The Dali Dali: My New Favorite Beijing Bar?
I love a night that takes you someplace unexpected and a little magical. A group of friends and I had just finished a late dinner and weren't ready to go home, but the usual KTV suggestion wasn't sparking any excitement. Then someone said, “Let's go to The Dali Dali.” I'm sorry, the what?
Turns out the hutongs of Beiluoguxiang have been keeping a secret from me! A fun bar named after the surrealist painter and lover of libations Salvator Dali, who famously said “Wine cheers the sad, revives the old, inspires the young, makes weariness forget his toil.”
This Beiluoguxiang branch is one of two locations (the other branch is situated just west of Andingmen), and the small storefront opens into a sophisticated yet artistically quirky bar complete with plush chairs around glossy tables and a three-dimensional stucco portrait of the name-sake hanging over the bar.
The menu offers everything from twists on traditional sidecars, G&T's and martinis to a seasonal selection of cocktails that are not only beautiful but well balanced and easy to drink. My two favorites were the Golden Age, a rum and passion fruit concoction served under a spinning golden carousel and sprayed with gold mist, and the Make A Wish, a vodka-based fruity treat brought to your table smoking like a genie from a bottle. What can I say – I give points for well executed drama!
Less flashy but equally enjoyable were the Passion Beijing, Alice in Wonderland and Purple Martini. Cocktails ranged from RMB 80 to RMB 100, with most being lucky number 88. It was a great end to the night in a lovely location, and we will definitely be back to try all the tipples we missed.
The Dali Dali (Beiluoguxiang branch)
26 Beiluoguxiang, Dongcheng District
东城区北锣鼓巷26号
Hours: 6pm-1.30am
Phone: 187 1506 9770
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Images: Julie Wolf