While You Were Sleeping: May's New Beijing Bar and Club Openings

Weren't paying attention? Apparently neither were we, as we only just realized we're now in June. June! How time passes. Without further ado, we hope that exploring these restaurants we reviewed in May will make your time a little more enjoyable, because it's going to pass regardless.

Eating

Celadon (pictured above)
Hot pot is always a good idea. It's a classic Chinese cuisine that is comforting, filling, and interactive, making it the top choice for getting messy with friends and family. There are already plenty of fantastic hot pot joints in Beijing, but Celadon (青瓷川粤火锅 qīngcí chuān yuè huǒguō), is a new strong contender serving up authentic Sichuan and Guangdong-style hot pot, and best of all, won't leave you reeking of the stuff.

Big Bear Baked Goods
Big Bear Baked Goods and RuKis Estonian Bread's new bakery outlet on Dashibei Hutong is a treat, serving up great breads, cakes, and cookies for all in the area. The new shop is currently open only on weekends.

Atta BJ
Boasting a spectacular view that is quickly becoming expected of venues located in the new China World Mall, Atta BJ focuses on creative Italian food, with pizza, risotto, meats, seafood, and oysters on their menu, as well as soups, salads, and dishes to share (think meatballs and calamari).

The Mission
The lucky folks in CBD get a straightforward Mexican option in the form of The Mission, specializing in a no-fuss over-the-counter burrito and salad operation. Judging from the long line during our visit, it will remain favorite among workers near to the China World Mall. For everyone else, let's just hope they start delivering soon.

Burger Break (Xiaoyun Lu)
After opening their first branch back in Shuangjing in 2014, Burger Break launched a second location on Xiaoyun Lu in April. Our first impression was that its two floors and open al fresco patio makes for a great addition to Beijing's dining scene during these perfect and breezy early summer days.

The Granary Bar and Bistro
The Granary grabbed our attention thanks to their elaborate (and indulgent) eponymous burger, featuring  whole giant prawn and a sliver of foie gras on a big juicy beef patty. The space also happens to be run by the guys that used to manage Dos Kolegas, ensuring that there'll also be plenty of entertainment to lure you out to their Sihui-adjacent location.

Dubujib (Sanlitun)
Dubujib’s new Sanlitun branch may have just revolutionized Korean cuisine in Beijing, eschewing the usual barbecue-heavy menu to instead focus on another, equally-delicious Korean dish, soondubu, which is essentially tofu soup. Before you get upset, let us reassure you that Korean barbecue is also available, but if you're a fan of DIY Korean food you're out of luck; there are no grills in sight.

Putien
With the changing of seasons we're seeking something a little lighter on the Chinese food spectrum, and in this regard Putien delivers. Its first venue opened in 2000 as a no-frills coffee shop outlet on Kitchener Road in Singapore, but which last year went on to become a one-star Michelin restaurant. Putien, named after the coastal city of Putian in Fujian province, now brings its well-regarded brand of light, southern-style dishes to Guomao (their second venue after initially opening in Indigo Mall last year).

Four Ace
Magic is not usually associated with hunger, unless of course you recall David Blaine's glass box stunt in which he fasted for 44 days suspended by the Thames while belligerent Londoners tossed eggs at him from down below. That got everyone salivating. Four Ace Magic Bar, which opened in April in Sanlitun Soho, isn't attempting anything nearly as flashy or unhygienic, instead opting to pair simple Western food staples with a well-stocked bar and staff that can make your card disappear, reappear, disappear again, and then reappear some more in some variation on the theme.

Bad Farmers and Our Bakery
Readying one's body for the balmy beach season doesn't exactly come easy in Beijing, given all the tempting carbs and junk food options that abound around town. Thankfully there is an intriguing new healthy alternative at Sanlitun North. Titled Bad Farmers and Our Bakery, the space (part of a well reputed South Korean chain) has a small but sturdy menu of salads, sandwiches, and coffee that should appeal to those hoping to treat themselves without the post-gorge guilt.

Drinking

Neverland
Neverland is the newest 9big) kid on the block in Sanlitun’s ever-so-busy cocktail scene and it can't be knocked for trying to stand out. Located on the first floor of Yoolee Plaza, just between a Dongbei dumpling restaurant and a Sichuan chuan’r place, the eyesore of massive golden doors, pink flamingos, and the bar's name inlaid into a huge board of fake green plants makes the place hard to miss. It's also the reason we mistook it for a florist the first few times we passed by.

Ron Mexico
The move of Ron Mexico, originally predominantly a bar, to Jiaodaokou has not only allowed for an expanded space for more patrons to sit and hang out in, but also a larger kitchen for more food for said patrons to stuff in their greedy little faces. And that's what they'll be doing with the new menu of tacos, burritos, nachos, wraps, and salads.

Old Fashioned
If its name doesn’t get the point across, its atmosphere certainly will – upon entry, you’ll be struck by Old Fashioned’s stark and simple, yet endlessly classy setup. The Sanlitun Soho Japanese whiskey bar’s decor is defiantly dark, more reminiscent of a black box theater than the usual colorful ambiance Beijing bars go for. It’s a straightforward, timeless vibe that places your focus neatly onto the one lit part of the room: the bar, its highly experienced mixologist Shirakawa Kotetsu, and his shelves of expertly selected whiskies.

Silence Coffee
Beijing is not a quiet place. In fact, one encounters the phrase “the tranquil streets of Beijing” about as often as one does the phrase “a pleasant case of syphilis” or “I really appreciated the insight and nuance in Donald Trump’s latest well-reasoned statement.” It is then a pleasure, indeed an absolute joy, to find a venue in this city committed to that rarest and most golden of attributes: quiet.

More stories by this author here.

Email: margauxschreurs@truerun.com
Instagram: s.xuagram

Images: Margaux Schreurs, courtesy of Celadon, Carmel Moersalim, Tracy Wang, courtesy of Burger Break, courtesy of Four Ace, courtesy of the Granary Bar and Bistro, Jeremiah Jenne