes and Hooch), but they are fun and tasty. The kitsch decor, meanwhile, thumbs its nose at Beijing’s haughtier lounges in spectacular fashion. By taking no half measures, and having a gas all the while, Stream’s team have devised a truly memorable night out in Beijing.

Stream
Daily, 7pm-2am. Jinyun Back Street, 15-29 Xiaoyun Road, Chaoyang District (136 6115 4967)
朝阳区霄云路15-29号霄云

READ: Xinyuanli's Dandy Room Dresses Its Cocktails to the Nines

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Email: kylemullin@truerun.com
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Photos: Uni You, Rolling Stone