Classy Drinks and Chuan'r Meet in Sanlitun

This 24-hour chuan’r dive has a drinks selection that would cause El Nido to do a drunken double-take. But when you discover it’s run by the same peeps as the Paradise CVS liquor store around the corner, it all makes sense. The food is clearly designed to soak up excess booze.

Spicy, salty skewers abound, as do greasy, chilli-red Sichuan favorites like shuizhu yu and mala xiangguo (RMB 50-60). Signature chicken wings (RMB 6 for two) come with four choices of glaze (try the honey), and the pork ribs with corn (RMB 48) hit the spot after a night on the tiles.

The interior is fancier than your average skewer joint, but only the alcohol selection could ever be called classy. Guinness, Erdinger and Chimay are on offer (RMB 35-40) along with imported spirits and a selection of wines.

Also try: Kuan Dian, any neighborhood chuan’r dive

Hu azai Chuan Bar 华仔串吧 Daily 24hrs. 14 Xindong Lu (next to The James Joyce), Chaoyang District (no tel) 朝阳区新东路14号

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