Beijing's Best (Kind of) Beer Gardens

Katie Coy, Managing Editor | Aug 23, 2024 1:05 pm | Add a comment | 286 reads

With the peak summer heat behind us, it’s now the perfect time of year to enjoy a beverage or two outside before the warm weather fades away. Recently we’ve been taking a look at some of Beijing’s best rooftops and terraces but what about beer gardens?

Strictly speaking, in my "expert opinion" as a Brit, Beijing doesn’t really have what I would classify as a beer garden as there aren’t any “proper” pubs here. However, they do have some places that come pretty close. There are also many bars with courtyards around the capital, which I would argue is a sort of Chinese version of a beer garden. So, without further ado, let’s take a look at what the capital has to offer!

For our rundowns of rooftops and terraces, you can check out these articles:

COMMUNE RESERVE

Located directly north of Dawanglu, COMMUNE RESERVE has a stunning outdoor space that I’d say comes as close to a beer garden as you’re going to get here. Stretching across a large area, it’s decorated with plenty of greenery and has ample seating, with its cream-colored sofas looking like a particularly inviting place to spend the afternoon. 

They have a staggering 20 beers on tap giving plenty of choice, with everything from IPAs to sours, from fruity numbers to stouts. Along with beers they have plenty of cocktails and mocktails, plus an extensive food menu. 

COMMUNE RESERVE 幻师臻选
101, 1F, Guanghua Intl. Bldg, 6 Dawang Xilu, Chaoyang District
朝阳区西大望路甲6号光华国际大厦1层101
Hours: Mon-Fri 11am-2am, Sat-Sun 10am-2am
Phone: 010 6502 0115

Beersmith

Perhaps more of an urban version of a beer garden with its location right in the heart of Guomao, Beersmith’s terrace is a pleasant place to spend an afternoon or evening sipping on their fresh brews. Decorated with hanging baskets bursting with flowers, a wall of greenery, and fairy lights come evening, the location definitely has some garden vibes. They’re always adding new seasonal beers to their arsenal, and one of the newest to try is the Good Little Berries Smoothie Sour (RMB 60/330ml), a super refreshing option to enjoy during the last weeks of summer. 

Beersmith
1/F, Hotel Jen Beijing, 1 Jianguomenwai Avenue, Chaoyang District
朝阳区建国门外大街1号新国贸饭店1层
Hours: Sun-Thu 11am-2am, Fri-Sat 11am-3am
Phone: 010 8647 1098

Paulaner

Right by the Liangma River, Paulaner boasts a large outdoor space framed by hedges and complete with artificial grass, which makes for a pretty decent, sort of, beer garden. As you’d expect they have numerous Paulaner beers on tap along with some more unusual creations such as their beer cocktails, which include a Beer Mojito (RMB 79) or Paulaner Old Fashioned (RMB 89). Their Bavarian-themed menu leans heavily towards big, meaty dishes, but they do also have a few vegetarian options. 

Paulaner
1/F, Yansha Youyi Shangcheng, 52 Liangmaqiao Lu, Chaoyang District
朝阳区亮马桥路52号燕莎友谊商城F1
Hours: 11.30am-1am
Phone: 010 6465 3388, 010 6410 4212

Slowboat Maizidian and Baitasi

Both Slowboat’s Maizidian and Baitasi taprooms have lovely beer gardens. At the Maizidian branch they create their own little beer garden each summer right on the street outside the taproom. Walls of plants enclose the space giving it a nice garden vibe and come evening globe light strings give a nice warming glow to the space. 

At their Baitasi branch you can enjoy lovely views of Baitasi itself from the beer garden. This garden area covers quite a large space and has plenty of plants and greenery dotted around plus those lovely globe lights as well. 

At both branches, they’ve got 20 Slowboat beers on tap with everything from beloved classics like Drink Like A Fish Pilsner (RMB 40) and Monkey’s Fist IPA (RMB 45) to regular new releases such as Hailizi Laichi Gose (RMB 50). If you fancy trying a few different brews they do a tasting paddle of 3 100ml glasses for RMB 50. Aside from beer they also have their famous burgers, shareable dishes and more. Now is also the perfect time to visit Slowboat as today (Aug 23) they’ve just kicked off their 10th annual IPA Week with 20 different guest IPAs available on tap to try for just RMB 45 per beer, you can read more about it here.

