What’s New
BARS & CLUBS
Tang Club 唐会迷城 Daily 8.30pm-4am. 8 Chaoyang Gongyuan Xilu, Chaoyang District (6500 8888)
朝阳区朝阳公园西路8号
BARS & CLUBS
When Tang first launched in early 2007, our reviewer described it as having “all the subtlety of a crashed camp spaceship.” That much still holds true with this reopening, but the new management has upped the ante in pursuing a foreign set. They’ve hired several laowai waitresses, and Venezuelan band F4 Ache plays nightly from 10.30pm. An aggressive events bombardment – different theme nights, drink specials, live dancers and competitions – will draw club rats looking for flash and glitz on a budget. However, the effort to cover all bases leaves Tang with a slightly schizophrenic feel. Flitting from hip-hop and reggaeton to electro and a band belting out back-to-back Ricky Martin, Queen and Cher, the playlist epitomizes Tang’s jacking of all trades – and mastery of none. Tiffany Ap
VA Cafe & Bar Daily 2pm-late. 13 Wudaoying Hutong, Dongcheng District (5844 3638)
东城区五道营胡同13号
Former Quasimodo member Qi Bin wants VA Cafe to be a place where musicians, jazzy ones in particular, will congregate. Rather than luring musos with flashy drinks (beers from RMB 15, cocktails RMB 35) or brash design, Qi Bin has equipped his little bar with a stage, drum kit and piano, and what he claims to be one of Beijing’s best sound systems. No similarly sized Beijing venue is set up quite so sincerely for live music. Performances are currently limited to Fridays and Saturdays, with film screenings on other nights. Even without the music, VA feels different from the many hutong cafe-bars that threaten to spread Wi-Fi addiction and hipster listlessness to the general population. That can only be a good thing. Iain Shaw
Fri-Sat 7pm-late, Sun 2pm-midnight. 4 Xihai Xiyan (300m from Jishuitan subway station), Xicheng District (8322 1231)
Box Club
西城区西海西沿4号
Daily 11.30am-1.30am. Rm 3105, 31/F, Bldg 6, Jianwai Soho, 39 Dongsanhuan Zhonglu, Chaoyang District (5869 1798)
朝阳区东三环中路39号建外Soho 6号31层3105室
www.thebeijinger.com
Like many bars recently, Obiwan has eyed the competition, looked in the mirror and seen room for improvement. For now, the terrace remains untouched, but a lick of paint and dangling clusters of light bulbs have freshened up the interior. A new stage downstairs signals a new emphasis on music. Tag Team artists are playing a new series of acoustic nights, while DJs continue to feature heavily. Q Bar’s Echo Sun and Ralph Ziegenhorn have upgraded the cocktail list to include apple martinis (RMB 50) and three absinthe cocktails (RMB 50-60). The drinks still need some work, but the Q Bar connection should bear consistent fruit. Winter will be the true test of Obiwan’s makeover, but the new look – complete with chic accessories – should turn heads this summer. Iain Shaw
PHOTOS: SONG YANG AND COURTESY OF OBIWAN
What Houhai is to connoisseurs of Carpenters’ cover bands, Jianwai Soho is fast becoming to fans of Japanese cocktail bars. Soho is a jungle of tower blocks, lonely corridors and anonymous doorways, where spots like Bar Promise, Yao Xin and Twilight can hide, serving only those in the know. Box Club now brings late-night vibes and 31st-floor views to the scene. At RMB 45-50 for cocktails, a gin and tonic here is relatively expensive, a martini slightly less so, when compared with Beijing averages. For the money laid down, the gin and tonic is more impressive. The beer selection is tiny, but caters to all spending habits. You might surprise friends by plucking this place from among Jianwai Soho’s mysteries; with some finetuning, Box has potential to impress them enough that they’ll return. Iain Shaw
70 that’smags the 2005 Beijinger April 2010 Sept. www./ thatsbj.com
Obiwan