bars · Beijing
The best nights in Beijing start at these addresses — award-winning cocktail rooms, beloved locals' haunts and views worth ordering a second round for. All rated 4.5 stars or higher.
Guomao, Chaoyang · $$
On the 80th floor of the China World Summit Wing, this is the highest bar in Beijing, looking down on the CCTV Tower and the full sweep of the CBD. Go at dusk to watch the city's grid light up toward the western mountains.
Insider tip: Arrive before sunset for a window table on the CCTV Tower side; there is a minimum spend but no cover.
Dongcheng · $
The world's first baijiu-dedicated cocktail bar, hidden in a hutong, where flights of China's famously fierce national spirit come with patient explanations of the four aroma categories. It converted a generation of skeptical foreigners into baijiu drinkers.
Insider tip: Start with the four-glass tasting flight before committing to a baijiu cocktail.
Doujiaor Hutong, Dongcheng · $
Beijing's original craft brewery pours Sichuan-peppercorn ales and Honey Ma blondes in a hidden Qing-era courtyard near Houhai. Finding the unmarked grey-brick doorway down the alley is half the experience.
Insider tip: Order the Honey Ma Gold, brewed with lip-tingling Sichuan peppercorns, and go early since the courtyard fills by 8pm.
Xingfucun, Chaoyang · $
Beijing's most decorated craft brewery names its beers after city life, from Airpocalypse Double IPA to Mandarin Wheat. The flagship taproom near Sanlitun pairs 20 rotating taps with excellent burgers and barbecue.
Insider tip: Try the Airpocalypse IPA flight and visit on a weekday evening to actually get a table.
Sanlitun, Chaoyang · $$
A speakeasy behind an unmarked door that has become a fixture on Asia's 50 Best Bars extended list for its theatrical Chinese-ingredient cocktails. Expect drinks built on osmanthus, oolong and chrysanthemum rather than imported clichés.
Insider tip: Message ahead on WeChat for a weekend seat and ask the bartender for the off-menu tea-infused old fashioned.
Chaoyang · $$
Rosewood Beijing's moody lounge channels 1930s Shanghai decadence with live jazz and an absinthe trolley. It is the CBD's favorite nightcap room after dinners around Guomao.
Insider tip: Go on a Thursday through Saturday night when the live band plays and book a sofa near the stage.
April–May & September–October
Chinese Yuan (CNY)
Mandarin
How this list is made: we only feature places rated 4.5 stars or higher with 1,000+ reviews from real travelers. Ratings and review counts are approximate and move over time — always check current numbers before booking. Photos are sourced from Wikimedia Commons under free licenses (credits in each gallery).
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Good to know
Plan four to five days: one for the Forbidden City and Tiananmen area, one for the Great Wall, one for the Temple of Heaven and hutongs, and one for the Summer Palace and 798. Major sights require timed bookings, so pacing matters more here than in most cities.