Saddle Cantina Preview

I got a tour of the new Saddle Cantina today. The place is sharp, and matched Chad's promise that it will look like a Mexican hacienda. The location is hard to picture unless you've been there. Basically, it's in that big white thing behind Tongli, catty-cornered from the rear of Ciro's. For the moment, the mall entrance is hidden between the Sanlitun xiaomaibu and the magazine stand, but when the new Nali complex is finished, Saddle will be (pardon me as I gush)awesome.

The two-story stand-alone building is adobe orange with timber frames poking out from the roof, with a second story 200sqm outdoor seating area. The downstairs bar will be reminiscent of the old Saddle. Tables spill into the courtyard and the taps feed directly from the microbrewery (which will make an ale and some kind of dark beer). The upstairs feels spacious, the toilets look like cabanas, and there's this unbelievable fifty-foot glass retractable sunroof. Seriously.

Chad previewed some of the promotions they have in the works: a half-off drinks deal called Cinco de Drinko every 5th of the month, and a Salsa Sunday with an open-air deck BBQ every Sunday afternoon. The food, he says, will not be the same as Rickshaw's. He mentioned smothered burritos.

God, I'm hungry.

The owners have their own ideas on how they hope it will be perceived and what kind of crowd to expect, but Chad warned me: "Any bar around here develops how its customers want it to be developed." The point is this: their team built this sweet thing, put all kinds of sweet stuff in it, and when they open at the end of the month, they'll let us decide what kind of joint it'll be.

In my professional opinion, it'll be a good one. I can't help but feel a little sorry for Luga. He jumped out of the wrong ship.

The Saddle Cantina is likely to open at the end of next week. Keep an eye on the 7 Days newsletter or this thread on The Beijinger Forum for updates.