Beijing: Dumplings Ducks and Drinks
Beijing is another one of the best food cities in the world (reference "Sold in Seoul" for my personal top 10 list), and it isn't hard to imagine why. Known for its lively street food cuisine (if you call crickets, stinky tofu, and scorpions "cuisine"), Beijing is also home to incredible high-end meals. And after dinner, there is a myriad of nightlife options, rivaling many of the party cities around the world (yeah, seriously). So here's how to thrive, whether you're having street dumplings, roasted duck or "bai jiu".
Peking Duck
This is a Beijing staple, and it isn't cheap. But that's how you want to enjoy Peking duck. You really do need to shell out for this dish, otherwise it won't give you the experience you would want. In Beijing, we went to a 5-star Peking Duck restaurant just off Tiananmen Square, and there are literally hundreds more like it. The way Peking Duck work is someone comes out with a full sized, roasted duck. The duck is then sliced up, separating the crispy skin with the tender meat. Each is then served with basically a Chinese "tortilla" and several vegetables on the side. Combine the crispy skin and tender meat, along with the vegetables and hoisin sauce, and you have one of the best tasting dishes in all of China.
Simply a must have dish while in Beijing!
Street Food
A chaotic scene down a street filled with everything you ever thought-and didn't-can be eaten is here at Wang Fu Jin
"Describe Beijing in a photo"
The street food in Beijing is solid. Head to Wang Fu Jing for some scorpions on a stick, along with dozens of other types of classic street food. This is probably the best, but most touristic places in Beijing to get street food. It's also ridiculously overpriced, but definitely worth a visit. Plus, this area is akin to Shanghai's Nanjing Road, with a large pedestrian-only street allowing visitors to aimlessly roam from shop to shop. Wandering around really anywhere in Beijing will guide you to stand after stand of street meat. Just try and avoid the "Chou Do Fu"-in English is literally means "stinky tofu". Actually, don't avoid it. Brave the elements and try it like I did, because frankly, it doesn't taste nearly as bad as it smells. But hey, when in Beijing, am I right? You absolutely have to have an open mindset when it comes to the street food and culture of China. The dirty white tank-tops with clearly unwashed hands should not be a deterrent, and neither should the fact that your food seems severely undercooked by the barely-working-grill-on-a-car.
Salty and crunchy! Probably not worth the $5, but at least I experienced it!
San Li Tun
Art exhibits are common in San Li Tun, such as this one
Elements went hard, almost a bit too hard for my mood at the time, but nevertheless it was a great night out.
Pronounced "San Li Tu-ar" thanks to the Beijing accent, this is the place to go for partying in Beijing, without a doubt. There are two areas within this part of Beijing that have the most bars and clubs. The first would be the area around the People's Stadium. This is where you can find some of the best clubs, including Elements (one of the top 100 in the world) and Vic's (another fun, younger club). With Elements, you get a massive, overwhelming club. Everything is grand, the dancefloor is large and festival-level full. Tables are overflowing with the rich and famous, and elements is the place to see and be seen. It is an architectural gem, and clearly there is a large investment in this place. The music is high octane, and I was honestly surprised how hard these people went. Like, these Chinese people were raging! I was having a blast during my time here, but it is definitely a sensory overload so prepare yourself for that. Vic's is also large, with tons of tables and a fun, more intimate vibe. While I say it's more intimate, it definitely does not back down to any other clubs in Beijing. It is one of the oldest in Beijing but caters to one of the youngest crowds. We got up on stage with the DJ's pretty easily, and influenced basically the entire club to join us on this way-too-small platform. Follow the white people I guess? San Li Tun is also home to more low key, music-centric clubs-namely Lantern. This is a beautiful club with great drinks and a relaxed vibe. Lantern is located just next to the over-the-top Elements club and served as the perfect night cap.
