"Beijing Boyce - Beijing's Pubs, Bars and... " a Beijing Travel Page by beijingboyce

This is bar central in Beijing, which means both good and bad things. Bad things include "lady bar," fake CD, and substance touts, as well as over-priced bars. The good is that there are plenty of gems in this area. Snack food abounds - the best area is in front of Tong Li studio, where you can have your fill of burritos, wings, kebabs and pizza. Interesting bars here include Cheers (live Xinjiang music on Saturday nights), China Doll (three-floor lounge / club) and Shooters (very cheap shots in a fun environment). You'll find a young - lots of foreign college kids - here, so it can get quite rowdy as the night wears on.

This caters to a bit older and mellower crowd. Highlights here include The Bookworm, which has wine, whiskey, okay food and more than 14000 books to peruse, Browns, which was voted bar of the year and serves up very good blue cheese chicken wings and a decent draft beer selection, and Q Bar, about 300 meters south, which has the best martinis in town (it's on the top floor of the Eastern Inn).

Bar adventurers would do well with a stop at Houhai, where the lake is ringed with dozens of bars, and Suzie Wong's, which is among the more famous of Beijing's nightlife spots with its opium-den feel. For info on a lot of other spots, check beijingboyce.com