Beijing Nights

Beijing also had some great nightlife to match it's daytime attractions. When traveling solo nightlife really depends on who you meet up with and in Beijing I was fortunate to go out with some friends of a friend one night and local couchsurfers for two others.  

The night out with friends of a friend (thanks Weichen and Kate) started off at a tiny whiskey bar called Amilal run by a very cool Mongolian.  A few whiskeys later we strolled down Nanluoguxiang, a very trendy hutong full of tiny cafes, craft stores, bars, and gelato places.  We stopped at ____ bar for a few more drinks before heading over to a late night Dim Sum meal where I tried chicken feet for the first time!  I thought they tasted pretty good, though the tastiness:bone ratio was a bit high for my liking.

Amilal interior (thebeijinger.com) 

Another night out I met with a big group of couchurfers for one of their weekly meetups (the site offers much more than just a couch to crash on).  The one I went to in Beijing had a great mix of locals, local expats, and passing travelers.  We went to Haidilao, a Sichuan style hotpot restaurant where small groups sit around two big pots of broth and drop in various vegetables, noodles, meats, etc. to enjoy.  This meal was followed by a trip to a nearby bar called the Brick for further merriment before calling it a night.  Thanks Lydia! 

Couchsurfers at Haidilao

I met up with some of the same couchsurfers for drinks the next night as well, this time in the Goulou Daijie neighborhood.  I enjoyed some good drinks and conversation on a rooftop bar and also had a chance to walk around the Houhai lake area.

Houhai lake nightlife