Groovy Schiller's Takes Over Nearby the Tree's Old Spot
After 19 years of Groovy Schiller's, owners Jack Zhou, Ah Jian, and Collie Gowran closed their co-run Liangmaqiao River-adjacent restaurant and bar on April 20 of last year, which rendered a lot of alcoholic old-farts heartbroken (no offense, we're catching up). Well, now those memories of old have not been lost to the wind, as the Groovy Schiller‘s crew has finally reopened in the space that used to house Nearby the Tree in Sanlitun.
It’s obvious that Schiller's return is a welcome one, with the inside dining and bar areas packed with patrons, as well as a group sitting outside, all on a regular weekday evening. On tap there's Scottish lager Tennent’s, which according to Zhou is, “very fresh and tastes better [than the average lager].” There's also Yanjing, Carlsberg, Guinness, Steen Brugge, and Konig Ludwig (RMB 25-60). You can also opt for imported bottled beers from Germany such as Erdinger, Franziskaner, and Weihenstephaner, (RMB 50-55, and RMB 40-45 for happy hour), as well as Belgian Leffe, Chimay, Duvel, Kirek, Delirium, and Rochefort (RMB 35-60). If beer's not your tipple then be rest assured that all the usual liquor suspects are also on offer.
To line your belly, snack on a range of burgers, sandwiches, salads, and a bunch of German favorites like pork knuckle, and Nurnberger and curry veal sausages served alongside sauerkraut. The roasted chicken (RMB 98) we tried was seasoned well with herbs aplenty and came with a side salad and french fries.
Very little has changed in terms of the décor and drinks menu once offered by Nearby the Tree, and high stools even line the bar from another since-deceased restaurant/bar: Union Bar & Grille (closed last July). The same 70-80s pop music tracklist and accompanying videos has also made the cut.
Overall, if you were a fan of Union Bar, Nearby the Tree, or Schiller's old joint, expect to run into some familiar faces here, giving the place a bit of a time capsule vibe, with old friends discussing Beijing's changes over the past couple of decades. But as they say, "new friends are good, but old friends are better."
Groovy Schiller‘s
East of Bldg 33, Sanlitun Nan Lu, Chaoyang District (6413 1587)
大明西餐厅：朝阳区三里屯南33楼东侧
Photos: Tracy Wang