Slowboat Maizidian
1/F, 78 Maizidian, Chaoyang District
朝阳区麦子店78号1层
Hours: Sun-Thu 11am-midnight, Fri-Sat 11am-2am
Phone: 010 6592 6362, 136 8306 8225

Slowboat Baitasi Taproom
73 Gongmenkou Xicha, Xicheng District
西城区宫门口西岔73号
Hours: Sun-Thu 11am-midnight, Fri-Sat 11am-2am
Phone: 130 0118 5508

Circle Urban Sanyuanqiao

At Circle Urban’s Sanyuanqiao location they have what can be described as sort of a cross between a beer garden and a terrace, with a reasonably large space out front that stretches across two areas. The left-hand side is particularly lovely, with a trellis stuffed with plants and flowers creating a green wall that gives a more natural feel. They have an array of craft beers on tap from Shanghai-based brewery Mingri Brewing. They also have coffee and classic cocktails, plus a range of Western food such as brunch, burgers, tacos, and pasta, so there is plenty to choose from.

Circle Urban
A7 1959 Shijianli, 5 Jingshun Lu, Chaoyang District
朝阳区京顺路5号1959时间里A7
Hours: 10am-1am
Phone: 172 0581 1180

Side Street Jianguomen

Another spot that has what’s a bit of a cross between a beer garden and a terrace is Side Street’s Jianguomen branch. The long terrace has surrounding greenery with trees further back which does give it a bit of a beer garden feeling. On the beer front, they’ve got a variety of beers from local Chinese breweries on tap plus a few international beers as well. The best accompaniment to a beer has to be one of their burgers, of which they’ve got an impressive 17 to choose from, or if that’s not your thing they’ve got kebabs, ribs, snacks, healthy bowls and more. 

Side Street (Jianguomen branch)
Bldg N28 2/101-102 17 Jianguomen Waidajie (behind Nola), Chaoyang District
朝阳区建国门外大街17号楼2/101-102 （Nola后面）
Hours: Sun-Thu 11am-midnight, Fri-Sat 11am-1am
Phone: 159 2069 4920

Great Leap #6

A favorite hutong spot for many, Great Leap’s flagship branch has a lovely courtyard beer garden. The courtyard itself is over 100 years old and you can appreciate the hutong architecture while sipping on a pint. You can expect to see some of their usual signature brews on tap like Honey Ma Gold (RMB 45), Banana Wheat (RMB 55), or Little General IPA (RMB 50), along with seasonal additions. They don't serve food at this location, but you’re free to waimai whatever you’d like. For those with furry friends, the courtyard is also completely dog-friendly!

Great Leap #6
6 Doujiao Hutong, Dongcheng District
东城区大跃啤酒6号鼓楼店
Hours: noon-midnight
Phone: 184 0060 8074

El Nido Beiluo

El Nido’s Beiluo branch has a cozy courtyard plus a small rooftop area. The wooden furnishings and vines growing on the pergola give it a relaxed, rustic feel ideal for a casual drink or two. They have a wide, ever-changing selection of beers, and often invite guest breweries from outside of Beijing to take over some of their taps. If beer isn’t your thing then no problem because Fang Bar, which serves up some banging cocktails, is also housed in the same courtyard. 

El Nido Beiluo
1 Langjia Hutong, Dongcheng District
东城区郎家胡同1号
Hours: Sun-Thu 2pm-2am, Fri-Sat 2pm-3am
Phone: 184 0061 2355

Zarah

Zarah’s courtyard is a personal favorite of mine, with a large tree as a focal point which casts some much-needed shade in Beijing’s hotter months, it also features bamboo and a partial glass ceiling, which creates a bit of a greenhouse vibe. Those looking to enjoy some early evening drinks can make use of their daily happy hour: 4pm-8pm draft beer and wine for RMB 35 a glass; 6pm-8pm all cocktails RMB 40. Their food selection is also excellent, with everything from salads to sandwiches to cheese and meat platters to pasta, it’s an especially great choice for vegans and vegetarians, with plenty of options on the menu.

Cafe Zarah
46 Gulou Dongdajie, Dongcheng District
东城区鼓楼东大街46号
Hours: Sun-Thu 10am-midnight, Fri-Sat 10am-1am
Phone: 010 8403 9807

Chill Bar

Located only a stone’s throw west from Andingmen, Chill Bar’s unassuming courtyard really does put the chill in its name. Like Zarah, a large tree dominates the space and the whole area had a recent renovation to spruce it up a bit. A mish-mash of normal tables and chairs, camping seating and other bits and bobs of furniture give it a homey feel that’s really welcoming. Here they have a variety of beer, cocktails, and other drinks plus a Western menu that features some pretty decent stone-baked pizzas.

It’s also home to literary group Spittoon, which, although don’t do their events in the courtyard, do have events every Thursday that are well worth checking out. You can follow their official account by searching for “Spittoon” on WeChat. 

Chill Bar
2 Andingmen Xidajie, Dongcheng District
东城区安定门西大街2号
Hours: 1pm-2am
Phone: 010 8403 3600, 185 0018 3893

READ: Even More of Beijing’s Best Rooftops and Terraces

Images: Uni You, Katie Coy, courtesy of the venues