Night Life In Peking

Bar Street in Beijing: Located in the northeastern part of Beijing near the diplomatic quarters, Sanlitun Bar Street came into being in 1993 and is now very popular with foreigners and young Chinese. Most bars invite young and energetic bands and singers to put on live shows from 8 pm till midnight throughout the week. When night falls people come to the bars in an endless stream, chatting with friends and enjoying beer and music. Especially in summer, drinkers like to sit at tables outside and talk late into night.

Bars

Banana Three floors of glass walled seating surround a packed dancefloor, tended by some of the world's top DJs. It is big, bold and brash, with a mammoth sound system you could shake a filling at. Weekdays 8:30pm-4:30am; weekends 8:30pm-5am. Scitech Hotel, 22 Jianguomenwai Dajie, Chaoyang District. 6528-3636. , 22

Bar Blu Perched atop Tongli studios, features private booths, a pool table and a cool roof terrace. Mon-Thu 5pm-late; Fri&Sat 11am-4am; Sun 11am-late. 4/F Tongli Studios, Sanlitun Beilu, Chaoyang District. 6417-4124).4  Bed Tapas & Bar  Surprisingly large, with a maze of rooms offering sprawls of cushions and bed-type booths, providing a perfect Saturday night-in feel for those preferring a low-key evening. Tapas and Asian food served. Mon-Tue 4pm-late; Wed-Sun 12pm-late. 17 Zhangwang Hutong, Xicheng District. 8400-1554. , 17

The Brewery Tap Far from the madding crowed, English and Belgian beers served in comfy surroundings. Mon-Fri 5pm-1am; Sat-Sun 3pm-1am. S111A, Blue Castle International Apartment, 3 West Dawang Lu, Chaoyang District. 8599-9092. , 3(S111A, )

Browns

Browns has stormed the Beijing bar scene and occupied the middle ground that was previously no man's land. It impresses on entry, with its high ceilings, pictured and plasma screened walls and a huge "wine tower" holding centre stage, that will surely become a landmark of the post Sanlitun Nanjie bar scene. 2am till late. 4 Gongti Beilu, Chaoyang District. 6591-2717. 4

Buddha Bar 1 Opposite the Moscow restaurant, acid jazz, trip-hop and kitsch go hand in hand. Daily 11am-1am. 2 Yinding Qiao, Shichahai, (facing Kaorouji Restaurant), Xicheng District. 6617-9488. 1, 2

Centro Style tops the menu at bar. Its hotel-bar feel by day gives way to a comfortable, warm atmosphere at night. Cosy sofas set away from the venue's centrepiece, an Indonesian bar counter with inset lights, provide the perfect atmosphere. Daily. The Kerry Centre Hotel

Guanghua Road, Chaoyang District. 65618833 ext 42.

Champagne Bar With its vibrant ambience the bar is the place to be on Wangfujing Avenue for Champagne, fine wines, top end cigars and great music. Daily 5pm - 2am. Crowne Plaza Beijing, 48 Wangfujing Avenue, Dongcheng District. 65133388-5. 48

Cheers Caf Despite the name, the feeling inside is definitely Latin and not Bostonian. There's live music Wednesday to Sunday, with flamenco on Fridays and flamenco fusion on Saturdays. It is another Sanlitun South survivor that is picking up a lot of trade as people pass by on the stairs to Bar Blu. 2nd. Floor Tongli Studio, Sanlitun Houjie, Chaoyang District. 13520446062.

Chimo Cafe

Located in Lido area, the shop creates a quiet and confortable enviroment for business chats, friend gatherings as well as romantic talks. Visitors may browse through the shop's unique collection of books while sipping coffee or having western foods served. Daily. Rm 101 Parkview Centre, 5 Fangyuan Xilu, Chaoyang District. 8456-7856. 5101

Club Football Centre Football both European and American style in real pub surroundings, good food too. Daily 11am-midnight. Red House Hotel, 10 Chunxiu Lu, Chaoyang District. 6416-7786. , 10

Club Re V Euro dcor, sofas and booths with cocktails. Daily 7pm-late. Building 88, Workers Stadium, west gate, Chaoyang District. 6553-1266.88, 16,

Club Top Nice layout, no hip-hop, but still struggling for custom, situated as it is next to many other well frequented clubs. Sun-Thu 4pm-3am, Thu-Sat 4pm-6am. 4/F Tongli Studios, Sanlitun Beilu (next to Bar Blu), Chaoyang District. 6413 1019. 4, Bar Blu

The Den Sport - the staple of which is football, rugby and cricket - is subtly piped through in such a manner so as not to be intrusive, as large groups of friends meet for cheap eats, while individuals read or simply people watch. This is the beauty of The Den. Dancefloor upstairs. Daily 24 hours. 4 Gongti Donglu, (next to City Hotel main entrance), Chaoyang District. 6592-6290. , 4,

Durty Nellie's Irish bar with obligatory Guinness and stew. Pool, darts and occasional live music. Daily 10am-1:30am. 1/B Liangmaqiao Flower Market, Chaoyang District. 6593-5050. , 1/B

High Society Take in some jazz whilst choosing from a selection of European wines. Good menu. Daily 11am-2am. 55 Xingfu Zhongjie (1/F Jiezuo Dasha), Chaoyang District. 6417-9780.

