Beijing's Ten Best Beer Bars

Beijing's Ten Best Beer Bars

Most of us can probably recall a time when we overdosed on cheap Tsingtao or Yanjing beers, suffered from a severe hang-over and swore never to go down the cheap alcohol route again, but instead pay a few kuai extra for quality beers that won’t wreak as much havoc on the brain cells in the long-term. With Beijing’s impressive and ever-expanding number of bars and pubs stocking admirable selections of international and home-brewed beers, there’s never been a better time to move up on the beer indulgence scale. Granted, these beers are significantly more expensive than China’s local beer, but you do get what you pay for – namely good quality beer. Here are the ten best watering holes for good beer in Beijing (not in any specific order).

1) Beer Mania 麦霓啤酒吧View In Map
Beer Mania offers one of the most extensive selections of Belgian brews in the city. Besides the 60 Belgian beers available, Beer Mania also stocks beers from Germany, United States, England, Holland, Spain, Mexico, Australia, France and beyond. The bar also offers a rotating selection of white beers on draught. Everything from the decor to beer menu screams Brussels, making this bar every homesick Belgian man’s new best friend.

Add: 103, Taiyue Hotel, 16 Sanlitun Nanjie, Sanlitun, Chaoyang District, Beijing
地址: 北京市朝阳区三里屯南街16号泰悦豪庭103
Tel: 010 6585 0786
Opening hours: 14:00-02:00

2) The Tree 树酒吧View In Map
The Tree is an immensely popular hangout at the weekends. Featuring a huge selection of Belgian and other international beer brands, this is the place to go for a wide choice of booze combined with freshly baked oven pizzas. It also has a good selection of beers on tap such as Hoegaarden and Beamish. It’s recommended to get here early at weekends though.

Add: 43 Bei Sanlitun Nan, Sanlitun, Chaoyang District, Beijing
地址: 北京市朝阳区北三里屯南43号
Tel: 010 6415 1954
Opening hours: 10:00-02:00
Website: www.treebeijing.com

3) Frank’s PlaceView In Map
Beijing’s oldest Western and sports pub, Frank’s Place has witnessed the vast changes sweeping across the city since 1989. As popular back then as it is now, Frank’s extensive beer and food list has ensured the bar’s permanent fixture in Beijing’s gastronomy scene. They serve a good selection of imported draught beer including Guinness and Kilkenny as well as a wide selection of bottled beers such as Pure Blonde Premium Lager (Australia), James Boag’s Premium (Australia), St.Peter’s Suffolk Gold (UK) and XXXX Bitter (Australia). Nothing beats one of Frank’s burgers washed down with a pint of ice-cold beer.

Add: Jiangtai Xilu, West of Rosedale Hotel, Lido, Chaoyang District, Beijing
地址: 北京市朝阳区丽都将台西路
Opening hours: 08:00-Late
Tel: 010 6437 8399
Website: http://www.franksplacebeijing.com/

4) The Vineyard CafeView In Map
Located near the Lama Temple, Vineyard Cafe houses both a bar and restaurant. Their drinks menu includes beers from America, Germany, Australia, Belgium, UK and Ireland. They also serve Corona, Czech Budvar, Tsingtao and Beijing beer. Prices for the imports vary from 30-45 RMB.

Add: 31 Wudaoying Hutong, Dongcheng District, Beijing
地址: 北京市东城区五道营胡同31号
Opening hours: 11:30-23:30 Tue-Sun
Tel: 010 6402 7961
Website: www.vineyardcafe.cn

5) The Kro’s Nest
Though The Kro’s Nest may not stock the most extensive selection of beers in all Beijing, their masterful combination of delicious, crispy pizza with a small but varied selection of imported bottled beers (mainly American) makes this one of the most popular options for combining eating and drinking. Now boasting three venues across the city, their beer menu includes Rogue Dead Guy Ale, Old No.38, Brooklyn Lager, Brooklyn India Pale Ale and Rogue American Amber Ale all priced at 30 RMB per bottle.

