Let the Surreal Duo Whisky and Coffee Bend Your Mind in the CBD

The Inception-esque bookcase which curves all the way up the wall and across the ceiling at Duo Whisky and Coffee should serve as a clue that what lies within this CBD venue is slightly out of the ordinary. Settle in the main room, and you'll be served standard coffees from around RMB 30 in a fairly ordinary café, but investigate a further, and you'll come across a secret door which leads to one of the most stylish cocktail bars to open in Beijing this year.

Behind the door lies an a-typical "T" shaped island seating area where the staff ready drinks behind the bar before passing onto patrons who sit facing one another. Aside from its offbeat shape, the island also impressed with its dark stained, rippling wood.

The bar alcove is bright and inviting, especially when compared to the rest of the moodily-lit space, while three VIP rooms are located adjacent to that main bar area. The effect is a mind-bending unfurling of options that would never be apparent if you confined yourself to Duo’s snug café area.

Aside from a few dozen whiskeys (from Japanese to Scotches to bourbons, running the gamut of years and prices) the bar also serves a handful of woozy cocktails. Our RMB 110 Charcoal Café cocktail took a while to prepare but was worth the wait thanks to its hearty Laphroaig Quarter Cask whiskey and piquant mix of Kahlua, Cointreau, and orange bitters.

Tasty as that drink was, it didn’t quite stack up to the complex flavors of Beijing’s very best cocktail bars like Janes and Hooch, Mao Mao Chong, or Infusion Room – especially true given the RMB 110 price tag. Lighter alternatives include the Playa (made with rum, fresh passion fruit, sugar, and lime), the Coco (raspberry vodka, passion syrup, fresh grapefruit, Rosadoli honey, and lemon), or the Lichee Lady (vodka, fresh lemon, lychee juice, and red wine).

All those drinks are priced at RMB 110, which is admittedly steep, but sadly standard for the area (neighboring Frank by Ala House, for instance, charges even more per cocktail). However, Duo's playful design and convenient location make up for its other shortcomings and help it stand out as one of the CBD's best lounges yet.

Duo Whisky and Coffee
Daily, 9.30am-6pm (café); 7pm-2am (bar). A103, 13 Xincheng International, Jintong West Road, Chaoyang District (156 0055 6632)
朝阳区金桐西路新城国际13号A103

READ: Dengshikou Provides a Fresh Port of Call for Slow Boat and a Return to Their Taproom Roots

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Email: kylemullin@truerun.com
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Photo: Uni You