Daily 2pm-2am
3/F Nalisha Building, Guangshun Nandajie, Wangjing
13520111105

This bar, the latest venture from Bai Feng (owner of Rainbow’s Time and the now demolished Artefacts), is decked out with a tasteful mixture of modern and antique furniture, fantastic plant life and a healthy selection of alcohol (cocktails RMB 20-30). Kebabs (RMB 5) and bread-based tapas (RMB 5) fend off the munchies in style.

Dongsishi Tiao
6502-3984

Tiandi Juchang. The China Acrobatics Troupe puts on a nightly repertoire of breathtaking, usually flawless stunts.

Daily 2pm-3am
7A/11A Xiushui Nanjie, Chaoyang
6503 1997

A quiet place to chat and relax, the soundtrack is primarily composed of ballads, live and canned. A sleek bar, underlit with red neon, contrasts with the innermost room with Native American sculptures and cartoon cutouts.

Daily 6pm-3am
East Third Ring Road, Chaoyang

One of Beijing’s true lounges features soft colours, couches with a modern twist on 1950s American diner booths, a fireplace for the cold weather and a patio for the warm weather. Music perfect to hang by includes dub, reggae, electronic, occasional performances by groove collective XXX, and more and psychedelic projections provide a bit of extra eye candy. Veggie food, BBQ and reasonably priced alcohol are available.

8pm-6am
4 Gongti Dong Lu, Chaoyang
6595 9494

Trax’s industrial-Scando hip interior is the suave yin to its neighbour’s kitschy yang. Trax’s management has keenly honed in on Beijing’s growing hip hop scene by hiring some local DJs who allow impromptu freestyle sessions behind their decks in between bouts of techno-cheese. RMB 20 for beer and RMB 15-35 for the hard stuff. Fly girls never have to pay cover, but b-boys better be prepared to drop da’ chedda: RMB 50 before midnight, RMB 20 afterwards.

Wudaokou, Haidian
8233 2264

This tough-to-find venue has put Wudaokou back on the live map. The spacious interior gets going nightly after 9. Most nights see a local DJ playing all kinds of music, but lately the venue has been hosting regular live shows. Beers start at 5 RMB. Liquor is 30 RMB a shot.

10am-2am
17 Ri Tan North Road, Chaoyang

The Elephant is located in the heart of Beijing’s Russian quarter, and provides good Russian food and lots and lots of vodka. There is a rooftop beer garden which is excellent in the summer. Come and practice your russian with the expats!

Open 24H
A4 Gongti Donglu
in front of City Hotel
工体东路甲4号
城市宾馆旁边
Price Y100-Y199 per couple
6592-6290 Email: theden66@yahoo.com.cn

Daily 9am-2am
100m north of Peking University’s west gate, Haidian
8287 1031

This student-friendly joint attempts to fill the void left by Solutions. The club is separated into a restaurant/lounge area for chilling and a dance floor for booty shaking to the tune of foreign DJs spinning R&B, house and hip hop Thu-Sat. A range of snacks fall under the oxymoronic ‘Western-style Japanese food’.

Daily 8pm-4am
Bldg 43, Beisanlitun Nanli, Chaoyang
6417 7791

This two-floored space features a dance floor surrounded by couches where house and techno music flow. Upstairs, a 400-square-metre Vietnamese restaurant, transforms into a lounge after dinner with low-key music setting the scene.