Aptly Named House Bar Brings Woozy and Well-Read Hospitality to Yoolee Plaza
We all know him: That quirky old uncle who stocks his shelves with swaths of booze, constantly inviting you and your friends over to try his latest concoctions, his fantasy of one day opening a proper bar clearly gleaming in his eyes.
Minghui has taken that inkling to the next level, forgoing the search for a conventional lounge's location, and instead opening up the doors of a Yoolee Plaza/Yongli Plaza apartment to the public as a fully functional cocktail bar. Dubbed – what else? – House Bar, his establishment has been running for about a month and has attracted a small clientele, mainly the eagle-eyed on Dianping, because of it's tucked away in a highly random location.
Beijingers who have grown accustomed to seeking out hard to find cocktail bars – à la other newbies on the scene Press Release, Toy Box, or Atlas – will have fun making their way through the residential complex, doubts abounding that the bar actually exists, before finally happening upon it. Less patient patrons, however, will probably not want to enter around the corner from the building's Costa Coffee, going up to the 15th floor, and finally finding it, feeling like they're intruding on strangers' living space all the while.
Still, Minghui does his best to make the search worth it. It's not that impressive upon entry – dimly lit, a bar with half a dozen stools, a standard but not overly impressive amount of spirits stocked on the shelf, paintings of old Shanghai beauties in qipao dresses lining the walls. However, the vibe eventually surpasses that of your long lost Chinese uncle's goofy man cave once Minghui begins mixing drinks, which he does flair and finesse.
Along with his impressive professionalism behind the bar, Minghui extends his "wiser-than-thou" uncle sentiments to the cocktail names. The first among them that catches our eye is the Big Breasts, Wide Hips (perhaps a head-nod to the coveted Chinese author's Mo Yan 2004 novel of the same name), made with lychee wine, blue curacao, lemon juice, and syrup (RMB 80). Next up: the Lolita (the infamous Nabakov classic), not a winner in our book thanks to its white rum, Malibu, passion fruit, lemon juice, and red wine (RMB 90). There's also something a lot less wordy: the Strawberry Party, made with vodka, strawberries, pineapple juice, and sprite (RMB 90).
We preferred the refreshing, ice-laden Basil (made with ginger vodka, ginger ale, grapes, lemon juice and a garnish of, you guessed it, basil; RMB 80). Curious patrons will be all the more impressed by the more creative Gui Hua Sour (RMB 80). True to its name, this cocktail is fragrant thanks to its flowery garnish, and its lemon juice, gui hua wine, gui hua syrup (did we mention it's inspired by Chinese gui hua flowers?). All that may be a bit on the nose, but make it a sweet-yet-tart, multi sensory experience nonetheless.
Bottom line: House Bar may not impress the more toe-the-line cocktail drinker among us, or anyone looking for a convenient spot to have a tasteful nightcap. But anyone with an offbeat sense of humor and an exploratory mindset should strap on their walking shoes and prepare to wear an ironic smirk as they add this homey, quirky lounge to their circuit of hidden Beijing cocktail joints.
House Bar
Daily, 6pm-2am. F/15, 1511, Yoolee Plaza/Yongli Plaza, Gongti Beilu, Chaoyang District (158 1144 4702)
朝阳区三里屯永利国际15层1511
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Email: kylemullin@truerun.com
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Photos: Kyle Mullin
