Rest in Peace: Beijing Bar Gems Taken Too Soon

Drum and Bell Bar
Drum and Bell bar, what can we say? We miss the incredible rooftop, lounging in the sun on Beijing’s most beautiful days as we eavesdropped on confused tour groups being herded around the drum and bell towers. The fact that it has turned into just a wall is especially sad. I mean, the wall looks great and all, it’s quite a nice wall, but seriously, why did our favorite hutong bar have to be turned into an inanimate object? Especially missed are Sunday 50 kuai all-you-can-drink happy hours, ruining almost every Monday of the summers of 2013 and 2014.

Bed Bar
When Bed bar was put to bed after over ten years of providing Beijing’s hutong dwellers with drinks (sorry, had to be done), we were all sad. It really was one of the first bars in the area, and Bed bar’s mojito’s were just the best. On top of that, there was the fact that the bar consisted quite of mostly lounges for the ultimate relaxing vibe on any night of the week. However, Bed bar’s spirit lives on in the neighborhood, with Gulou really having turned into a nightlife hub.

The Den
We don’t really know what else to say about the iconic Den, apart from the fact that we’ll really miss having somewhere that’s definitely open at 5am after a night out on the town. And the fact that someone is definitely showing that one sports game at 3.30am. What we won’t miss is the creepy dudes creeping around us at those times of the night when we just came to watch the game, or to stuff our faces with pizza. We’re hoping that the Den will reopen elsewhere not too far in the future.

Stumble Inn
One of the original Sanlitun sports bars, the Stumble Inn was a bar that attracted both flocks of real drinkers as well as down-to-earth crowds of sports fans for a wonderful vibe. The terrace completed the bar which was especially popular during long Beijing summers, as well as a menu of solid bar snacks. While Beijing still has a couple of solid sports bars, this is just one of the many old-timers that we miss around town.

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Photos: the Beijinger