Gongti BranchView In Map
Add: Gongti North Gate, VICS Club South, Chaoyang Distrcit, Beijing
地址: 北京市朝阳区工人体育场北路工人体育场北门院内
Tel: 010 6553 5253
Opening hours: Tue-Thurs 11:30-22:00, Fri-Sun 11:30-23:00 

Beida BranchView In Map
Add: 1 Fuyuanmen, Yiheyuan Lu, Haidian District, Beijing
地址: 北京市海淀区颐和园路福缘门1号
Tel: 010 6252 8057
Opening hours: Tue-Thurs 11:30-22:00, Fri-Sun 11:30-23:00

Beitai BranchView In Map
Add: Beitaipingzhuang Qiao, 2 Youdan Dasha Building B, Xicheng District, Beijing
地址: 北京西城区北三环北太平桥东南角 有研大厦B座2号
Tel: 010 8201 4899, 6202 34790
Opening hours: Tue-Thurs 11:30-22:00, Fri-Sun 11:30-23:00

6) Danger Doyle’sView In Map
Danger Doyle’s has several factors that work to its advantage: a 520 square metre rooftop terrace with ample seating and two bars, a wood-fired clay pizza oven, pool tables, TVs showing live sports events and last but not least an impressive selection of beers. Summer is when the joint really comes to life; cold beers, roof terrace, great views … what more do you want?

Add: 3F, Building Block 5, China View, 2 Gongti Donglu, Chaoyang district, Beijing
地址: 北京朝阳区工体东路2号中国红街大楼5号楼三层
Opening hours: 10:00am-late daily
Tel: 010 6591 3337, VIP Hotline: 136 0139 1308

7) Ned’sView In Map
Ned’s is a small Australian bar with a big selection of Oz beers. Spread over two storeys on Nanluoguxiang, Ned’s offers seven brands of Australian beer which are all reasonably priced at around 30 RMB. The bar’s daily happy hour from 18:00-20:00 offers 10 RMB off all Aussie beers. That, together with the cricket and football makes this little bars one of the liveliest spots on Nanluoguxiang.

Add: 84 Nanluoguxiang, Dongcheng District, Beijing
地址: 北京市东城区南锣鼓巷84号
Opening hours: Daily 6pm-late
Contact: nedsbeijing@hotmail.com

8) The Rickshaw 人力车酒吧View In Map
Besides the chicken wings with blue cheese dressing and Mexican food, the Rickshaw also offers a decent selection of imported beers such as Brooklyn East India Pale Ale, Redback, Pure Blonde, Acme Pale Ale, Rogue Amber, Cascade, Red Seal Ale and Dead Guy Ale. Located near The Bookworm, close to where the old “Nan Jie” bar street used to be, this bar has tendencies to get jam packed at weekends. Open 24 hours, this is the place to get an import beer no matter what time of the day or night.

Add: Sanlitun Nanjie, Chaoyang District, Beijing (just south of Gongti Beilu)
地址:北京市朝阳区三里屯南街
Tel: 010 6500 4330
Website: http://www.beijingrickshaw.com/
Opening hours: open 24 hours

9) The Den 敦煌View In Map
This sports bar may not have Beijing’s most extensive beer list, but it’s open 24 hours and offers good discounts on drinks during happy hours (17:00-22:00). Among the beers on menu are a number of Australian brews such as Pure Blonde, James Boags, XXXX and Cascades. The Den was voted as “Best After Hours Club” in the 2006 Beijinger Bar and Club Awards and is usually crowded with excited fans during sports events.

Add: A4 Gongti Donglu, Gongti, Chaoyang District, Beijing
地址: 北京市朝阳区工体东路甲4号城市宾馆旁边
Tel: 010 6592 6290
Opening hours: open 24 hours

10) Paulaner Brauhaus 普拉纳啤酒坊View In Map
The big draw of Paulaner Bierhaus is the fact that it brews its own beer. It’s conveniently located next to Liangmaqiao Station (Exit C) and the Kempinksi Hotel and features a 429 square metre beer garden in the back. If you’re looking for a bar with a big choice of beers then you’ll be barking up the wrong tree here. The premises micro-brewery makes light and dark Paulaner wheat beers. Though the menu is small, the beers are consistently good. Bring some extra cash though because the beers don’t come cheap (114 RMB for steins).

Add: 50 Liangmaqiao Lu Kempinski Hotel Beijing, Sanyuanqiao, Chaoyang District, Beijing
地址: 北京市朝阳区亮马桥路50号北京凯宾斯基饭店
Tel: 010 6465 -3388 ext. 5731
Opening hours: 11:00-01:00

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