Legend Beer: Gorge on Barbecue and Beer at One of Sanlitun’s Biggest Outdoor Patios This Summer

Sitting on the west side of Gongti, Legend Beer is a hulking 400-square-meter venue with a patio just begging to be filled through Beijing’s elongated summer months. To tempt patrons in, the terrace – filled with large picnic-style wooden tables – comes equipped with massive screens for sporting events as well as a special spit, big enough to roast an entire cow!

Even as you walk around the venue in the relative tranquility of daytime, you can hear the promise of lively evenings roar through the space thanks to its German beer hall quality. Divided into dark wood booths with leather-bound benches, tall tables and stools, and low-hanging Edison bulbs, the space is decorated with revolutionary-style murals with slogans exalting the fortitude that comes from drinking good, strong beer.

The Bavarian atmosphere doesn’t stop there, as bulky copper-clad tanks sit behind the bar, brewing Legend’s expansive range of beers, including lagers, IPAs, and stouts (approximately RMB 50 for a pint). Of course, there are the usual cocktails too, and the long bar is well-staffed to ensure that your order doesn’t get lost among the noise.

The food menu has a little bit of everything, treading the line between European, American, and Asian. Their sausage platter (RMB 108) comes packed with four types of sausage, creamy mashed potato, and sauerkraut, whereas a roasted prawn and avocado salad (RMB 38) comes on a bed of crispy lettuce. We’d also recommend the kitchen’s trio of fish, beef, and pork sliders, generously garnished with lettuce, tomato, and onion, and sides of fries.

Where the Legend’s head chef’s true strengths lie, however, are in cooking huge, succulent slabs of meat (which explains the aforementioned cow spit). A leg of perfectly seasoned lamb (RMB 298) can be ordered straight to your table where it is sliced into bite-sized and chewy pieces to be dipped into your choice of sauces or spices and eaten alongside soft and fluffy naan bread. The winter squash pig (RMB 39) is even more decadent; thick, glazed and brittle slices of fatty pork that make the perfect accompaniment to beer just by themselves.

If you’re looking for a more private experience then book Legend’s VIP room, which caters to up to 20 people, has its own TV for group screenings, as well as large bay doors that open onto a private patio. The nearby games room (open to everyone) boasts a pool table, darts machines, and even a PS4 and VR headset to show off to your friends if you haven’t quite mastered real-life bar sports.

If you head to Legend Beer before April 6 you’ll be treated to their latest food and drink deal: order RMB 50 worth of food and pay an additional RMB 50 for all you can drink for five whole hours between 5-10pm. Alternatively, buy RMB 100 worth of food for the table and each individual in the group can pay an additional RMB 38 for the same all-you-can-drink deal. 

With the addition of one of the best outdoor seating spaces in Beijing, Legend’s rotating deals alone are likely to see you well fed and watered throughout the summer and its central location means that it’s only a hop, skip, and a jump to Sanlitun’s rowdier parties.

This blog is sponsored by Legend Beer

Photos: Uni You