Hometown Bar A Mongolian bar for Mongolian people, but all are a welcome as songs from the grasslands are belted out nightly. Daily 9:30am-late. 30 Huangsi Dajie (above the Caoyuan Feiyangfu Mongolian Restaurant), Xicheng District. 6206-4256. , 30()

Hutong Bar Open layout provides a refreshing change from the intensity of its Houhai neighbors. Daily 2pm-2am. 8 Houhai Nanyan, Xicheng District. 6615-8691.

Inner Affair A moneyed crowd groove on down beneath a giant golden Buddha. Drinks attentively chilled and served. Toilets in adjacent office blockodd. Daily 6:30pm-late. 6 Xiliujie, Sanlitun, Chaoyang District. 8454-0899.

Goose and Duck Pub A mainly expat crowd in this pub cum sportsbar venue. Nice beer and great food served in spacious seating area. Daily 24 hours. 1 Bihuju Nanlu, Chaoyang Park west gate, Chaoyang District. 6538-1691.

John Bull Pub Trad English fodder like Yorkshire pud and roast beef served up in authentic surroundings. Quiz on Tuesdays. Daily 11am-midnight. 44 Guanghua Lu, Chaoyang District. 6532-5905.

La-Signe Gourmet Club

Gold is the colour at the club which obviously tries to live up to its Chinese name, which means "luxury and colour."

The food is French style. Daily 7pm-2am. B2 HQ Ritz Hotel, A 8 Guanghua Lu, Chaoyang District. 6581-6089.

Link Claims to be the highest bar in the city. Good views on clear days and nights. Daily 10pm-2am. Building A, 26th Floor, Jianwai Soho, Chaoyang District.

Lush Student favourite Lush, provides a daytime study sanctuary and crowded beered-up evenings. Good food, well managed but the waitresses seem to be deaf during the day. Daily 24 hours. 2/F Building 1, Huaqing Jiayuan, Chengfu Lu, (across from the Wudaokou light-rail station), Haidian District.

Maggie's Bar A favourite for Mongolian girls and German businessmen, the new venue is good fun, whatever your mission. Sun-Wed 7:30pm-4:30am; Thu-Sat 7:30pm-5am. South Gate of Ritan Park, Chaoyang District (8562 8142/8143).

Mix Guest foreign DJs and a hip-hop crowd in this large light and airy space. Daily 8pm-late. Inside Workers' Stadium north gate, Chaoyang District. 6530-2889.

Nanjie Rack'em Pack'em and Stack'em: shots 100RMB for 12. Easy atmosphere, young crowd and pizza to die for. Daily 5pm-late. Gongti Beilu (opposite the Workers Stadium north gate, to the right of the parking lot gate) Chaoyang District. 6413-0963.

Nashville The Sanlitun South survivor now comes with a "deep South" feel second floor, decked out with tan leather chairs, dark wood panelling and a flimsy looking humidor with a wide selection of Cubans and co, should you wish to chug on a big fat one. Daily,11am-3am, Haoyun Jie, 29 Zaoying Lu, Chaoyang District. 5867-0298.

No Name Bar The original kid on the block heralding the start of the Houhai circus. Easy atmosphere and nice toilets. Daily Noon-2am. 3 Qianhai Dongyan, (next to Kaorouji Restaurant), Xicheng District. 6401-8541.

On/Off It's shabby street sign belies the interior of this bar/restaurant and internet caf. Live music events with a queer ambience some nights. Daily 7:30pm-2am. Lianbao Apartments, 5 Xingfu Yicun Xili, Chaoyang District. 6415-8083.

Pass By Bar Good place to take a girl, or a guy, Pass By has an intimate atmosphere and a comprehensive Italian menu. Great for listening to guys' cheesy chat lines. Was well known for its (often inaccessible and unorganised) book collection until Bookworm came along and stole the show. Daily 9am-2am. 108 Nanluogu Xiang, Dongcheng District. 8403-8004.

