2024 Year-in-Review: New Beijing Bars

It has been quite the year for Beijing! In our 2024 Year-in-Review, we're taking a look back at the happenings in the capital from this year that was.

Along with all the new restaurant openings we’ve had this year, a number of new bars have also popped up around the capital. We’ve written about a fair share of them over the past months, so below are some of our favorites.

Aurora

Sharing a space with MPlus Coffee just off the main Beixinqiao drag is this cute cocktail bar. The bright interior plays into the menu here, which leans heavily on light yet inventive sours, with interesting flavor combos. Bonus, they’ve got an art gallery upstairs, so you can enjoy a drink while enjoying some art at the same time.

Aurora Whiskey & Cocktail
7 Banqiao Nanxiang, Dongcheng District (inside People’s Art & Culture Park)
东城区板桥南巷7号院人民美术文化园内
Hours: Mon-Thu & Sun, 6.30pm-1am; Fri-Sat, 6.30pm-2am
Contact: 157 2663 3031

Bar Flavour

One of the more creative bars on this list, Bar Flavour promises a true flavor journey with their drinks. Highlights include the Life is Beautiful (RMB 75/glass, RMB 138/280ml bottle), made with gin and Campari with some added grape and lime; and the very intriguing Morning, Beijing (RMB 85/glass, RMB 198/280ml bottle), in which sesame peanut sauce whiskey joins Shaoxing wine, walnut kernel, pistachio, and lemon. As suggested by the prices, most cocktails on the menu can be taken away by the bottle.

Bar Flavour
05, Bldg 57, Block F, 1/F, 107 Dongsi Beidajie, Dongcheng District
东城区东四北大街107号57幢F座1层05室
Hours: Daily, 7pm-2am

Tiao

This bar, which is operated by Mandarin Oriental Beijing Wangfujing, takes the concept of the hotel's MO Bar – a menu of drinks that take guests through Beijing and China by the glass – and doubles down on it. Within the confines of this hutong situated drinking den, bartenders work their magic to mix drinks inspired by the very heart of Beijing, Chinese folktales, and Chinese legend.

Tiao 十条
40 Xixinglong Jie, Dongcheng District
东城区西兴隆街40号
Hours: Sun-Thurs, 6pm-1am; Fri-Sat, 6pm-2am

Molaito

A restaurant bar that opened the last week of November, Molaito stepped in to fill the shoes of TABLO. While the dessert cocktail bar is gone, this new spot, owned and operated by the same proprietors, boasts a nice selection of Chengdu snacks and some Chengdu-themed cocktails as well. Highlights on our radar include the Chengdu Tiki, a Tiki-inspired highball spiced up with chili. 

Molaito 莫来头
110 Base Apt Commercial Bldg, 17 Qianliang Hutong, Dongcheng District
东城区钱粮胡同17号佰舍公寓110号底商
Hours: Wed-Mon, 5pm-11pm
Contact: 178 1022 4171

Overtone Taproom

The first China branch of Scottish brewery Overtone, a Glasgow-based operation with a penchant for New England-style IPAs with big bold flavors, Overtone Taproom boasts a long bar with over 20 beers on offer plus a large beer fridge to the left of the bar. It’s situated just above a Lawson’s overlooking Dongsi Beidadjie between Beixinqiao and Zhangzizhonglu, making it a nice spot to hide away while enjoying a pint and some nice, very intriguing, bar snacks.

Overtone Taproom
2/F, 75 Dongsibei Dajie
东城区东四北大街74号2层
Hours: Sun-Thurs, 2pm-1am; Fri-Sat, 2pm-2am
Phone: 185 1351 5303

Sip Siip

If you’re around the CBD and in need of a wine fix, then you’ll love Sip Siip, a wine bar that opened at the bottom of Zhongjun World City in January. The wine selection includes 28 main grape varieties from 14 famous wine regions with the selection rotating each month, keeping the most popular ones and changing out others. Along with wine they also have a menu of Yunnan food created in partnership with Yunnan restaurant Under Clouds. 

