The best places to eat, drink and party in greater Gulou

Hit up the hutongs for great cafés, poppin' bars and more

The neighbourhood that never sleeps, hutong-heavy Gulou is home to some of Beijing's best 24-hour eateries, shoebox-sized watering holes that keep pouring until the wee hours and the city's best live music venues. 

Cafés

Barista Coffee

The OG of the new-wave coffee scene in Beijing, this tiny hutong spot channels the chic café vibe to a T. As generic as that may be, Barista pulls off the exposed brick wall and industrial lighting look with a friendly vibe, avoiding any of the pretentiousness that often comes with Serious CoffeeTM. The drinks here aren’t the cheapest but they're very good and come with a Lotus biscuit on the side. Try the soda iced americano (30RMB) for something different.

47 Wudaoying Hutong, Dongcheng district

Silence Coffee

Owner Jackie, who has been deaf since the age of two, set up Silence as both a getaway from the city's hubbub and to raise awareness of hearing impairments through readily available reading materials and community events. With its bright and airy environment, delicious home-baked desserts and a mid-priced single-origin (35RMB), it's a perfect respite after a long day on the (second ring) road, or just to get some work done in peace. Maybe not a first date though.

11 Beixin Hutong, Sanxiang, Dongcheng district

Voyage Coffee

Just around the corner from the crowds on Nanluoguxiang, this cool coffee spot is all exposed brick walls and medicinal-looking crockery. The coffee's not half bad either, and the space is big and quiet enough to work in.

80 Beiluoguxiang, Dongcheng district

Metal Hands

Metal Hands was an early contender in the battle for the city's favourite Nordic-inspired, hipster location to sip on a good brew and rightly so; the coffee (espresso-based, 20-30RMB) is good quality and the atmosphere is charming, though you may struggle to bag one of the few available seats. Now with four locations, it certainly seems as if the city can't get enough.

61 Wudaoying Hutong, Dongcheng district

Bars

Capital Spirits and The Distillery

Two of Beijing’s finest cocktail spots, always under the same management, have merged into one hutong bar that’s even more hidden away than The Distillery was, in a courtyard just across the alleyway. The new venture is just as cosy-but-still-classy as its late mama and papa bars, with excellent cocktails to boot. The focus is on baijiu, with creative cocktails that are distinctive, but subtle enough to coax even the staunchest of baijiu avoiders.

16 Xinsi Hutong, Dongcheng district

Nina

A casualty of the capital's ongoing urban do-over, Fangjia shoebox Jiao's endearing brand of rowdy, economical mirth is becoming harder to find in Beijing. Thankfully, the team that brought you bargain negronis and the community that loves to drink them can now be found in Beiluoguxiang – bless their resilience.

66 Beiluoguxiang, Dongcheng district

The Tiki Bungalow

The Tiki Bungalow, truly one of Beijing's most iconic brands, hardly needs our help. Winner of the of Best Hutong Bar at Time Out Beijing's 2016 Bar & Club Awards, the bar was ordered to close following a minor electrical complication last year but has found its feet once more with a location on the very same hutong – almost directly across the lane. Now in its fifth summer and third incarnation, this rumdrunk circus of faux-Polynesian fantasy is as visceral as ever, featuring the voodoo iconography and thatched grasswork of its erstwhile location and the soundtrack to match, led by hits of the brilliantly transportative post-war genre, Exotica.

46 Fangjia Hutong (enter from Jiaodaokou Bei Santiao, next to Peiping Taphouse), Dongcheng district

Restaurants

Mercante

It's easy to imagine any of the eight tables in the tiny dining room of Mercante being found in a local Mediterranean neighbourhood, where a petite Italian grandmother stirs a pot of polenta or cranks out sheets of fresh pasta. But who you'll find in this hutong restaurant near Houhai is not Nonna, but her passionate cook of a grandson. Be sure to also check out its Liangmaqiao sister restaurant Fiume, from the same chef and owner.

4 Fangzhuanchang Hutong, Dongcheng district

Dali Courtyard

With its friendly service and casual vibe, Dali Courtyard captures Yunnan's mellow atmosphere like no other. The prix fixe menu (150RMB per person) means you are subject to the whims of the chefs, but they always deliver on delicious Yunnanese dishes.

67 Xiaojingchang Hutong, Gulou Dong Dajie, Dongcheng district

Pangmei Mianzhuang

For the cash-strapped and hungry, the go-to noodle is Lanzhou's beef lamian (拉面). But it's not the only game in town; Chongqing's retort to the mild, meaty stylings of the lamian is the xiaomian (小面) – and it's fantastic. For an elevated xiaomian experience, Pangmei Mianzhuang is hard to beat. With cosy digs on Xiang'er Hutong, one of the capital's best bowls of Chongqing xiaomian can be enjoyed downtown.

6 Xiang'er Hutong, Dongcheng district

Zhang Mama

This superb Sichuan restaurant is a huge local favourite. Although the interior is tiny and thus constantly packed, the blast of flavour in each dish and the low prices more than make up for it. Be sure to come early because this popular joint almost always has a queue. The cooks here definitely don't hold back on the spiciness, so order an extra cold beer and be prepared to leave with your numb tongue hanging out of your mouth.

4 Fensiting Hutong, Dongcheng district

Nightlife

Temple Bar

Temple Bar is a Gulou institution. The live music bar is a pillar of the local scene, supporting grassroots music and new bands as well as booking the odd international headliner. Music aside, the bar is a reliable late-night party hangout, with a good alternative crowd and decent, well-priced drinks. The place always has a crackling atmosphere, especially on weekends when the bar often stays open up to first light. Whether you're looking for a break from electronic music or a livelier atmosphere than the area's hit-and-miss hipster hangouts, Temple is as much a go-to as your favourite pair of worn, ratty jeans.

206 Gulou Dong Dajie, Dongcheng district

Dada

When Dada burst on to the scene in summer 2012 it was an immediate game changer, and it's gone from strength to strength ever since. Nowhere else comes close to replicating Dada’s eclectic programming. From drum 'n' bass to skweee, psytrance, cold wave and more, the club has become a home for anything alternative and electronic in the city.

206 Gulou Dong Dajie (below Temple Bar), Dongcheng district

School Bar

With classic gig posters and football trinkets adorning the walls, School Bar has all the feel of a weathered dive rock bar. Hosting regular open mic nights, this live house showcases some of the best in Beijing's underground music scene.

53 Wudaoying Hutong, Dongcheng district

Dusk Dawn Club (DDC)

Drawing on Jianghu Bar as its spiritual predecessor both in terms of design and its programme, which mixes jazz, folk and indie rock, DDC makes the most of its hutong digs, preserving and building on the original siheyuan structure. Inside, DDC is divided into a performance space and bar area. The performance space, which is filled with tables that can accommodate around 40, boasts quality gear and a medium-height stage. Where it really shines, aesthetically speaking, is its bar area – a renovated courtyard featuring a stone and tile floor, trees growing up through the tables and a glass roof with lantern-style lights.

14 Shanlao Hutong, Dongcheng district

For full venue details and more places to check out in greater Gulou, hit 'Read more'.

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