The Pavillion is proving a hit with its 90 wine cellar, 40 scotches, range of cigars, Guinness and leather sofas. Good place for networking. Reasonable menu. Mon-Fri 5pm-late, Sat-Sun 10am-late. Opposite the west gate of the Workers' Stadium, Gongti Xilu, Chaoyang District. 6507-2617.

Poachers Inn With the same tunes every week, Poachers takes full advantage of the transient population but does it well. A young local and expat student favourite. Non-stop dancing. Daily 8pm-late. 43 Bei Sanlitun Lu Chaoyang District. 6417-2632 ext 8506.

The Pomegranate Small menus are often the sign of good food and so it is here. Situated in an old hutong, sport is the focus with some nice artwork on the walls. Daily 11am-midnight. 19 Kaifa Lu, Xibaixinzhuang, Houshayu, Shunyi District. 8046-2558.

Propaganda The king of clubs in Wudaokou, Propaganda caters for a young international crowd in a large, tightly packed venue. Daily 8pm-4am. 100 metres north of the east gate of Huaqing Jiayuan, Wudaokou, Haidian District. 13691376777.

Rock & Roll A veteran of the Beijing night scene, Rock & Roll is a fascinating place to while away an hour or two, regardless of age.Young Beijingers have it to techno while an interesting array of night creatures prowl the periphery. Daily 8:30pm-5am. Yard 4, Gongti Beilu (behind The Loft), Chaoyang District. 6592-9856.

Salsa Carib A pirate theme and a boat protruding from the outside, Salsa Caribe dances to a Latin beat. Women - expect to be hit on. Daily 7:30pm-late. 4 Gongti Beilu (across from the Loft) Chaoyang District. 6507-7821.

Stone Boat Bar Who would have thought this would float? A perfect sanctuary from city life situated in Ritan Park. Take lots of mozzy repellent in the summer. Daily 10am-late. Lakeside, southwest corner of Ritan Park, Chaoyang District. 6501-9986.

Suzie Wong

Taking its inspiration from a 1930s opium den, it offers dimly lit curtained alcoves along with spacious main seating areas, ornately furnished with antique Chinese furniture and hanging lanterns. While the dance floor is a bit on the small size, sturdy tables provide makeshift podiums.

1A South Nongzhanguan Lu, Chaoyang Park West Gate. 6593-6049.

Tango This massive club, divided into three areas, is replete with another - Mango - on top and a KTV in the basement. The venue provides something to suit all tastes. Daily 24 hours. South gate of Ditan Park, (next to Jindingxuan Restaurant), Dongcheng District. 6428-2288.

Tianchang Club Home to rocker, Zang Tianshuo and his band, the club also hosts other local bands. Beer and darts provide the remainder of activities. Daily 8:30pm-late. 200 metres north of Changdongqiao, beside Shunfeng Restaurant, Chaoyang District. 6595-1899. , 200,(2)

Vics A young, mostly expat crowd getting it down to the wee hours to a mix of hip-hop, funk, soul and reggae. Daily 8:30pm-late. Inside Workers' Stadium north gate, Chaoyang District. 6593-6215.

West Wing Bar DVD booths and a punchbag provide the distractions in this bar cum teahouse. Daily 2pm-2am. Inside the west end of the Deshengmen Tower, Xicheng District. 8208-2836.

 Wangfujing Street Night Markets
This local night snack street is located near Wangfujing Street, hence the name of Wangfujing Street Night Markets. Actually it is located on the Donghuamen Street. So this snack food street is also called the Donganmen Night Market. Here you can buy Mongolian barbecued lamb, sweet rolls, drinks, and much more. Even if you don't eatanything, it's interesting to just be here and watch. Add: Take Line 1 of the Beijing subway and get off at the Wangfujing station

 Hard Rock Cafe: Beijing's Pub Culture
The Hardrock café Beijing is an inhouse complex nestled in the Landmark Tower, close to Lufthansa center. It is unlike other Hardrock cafés around the world. It is worth visiting and feeling the unique ambiance. The restaurant entrance features a bright red 1960 vintage Cadillac, a huge neon-lit guitar, and marble piano keys that pave the way to the Cafe. The interior has an 8-metre-wide dome, painted with images of Jimi Hendrix, Chuck Berry, the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, Little Richard, Elvis Presley, and popular tourist spots such as Tiananmen Square and Temple of Heaven. The guitar-shaped bar, measuring 11.5 metres, is truly a masterpiece. The centre stage is set against a huge stained glass wall measuring 4.6 metres by 4.8 metres.
Add: No.8 North Dongsanhuan Road, Landmark Hotel, Chaoyang District, Beijing