Beijing’s Best Rooftops and Terraces Pt. 3

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Anyone who stayed in the capital over the Dragon Boat Festival holiday will know that summer has hit Beijing with vengeance. Despite the heat, I for one still enjoy nothing more than visiting a terrace or rooftop and embracing the sun – growing up in the UK will do that to you – so here is our Part Three of Beijing’s best rooftops and terraces.

In Part One, we looked at rooftops and terraces around Sanlitun, Part Two looked at those in the hutongs and now with Part Three, we’re looking at those situated roughly around the Liangma River area. 

SÌPASTA

An Italian restaurant that specializes in fresh homemade pasta, SÌPASTA has a delightful hidden terrace on the basement floor of The Grand Summit shopping mall. Decorated with an entire wall of potted plants, numerous roses, and a bright red, staggered seating arrangement, this terrace is absolutely stunning. 

Equally as good as the decor is the food. It goes without saying that have to try one of their pasta dishes. A personal recommendation would be the Fusilli alle Salmon and Asparagus (RMB 79) or the Spaghetti alle Parmigiano Reggiano with Chopped Baked Proscuitto (RMB 138). The perfect accompaniment to your meal, as well as being a delightful summer drink, has to be either an Aperol or Campari Spritz (RMB 68).

SÌPASTA

B113, 19 Dongfang Donglu, Chaoyang District
朝阳区东方东路19号B113
Hours: 11am-9pm
Phone: [phone]

Fresco

Not to be confused with the Opposite House’s Frasca, Fresco is hidden away right by where Liangma River ends in the south. This steak and seafood house’s elegant terrace is set with chic, bright turquoise furnishings and is bursting with greenery. 

Up on the fifth floor, you get great views of Dongzhimen and being west facing, it’s perfect for the evening if you want to enjoy a beautiful sunset as you dine. Along with their fine dining menu, they usually also have seasonal specials available as well as a number of great set menu deals, which you can check out on Dianping.

Fresco

5F, 27 Dongzhimenwai Dajie, Chaoyang District
朝阳区东直门外大街27号5层
Hours: 11.30am-2pm, 5-10pm
Phone: [phone]

Arrow Factory

Situated right by the Liangma River, Arrow Factory has an outdoor seating area out back on the ground floor, a small rooftop terrace, and a relatively big rooftop area. Their rooftop is a real suntrap, so with the outrageously hot weather we’ve been having recently, you might want to avoid sitting on the rooftop during peak daytime hours. 

As Arrow Factory is a British-style brewpub, they offer up a variety of great brews, along with a range of Western food including some traditional pub classics like Fish and Chips (RMB 128), Steak and Ale Pie (RMB 108) and Bangers and Mash (RMB 85). They also do a weekend brunch menu, with the star of the show being The Full English (RMB 95), which is definitely one of the best English breakfasts in town. 

Arrow Factory

Waijiao Apartment, 1 Xindong Lu, Chaoyang District
朝阳区新东路1号外交公寓亮马河南岸
Hours: 11am-midnight
Phone: [phone]

Great Leap #45

Having undergone a revamp this past spring, Great Leap #45’s terrace features artificial grass and is enclosed by walls of shrubs to create a private, almost beer garden-type atmosphere. What's more, the terrace is completely pet friendly, great if you're a dog owner. As for beers fit for the summer heat, a must try is their new Urban Forest (RMB 40), an India pale lager that they launched for the season. 

Some other new fixtures are a lunch special menu running Mon-Fri, 11am-4pm, and a weekend brunch menu running 11am-5pm that includes the Great Leap Breakfast (RMB 75) which is sure to be a hit with meat lovers, featuring eggs, sausage patty, bacon, potatoes, roasted Thai sausage, mushrooms, and tomatoes.

Great Leap #45

45-1 Xinyuan Jie, Chaoyang District
朝阳区新源街45号
Hours: Sun-Thu, 11-2am, Fri-Sat, 11-3am
Phone: [phone]

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Goose Island

One of the newest additions to Solana, located right on the southwest corner, Goose Island’s large terrace area out front is a lovely place to spend a lazy afternoon. Its wooden decking, sprinkling of greenery, and views out across to Chaoyang Park create a pleasant atmosphere.

While they have ten rotating beers on tap, Goose also has a nice selection of wine, cocktails, and soft drinks for those who aren’t into beer. Their extensive food menu has some super tasty dishes like the Goose Island Pork Sandwich (RMB 88) or Goose Island Kebab (RMB 78). 

Goose Island Taproom

BS-06-1F-2F, Solana Blue Harbor 6 Chaoyang Gongyuan Lu, Chaoyang District
朝阳区朝阳公园路6号蓝色港湾BS-06-1F-2F
Hours: 11am-11.30pm
Phone: [phone]

Q MEX Solana

Located right next to Goose Island, Q MEX’s Solana branch boasts not one but two terraces, with an outside seating area at the front on the ground floor and a balcony terrace off the second floor. With beige and brown pillars and balustrades, a pergola, and plenty of greenery, the balcony terrace gives off strong Latin American vibes.  

Here you can enjoy Q MEX’s usual Mexican and Western offerings along with their weekly half-price deals – Mondays: Burritos, Tuesdays: Pizza, Wednesdays: Nachos, Thursdays: Steak, and Habanero Chicken. They also have a daily happy hour running until 9pm which sees discounts like ROC Craft Cocktails for RMB 45, Draft Beer for RMB 30-45, and Bottled Beer for RMB 25. 

Q MEX Solana

A132, Solana Blue Harbor, 6 Chaoyang Gongyuan Lu, Chaoyang District
朝阳区朝阳公园路6号蓝色港湾L1大街A132
Hours: Sun-Thu, 11am-11pm, Fri-Sat 11am-midnight
Phone: [phone]

Bonus: JinShang Rainbow Terrace

Labeled as Trésor Caché, a “hidden treasure”, by visitors and tenants, JinShang’s Rainbow Terrace with its brightly colored chairs, parasols, and abundance of greenery certainly lives up to its name. Now, although the Rainbow Terrace isn’t open as a general public space they do hold regular events there which you can attend such as markets, networking events, fitness sessions, food and cultural festivals, and more.  

The space can also be booked for private events such as anniversaries, cocktail parties, weddings, etc. If you’re looking for a special place to host your event. For those interested in attending one of JinShang’s regular events on the terrace, you can follow their official WeChat by scanning the QR code below or to contact them about booking the space see the number below.

JinShang Rainbow Terrace

20 Xinyuanli Xi, Chaoyang District
朝阳区新源里西20号
Phone: [phone]

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Images: Uni You, courtesy of the venues

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