Beijing
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. Save this neighbourhood guide before your next night in Beijing.
Sanlitun · $$$
Beijing's most awarded cocktail bar.
Sanlitun · $$$$
Japanese-style cocktail bar in a hidden upstairs room.
Gulou · $$
Mexican-influenced cocktail bar in a converted hutong courtyard.
Sanlitun · $$
Tiki bar that takes the genre seriously.
Wudaoying Hutong · $$
Speakeasy inside a 200-year-old courtyard house.
You'll find Cocktail Bars, Craft Beer and Hidden Gems here, all tightly clustered enough to walk between in a single evening. That's the value of a neighbourhood guide: pick a starting room, end up four bars in, and never get in a cab. Every recommendation below is independent — barsforKings doesn't take payment for editorial placement, ever.
The order below is a working ranking, not gospel. Read the notes, pick the room that fits the night you're planning, and treat Houhai like locals do — start early, walk between rooms, end somewhere quieter than you started.
A working editorial ranking. Walkable in a single evening — pick your starting room and let the neighbourhood do the rest.