Game On for Gongti: South Sanlitun Bar Hop
The holiday season is soon approaching, so it’s time to head eastward and explore some stylish bars in Gongti and South Sanlitun to celebrate the festivities. Start your night early since there are many spots to hit on this bar hop itinerary!
Fill up your winter tummy at Yue Lu Mountain Dining (Jizhuangli Building 1, 10 meters west of Hotel G | 岳麓山屋 朝阳区吉庄里1号楼). The restaurant offers plenty of delicious Hunan dishes, but its chopped pepper fish head (duo4jiao1 yu2tou2 - 剁椒鱼头) is the tastiest. You’d be crazy not to order it.
After finishing your dinner, lose some calories by making your way back to Scarlett Wine Bar at Hotel G (Hotel G 7A Gongti Xilu | 工体西路甲7号). As the name suggests, Scarlett offers an extensive selection of wine for you to enjoy. And if you are still hungry, this would also be the perfect place to order imported cheese to go with your drinks. Special mention to Beijing ladies: take advantage of the Scarlett Ladies’ Night deal. Come on the first Saturday night of every month and you can enjoy free-flow house cocktails from 9pm-1am. Yes, you read it right – free flow cocktails all night.
From Scarlett Wine Bar swing up north and head to George’s (Gate 12, east side of Workers Stadium | 工人体育场东门内12号) for some martinis and more. George’s is known for its variety of delicious cocktails and great ambience. This casually posh bar has a good mix of locals and foreigners and its setup makes it easy to mingle. Note that Wednesday is an especially good night to hit up George’s as you can get martinis at half price, all night long.
Down your last drink at George’s and move on to D-Lounge (Courtyard 4, Gongti Beilu | 工体北路4号院). Known for its swanky interior décor and a regular and glamorous crowd, D-Lounge is an ideal place to enjoy conversation with your friends over quality drinks. Even when the conversation dies down you can look at interesting artworks that adorn the space. Note that seating is limited so be sure to reserve your spot, especially on weekends.
Did the house-electronica tunes at D-lounge making your body ache for dancing? Make a quick detour to Salsa Caribe (Courtyard 4, Gongti Beilu | 沙沙卡利宾拉丁俱乐部 工体北路4号院) to sweat it out. Lace up your dancing shoes and show off your grooves on the bar’s spacious dance floor. Great tunes from Salsa Caribe’s house Latin band and DJ ensure a good time.
Next on our list is Beer Mania (1st floor, Taiyue Fang, Nansanlitun Lu | 麦霓啤酒吧 南三里屯路泰 乐坊1层), also known as a beer lover’s paradise. The bar offers an extensive range of imported beers, especially anything Belgian. Its unassuming, friendly ambience draws a devoted regular crowd. There’s also a good chance that Beer Mania’s friendly staff will let you plug in your own music playlist on weeknights, too.
Head one flight up and you’ll hit our second to last destination of the night: Glen (203 Taiyue Suites, 16 Sanlitun Nanlu | 三里屯南路16号 太悦203室). As much as Beer Mania is all about beer, Glen offers an impressive whiskey and single malt selection that’s hard to match anywhere else. Drink prices, although steep, guarantee quality. Glen’s staff are very attentive, plus it’s always fun to watch the bartenders do what they do best – making your drinks.
If you thought that you would have to wait until next summer to enjoy Q Bar’s (6/F, Eastern Hotel | 三里屯南路和工体南路交接口) roof top experience, then think again. Q Bar’s six private rooms, known as ‘Q Box,’ come with heaters and their own sound systems. Mind you, there is a minimum charge of RMB 200 per person if you choose to enjoy this winter rooftop experience. Whether you opt for Q Box or indoor seating, don’t miss out on the bar’s famous martinis at RMB 50. But come on Wednesdays and you can down Q Bar’s standard martinis at half price.
Last piece of advice is to make sure you hit the scene with a fairly fat wallet, since this is probably not the cheapest bar hop route in Beijing. But with the end of the year right around the corner, why don’t you cut yourself some slack, go out, and have a blast?
