(That's Beijing)
Updated: 2006-08-16 09:06

Two thousand years in the making, nothing says Beijing quite like the humble hutong. And like an Irish funeral, if it's atmosphere you're after together with your tipple, then a trip to your local hutong bar is a must. Ideally down a dark alley and marked only by a lantern, these are the watering holes that set Beijing apart from the rest of the world. For where else can a night involve a scrawled map on a paper napkin, a treasure hunt, elation in discovery and drink menus peppered with expressive delights.

The Gulou locality is full of well and lesser known gems. Nanluoguxiang, linking GulouDongdajie and Ping An Dajie, has become somewhat of a hutong bar cluster. It will quickly become apparent that this lane's secret is out. Maybe in time, old timers will reminisce over the golden years before the crowds. But a Jameson on the rocks in the Sunglasse Cafe (see cafes in dining) certainly goes down as a treat in the dark hours before dawn. And the thronging multitude won't disturb, as they're probably still in Sanlitun grumbling about the death of house music since 1992.

One block east of Nanluoguxiang - behind the Drama Academy, and on one of the narrowest hutongs in Beijing - is Candyfloss. Not an average bar by any means with a charmingly precarious roof terrace. Close by, on Jiugulou Dajie, a recent addition to the congregation is Xin Bar. It's a gem serving up shisha pipes and reasonable cocktails in an ambient setting. And one legendary place that has alluded me on a number of occasions is Bo Luo. Located somewhere to the east of the drum and bell towers, and marked only by two red lanterns, this is a paper napkin place that I've never actually found. Indeed, maybe its gone. Alas, like any structure that's over ten years old, the clock strikes feeding time, and Beijing's bulldozers gallop down to the nearest watering hole.