Beijing Bar Guide
30+ bars across Beijing's drinking neighbourhoods, curated by editors who know the city.
Beijing went from beer-and-baijiu to one of Asia's serious cocktail capitals in under a decade. World's 50 Best regulars sit in hutong courtyards. Skybars perch above the Workers' Stadium. The bartenders trained in Tokyo and Singapore came home and built rooms that match the cities they learned in.
Five neighbourhoods cluster the action. Sanlitun is the international-cocktail spine. Gulou around the drum tower runs the hutong speakeasies. Wudaoying Hutong is the design-cocktail strip. The CBD east of Sanlitun has the high-rise hotel bars. Houhai around the lakes is the lake-side terrace district.
Cocktails run 80 to 130 yuan ($11 to $18). Cheaper than Tokyo, in line with Singapore. Tipping is not expected; service is included. Most bars open to 2am, weekend bars to 4am. Reserve Janes + Hooch and Mokihi on Friday and Saturday.
Browse by occasion
Cocktail Bars in Beijing
World-class cocktail rooms
Rooftop Bars in Beijing
Skyline drinks
Date Night in Beijing
Romantic spots
After Work in Beijing
Apéro-hour bars
Live Music in Beijing
Bands and DJs
Craft Beer in Beijing
Microbreweries and taprooms
Hidden Gems in Beijing
Unmarked doors
Sports Bars in Beijing
Watch parties
Top Picks This Week
Janes + Hooch
Beijing's most awarded cocktail bar. World's 50 Best Asia regular. Long marble counter, classic-cocktail-leaning menu, and serious technique. Reserve a counter seat.
Mokihi
Japanese-style cocktail bar in a hidden upstairs room. Twelve seats. The bartender hand-cuts ice and stirs cocktails for over 90 seconds. Pure Tokyo discipline transplanted to Beijing.
Revolución
Mexican-influenced cocktail bar in a converted hutong courtyard. Mezcal-and-tequila-forward menu, taco kitchen, and a young engaged crowd. Best on a warm summer evening in the courtyard.
The Tiki Bungalow
Tiki bar that takes the genre seriously. Carved wooden interior, rum-forward menu, and tropical-fruit garnishes done right. The most fun bar in Beijing.
Nostalgia
Speakeasy inside a 200-year-old courtyard house. Cocktails are simple and well-made. The room is the draw. Best for a Wednesday or Thursday before it fills.
D Lounge
Cocktail bar inside the Opposite House hotel. Polished, dressed-up, and one of the longest cocktail menus in Beijing. Best for an after-dinner drink.
Neighbourhood Guide
Sanlitun
The international cocktail spine. Skybars, speakeasies, and the densest concentration of serious bar programmes in northern China. Walk between everything in twenty minutes.
Gulou
Around the drum tower. Hutong speakeasies inside courtyard houses, neighbourhood bars, and the most atmospheric drinking quarter in Beijing.
Wudaoying Hutong
Tiny hutong street north of Beixinqiao. Boutique cocktail rooms, design-cocktail bars, and the city's most photographed drinking strip.
CBD
The high-rise district east of Sanlitun. Hotel skybars, polished after-work cocktails, and a corporate dressed-up crowd.
Houhai
The lakes north-west of the centre. Lake-side terraces, summer-evening drinking, and the most relaxed bar culture in Beijing. Touristy, but the lakes are the lakes.
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