Sip Siip
Unit. E130, 101 1F, 8 Jinhui Lu, Chaoyang District
朝阳区金汇路8号楼1层101, E130单元
Hours: 5pm-1am
Phone: 130 2125 0871

WhyNot Taproom

Why Not opened up shop in Gulou in February, just north of the Bell and Drum Towers. With a curved bar and beer taps set in bright red alcoves in front of an exposed brick lattice it has a bit of an artsy, modern vibe. They’ve got 13 beers on tap with a range of IPAs. WhyNot also has bar bites to go with their beers, including some fantastic burgers, some of which made waves during this year’s Juicy Burger Fest and Burger Cup.

WhyNot Taproom 歪脑呆
Jintai Shared Space, 20 Zhaofu Jie, Dongcheng District
东城区赵府街20号金台共享际
Hours: Tue-Thu & Sun 6pm-midnight, Fri-Sat 6pm-1am, closed Mon
Phone: 157 1140 3127

Stray Alley

This cocktail den, which became the new home of Guanzhuang’s Stray Dogs when it opened in Chaowai SOHO this summer. They’ve got a cozy interior and a menu of classics like Pisco and New York Sours plus some intriguing signature cocktails to boot.

Stray Alley 野犬集
0229, 2F, Bld A Chaowai SOHO, Chaoyang
朝阳区朝外SOHO A座2F 0229号
Hours: Tue-Thu, 7pm-1am; Fri-Sun, 7pm-2am (closed Mon)
Phone: 132 4021 8864

The Sandy

The team behind The Odds and The Ends has just opened up a brand new spot in Xinyuan Lixi, having their official opening party yesterday (Jul 4). The name The Sandy refers to the American English slang for sandwiches, of which they specialize in. Come evening, the sandwich menu switches to more gastropub fare, and the food is paired with a nice selection of wines and stunning cocktails.

The Sandy
A1 Xinyuan Lixi, Chaoyang District
朝阳区新源里西甲1号
Hours: 11am-2am
Daytime menu hours: Mon-Fri, 11.30am-2.30pm
Phone: 199 1072 7317

Dili Pala

Taking over the Huayuan Hutong venue where livehouse nugget and later Golden Weasel once called home this September, Dili Pala is a self-described “witches bar.” The interior has been expanded considerably, and the walls and ceilings are now adorned with designs and motifs the current owner has taken with her on her travels. They’ve got a solid menu of signature drinks all tied together with infusions, syrups, and such, and have been settling into their new home nicely.

Dili Pala
8 Andingmen Garden Qianxiang, Dongcheng District
东城区安定门花园前巷8号
Hours: Tues-Thurs & Sun, 7pm-1am; Fri-Sat, 7pm-2am

La Social

The Latin American-themed bar that once called Nali Patio home, La Social, had an uncertain future following Nali’s closure, having finally found a permanent location after months of pop ups at the tail end of summer. Now situated in Sanlitun Courtyard No. 4, it's not too far from its former Nali Patio neighbor Martini. The bar has also adapted to the new space accordingly: it now spans three floors, aptly titled Hell (first floor), Purgatory (second floor), and Heaven (third floor).

La Social SLT
1/F, Bldg 75, Gongti Beilu Courtyard 4, Chaoyang District
朝阳区工人体育场北路4号院75号楼1层
Hours: Daily, 5pm-2am
Contact: 150 0135 0562

Loma

The final newbie on our list is a collaboration between Long Fong and Maomaochong (MMC). The result of this team up is known as Loma, and is a burger and “disco cocktail” joint with an interesting split drinks menu. One side features drinks by Long Fong’s mixologists (LO), while the other features a different take on the same drink by MMC (MA). The result are drinks that stay true to the classics or eschew them to wonderous results.

Loma
A14 Hongxing Hutong, Dongcheng District
东城区红星胡同甲14号
Hours: Daily, 10am-late

READ: 2024 Year-in-Review: New Restaurants, Pt. 1

Images: Uni You, Dianping, courtesy of the venues