Around the stadiums is where you'll find the best clubs of Beijing
San Li Tun has another area for partying, located along Sanlitun Road. This part of "San Li Tuar" is geared slightly more towards the older demographic, with colorful bars lined up one after the other blasting white-washed music sung by Chinese bands. On several occasions, we ended up at a bar here surrounded by 30-something-year old's (nothing wrong with them) having drinks with hookah as a beautiful accompaniment. On this road are several "KTV" bars, which is something that is incredibly popular in China and Asia in generOn this road are several KTV spots as well, where you can sing your heart out in themed rooms (ours was Hello Kitty themed-don't ask why we wanted it, I frankly do not remember). KTV, for those of you who are unaware, is what the Chinese people call karaoke, and it is literally their most favorite thing in the world. You could be in a huge yelling, argument with a Chinese person and just yell "KTV" at them, and the other person would just smile and stop arguing on the spot. That's how much they love it.
All in all, this is where you want to be at night. In regards to safety, my advice is the same it would be in any city around the world: be smart. Don't accept the drugs that sketchy, foreign people are trying to sell you. Don't walk down the dark alleyway filled with dozens of Chinese people wearing white tank tops. Just be smart and you'll have a great time in San Li Tun.
Houhai
A slightly smaller, more scenic version of San Li Tun, Houhai is a jam-packed lakeside area of Beijing that is a perfect area for families and partiers alike. Whether you want some street food, fine-dining, a nice stroll, or drink your liver to death while listening to live music, Houhai has something for you. It's almost comical how the bars line up with their live music, each band trying to overpower the band next door. The area with restaurants and bars is rather large but not sprawling, with mostly everything centered around the lake. To get the most out of your time here, check out my post "Beijing: Past Present and Future".
Houhai is a great area to have some drinks, street food, and stroll around a serene setting (contrasted later at night by drunk tourists and locals alike).
Great Leap Brewery
This Beijing local chain has seen massive increase in popularity in recent years, and you can find several scattered around the city. It was referred to me by a friend as the place to go for good beer and American food, so I figured why not. Shanghai has the Shanghai Brewery to satisfy your need for Western food and Beijing has Great Leap Brewery. The Honey Beer was my personal favorite, but everyone's beer was solid, without any complaints. And the food was some of the best American food we had in China. I got the BBQ Chicken Pizza and, this may be the China in me talking but, it was one of the best pizzas I've ever had. The wings were also fantastic, and almost everything about this place felt American-except the service, which China in general is seriously not good at. So if you want a place to remind you of home, or America for those of you who do not live in the US, Great Leap Brewery is your best bet.
Equis
Obviously cool bartenders (see: peace signs), cool decor, cool DJ, cool vibes makes this the future of Beijing's nightlife scene!
The drinks, along with everything else honestly, were truly top notch. And they were coupled with entertaining little coasters that are sure to start up conversations!
Personally, I was obsessing over the design of this place, but maybe that was because I was just a bit too sober?
On my visit to the Four Seasons, I had the incredible opportunity to check out the future best bar in Beijing. I'm telling you, this place just does it right. It's a beautiful bar with everything you could want. You want an outdoor patio area with live music and a fire place? You got it. You want a sushi and seafood bar? Sure, it's here. You want a private room? Got that too. How about a cigar room? It's here. A dancefloor to dance all the drinks and caviar off? Equis. This spot, by the time I am writing this now, has officially opened to the public, and if you're in Beijing, you need to spend a night here. You'll be dropping some dough, but it will be worth it, I promise. The décor is top notch, the bartenders seriously know what they are doing (I became somewhat of a test bunny for their lead bartender who is from Singapore-don't ask what he made me, all I know is that it was a fantastic concoction of gin and…other stuff?), and the vibe isn't too stuffy like Bar Rouge in Shanghai for example. For me, bars are simply layovers, if I may, en route to my next bar. Equis, on the other hand, is a destination. I did not want to leave this place by any means, but unfortunately, time does run out.
And to top it off, Equis boasts a gorgeous courtyard area with live music, another bar, comfortable seating and an environment unlike any other in Beijing!
So there you have it. Where to eat duck, drink bai jiu (don't do it, that sh*t is worse than vodka) and eat dumplings. Beijing surprised me with its array of options for nightlife, and met my lofty expectations for their cuisine. Thriving here was surprisingly easy, and getting full-both off food and drinks-was arguably easier and more enjoyable than Shanghai. Be sure to stay tuned for where to stayin Beijing!