Talking Pints Holiday Super-Edition! Enoterra, Kura Kura and More

Enoteca opens (or rather, relocates) tonight (Sep 30) on the fourth floor of Nali Patio, under the slightly altered name of Enoterra. I had a look last night, and it’s quite a change from the former location in The Place. Higher ceiling, less of a café feel and a modern design in line with the likes of Mosto and Apothecary. Not surprising, since it was designed by Kupa Studios, the same people who designed those venues. There’s wine all over the place – staff spent the whole day yesterday working on filling the massive shelves that line the upper portion of the side wall. For wine drinkers, this is looking like a real winner. And as many have commented on already, not least Operations Director Tomaz Hladnik, the new venue (unlike the Place location) even has a bathroom.

Another reopening (though not a relocation in this case) tonight (Sep 30), as The Pomegranate puts a tough period behind it and gets back into full swing in Shunyi. The party starts at 4pm – phew, the clock’s ticking already – and the owners tell us they’ll be partying “Shunyi style with drinks promotions and giveaways.” One person who’s not likely to be at The Pomegranate tonight is publican Karl Long – the man voted “Beijing’s Best Bartender” by readers of the Beijinger in our 2010 Reader Bar & Club Awards is taking a night off to practice making mojitos and celebrate turning 30 today. Many happy returns.

(Breaking news: Chaoyang Public Health Bureau warns all residents to be on the lookout for a scantily-clad Irishman with reindeer ears and a cocktail shaker. See above for artist's impression.)

Also opening this weekend is Link Star Beijing (open Friday, Oct 1), a new club and lounge in the still-below-many-people’s-radar World City complex to the north of the Place. Link Star is located in the east building, with the entrance on the east side of the block. Former Xiu band the KnutZ will be playing jazz, soul and more on Thursdays and Fridays at Link Star, with a clubbier feel for Saturdays. There’s a buy-one-get-one-free happy hour every day from 6-10pm.

Already open is the new bar from the Japanese crew behind the ever-popular Ichikura. Named Kura Kura, the bar is on the strip north of Sanlitun Village and the Opposite House (note: in the October issue of the Beijinger, we incorrectly listed Kura Kura as being in “Sanlitun Village North” apologies for any confusion). The strip had fallen largely into mundanity in recent years, but has undergone a revival in recent months with the opening of the Danish butcher shop/restaurant – has anyone finished their 3kg burger yet? (that’s 1kg beef, 1kg topping and 1kg of bun) – a few new Middle Eastern restaurants, one or two new cafes and now Kura Kura. The new bar has a funkier feel than Ichikura, with a red-and-white colourscheme and bathrooms that are a cross between ‘60s London and a Stanley Kubrick film (more A Clockwork Orange than Full Metal Jacket). It’s tiny, with space for about 15 people, and unsurprisingly concentrates its drinks offerings on cocktails and whiskeys. The whiskey selection is limited at the moment, though they’ll be expanding soon. The drinks are served in smallish glasses, but on the evidence of a daiquiri followed by a glass of Aberfeldy whiskey, the pours seem pretty generous. Prices for cocktails average at around RMB 60, whiskeys are more like RMB 80, and beers mostly around RMB 30-50. Hard to say if this can come close to matching Ichikura’s success, but it’s likely that a loyal crowd will congregate around the bar.

You’ll probably have heard by now about the bricks that fell from part of the wall of Tongli Studio last week. Fortunately, nobody was injured, and the whole building is now covered in scaffolding, which is reassuring at least. Businesses have been quick to post signs indicating that they are open for business and indeed it does seem as if all the bars and restaurants are operating normally. One knock-on effect of the space taken up by the scaffolding has been to bring terrace life at the likes of 1F and Muse to an abrupt end for this year. Having said that, the bars on the other side of the street have also put their outdoor seating away, and it also seems the street has been cleared of snack stalls and the like for the time being. Maybe the police have decided it’s best to keep everyone safely indoors as far as possible.

Finally, on to the holiday week that lies ahead of us. As well as the opening parties already mentioned, there’s lots going on this week, from UK trance star Gareth Emery at GT Banana (Oct 1, RMB 150, 10pm), to Acupuncture’s seven day-session at The House (Oct 1-7, free, 10pm each night), to hip-hop with a hand up its arse from the Puppetmastaz at Yugong Yishan (RMB 80, 10pm), and a fine Whiskey Wednesday at The Bookworm (Oct 6, RMB 150, 7.30pm). Happy Birthday to the People's Republic, and more importantly a good holiday week to one and all.

P.S. We don't usually take requests, but if you do know of any bartenders celebrating birthdays and want to give them a shout out, just drop us an email. And maybe a photo too.