Things tend to move so quickly in Beijing that it can be really hard to keep up. Even in the past few weeks, there have been new bar openings and new closures, and announcements of renovations. These are the most need-to-know changes to Beijing’s nightlife scene: make sure you are in the know, and try out something new this weekend.

New Openings

There are always new openings throughout Beijing. For example, Jing A is opening a temporary pop-up in Sanlitun in September, displaying all their brews in the same place for a few months. Unfortunately the location of this pop-up is currently unknown, but we should find out soon.

There are also a few new pubs and bars in the area. Firstly Lark Brewpub, ran by previous Panda Brew Pub owner, which offers a bunch of different home-brewed beers, and also has a collection of bottled beers from around the world. Nestled in a Beixinqiao hutong, this independent brewery is great for weekday drinks with friends, or to start a night out.

Sanlitun also has a new bar addition: Miles, a cocktail bar with a menu full of cocktails and whiskeys and staff that will definitely be able to make something to fit your personal taste. Why not give them a shot during their daily happy hour between 18:00 and 21:00, for a 15 RMB discount on all drinks.

And finally, for those craving Chinese liquor, there is Capital Spirits, a new baijiu bar that might take some getting used to. Capital Spirits makes baijiu cocktails for everyone who is not 100 percent convinced yet, and they also have some special Chinese beers.

Lark BrewpubView In Map
Add: 67 Beixinwiao Toutiao, Dongcheng District, Beijing
地址: 北京市东城区北新桥头条67号
Tel：139 1130 2258
Opening hours: Daily, 10:00-24:00

MilesView In Map
Add: 33 Sanlitun Xijie, Chaoyang District, Beijing
地址: 北京市朝阳区三里屯西街33号
Opening hours: Daily, 18:00-24:00

Capital SpiritsView In Map
Add: 3 Daju Hutong, Dongcheng District, Beijing
地址：北京市东城区大菊胡同3号
Opening hours: Tuesday-Sunday, 20:00-24:00

Moves

The past two weeks have seen some brutal advancements of gulou destruction and gentrification, with many residential and commercial properties being completely bulldozed. Expat favourite Drum and Bell was one of these victims, and is certainly going to be missed when Beijing really starts seeing some autumn weather. Its rooftop is going to be hard to replace, but the owners of Drum and Bell have moved  into pre-existing Chill Bar, just by Andingmen Station. Some of the old Drum and Bell staff have moved with it, and the interior has been changed slightly, making the bar more open. This way we can at least pretend we are on a rooftop overlooking the Drum and Bell towers, right? The draft beer kegs had not been moved, but we were promised that they will soon be offering the exact same drinks. For now, the drinks served are the same ones that Chill used to serve.

Chill/Drum and Bell BarView In Map
Add: 2 Andingmennei Xidajie (50 m west from southwest corner of Andingmen Qiao), Dongcheng District, Beijing
地址: 北京市东城区安定门内西大街2号（安定门桥西南边往西走50米）
Tel：020 6405 9575
Opening hours: Daily, 15:00-02:00

Temporary Shutdowns

Following the random drug testing that had 9 arrested last weekend, bar and live music venue 2Kolegas has shut its doors until further notice. We are most certainly hoping for some good news from this long-time expat favourite.

Another ‘temporary ending’ comes from hutong Morrocan food and Rum bar Cu Ju, which has just closed its doors for refurbishment. We are excited to see what this renovation will add to Beijing’s nightlife scene , once it reopens to the public.

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