Eat, Drink, Listen: New Sanlitun Eatery Apollo is for Gourmands and Audiophiles Alike

Tucked in along the southwest corner of Sanlitun’s Pacific Century Place, the word “APOLLO” written in stylized yellow neon is accompanied by the sound of instrumental jazz pulsing through the air. The sign and music – if one doesn’t grab your attention first, the other will – welcomes patrons to the neighborhood’s newest spot, Apollo, a place for good food, drinks, and vinyl records.

If the name seems familiar, that’s by design. “The name is inspired by the Apollo Theater in Harlem, New York,” explains manager Harold Broese van Groenou, who opened the restaurant along with Eduardo Gutierrez and Chef Jarrod Verbiak. “It was a legendary music venue for the music we like to play here. The theatre’s heyday was in the 1970s and ‘80s, so the design language of the restaurant references that.”

Step inside and you’ll be greeted by an interior space where everything has been carefully thought out, right down to the one of a kind lamps dotting the seats to the menus and place mats – shaped like record covers and turntable mats, respectively, with everything made with care by designer Ji Xu.

These dot a long room with marble tables and leather seating all leading to the cherry on top – a collection of all kinds of records – sourced from around the world by Beijing-based DJ Cad73 and soon to be available for purchase on the restaurant’s mini program – behind an old school DJ station with turntables, rotary mixer and custom made studio monitors.

But the inspiration goes beyond the theater, Broese van Groenou continues, with the goal not being to replicate the original Apollo, but to pay homage to it as well as the various other music centric places named Apollo to be found in London, Barcelona, and other cities around the world.

This Apollo, then, is a continuation of the trend, Apollo in Beijing as it were. Inspiration is not only drawn from the theatre, but from the vinyl “listening bars” of Tokyo, relaxed spaces with quality audio setup where patrons can go listen to records and relax. “It’s a slower way of listening to music,” says Harold, “there’s a beginning, middle and end that the artist thought about. Listening to a whole album versus listening to a playlist, there’s a certain value in that.”

The listening element will be in full swing from this weekend, with their first big event happening on Saturday night, when Cad73 will step behind the turntables to share his love of music with guests (more details below).

Slowing down to listen to an album or two while at Apollo also plays into dining at the restaurant, with Broese van Groenou hoping that guests can eat consciously while listening.

As there are details in everything to be found at Apollo, so too are there extensive details to be found in the food. Explaining the menu, Verbiak tells me jokingly that it's meant to be a Western restaurant.

“We want to do things in an uncomplicated way, but it has to be really satisfying,” says Verbiak, “with a focus on technique, freshness, and seasonality as we go forward.” Certain menu staples like their burgers, sandwiches, and other dishes will remain throughout the year, but as seasons change there will be different kinds of salads and vegetable dishes.

As for staples, there’s the Apollo Cheeseburger (RMB 68 for single, RMB 98 for double), which Verbiak says is meant to be eaten as a double. Bacon and an egg can be added (RMB 10 for each), but its better ordering these with a single patty, according to the chef. And this burger really shines. Ample cheese coats the two patties with a generous helping of house sauce and pickles between a toasted Kaiser-style roll topped with chia seeds.

Pair this with their massive beer battered onion rings with special sauce or Apollo fries with parmesan, rosemary and garlic (RMB 48 for each) along with their house dry martini (RMB 88) and you’ve got the makings of what Broese van Groenou and Verbiak jokingly refer to as the “Apollo Power Lunch.”

Then there’s the Boston Lobster & Crab Roll (RMB 268), made with lobster straight from the tank on toasted bread topped with scallions and a special butter sauce with toasted nori on the side. If lobster on its own is more your thing, Apollo also offers chilled Boston lobster with a celery remoulade and brandy cocktail sauce (RMB 238, half lobster); or charcoal roasted with garlic-herb butter (RMB 428, whole lobster).

Also of note are Apollo’s vegetarian dishes, which include their baked ratatouille with whipped ricotta and basil (RMB 120), baked in their specialty josper charcoal oven and hearty enough to eat as a meal in its own right. For a vegetarian burger option, the Fava Bean Falafel Burger (RMB 98) is a treat, topped with eggplant babaganoush, coriander, cucumber, and harissa chili sauce.

Eating and listening is the name of the game at Apollo, and the team behind the restaurant have made it into something that both gourmands and audiophiles can truly enjoy.

Showtime: Vinyl Selection by Cad73 will be happening at Apollo on Saturday, Oct 22 from 9.30pm ‘til late. Entry is free.

Apollo Restaurant 阿波罗餐厅
Southwest corner, 1/F Pacific Century Place, 2 Gongti Bei Lu, Chaoyang District
朝阳区工人体育场北路甲2号盈科中心1层西南侧
Hours: Daily, 11.30am-10pm (Restaurant); 11.30am-midnight (Bar)
Contact: 010-85999116

READ: Fall into a Cupcake Coma Without Leaving Sanlitun

Images: Vincent R. Vinci, courtesy of Apollo