Hong Kong
Consistently voted one of the world's top 50 bars, Quinary is a sleek, moodily lit cocktail bar that attracts a well-dressed crowd. Its gifted mixologists…
Must-see nightlife in China
Hong Kong
If Ernest Hemingway was still alive today, the chances are he’d love this tiny no-sign speakeasy named after his novel The Old Man and the Sea with a neo…
Beijing
Run by two affable, aproned Chinese bears (who speak excellent English), this gay-friendly hutong hangout pours a host of house creations such as a 24…
Beijing
Move aside, Merlot, it's mǐjiǔ time! Try something new at this rustic tavern specialising in Chinese wine made from glutinous rice (米酒; mǐjiǔ), a…
Beijing
Lost in a maze of alleys east of Houhai, this tumbledown courtyard is where Beijing's craft-beer scene first burped into life back in the heady, pre-Xi…
Suzhou
Friendly staff speak excellent English and there is an ever-changing selection of 15 well-kept, local brews on tap. There are also tasty burgers, pizza…
Shenzhen
Quite possibly the best underground club in China, Oil is a compact, sweaty chapel to electronic beats, the darker and more esoteric the better. An…
Beijing
Partway down a gentrifying hutong is this exquisite coffee roaster and cafe, born here as a pop-up during Beijing's annual Design Week, and now a small…
Beijing
Ever since this Shanghai export touched down in 2012, Dada has become Beijing's premier venue for esoteric, bass-heavy beats, while remaining…
The Bund & People's Square
For a taste of colonial-era Shanghai’s elitist trappings, you’ll do no better than the Long Bar. This was once the members-only Shanghai Club, whose most…
Beijing
First-rate cocktails come with a first-class price tag at this exquisite cocktail bar hidden inside the Duan Qirui Former Government Building compound…
Harbin
Look for the neon-lit guitar at the entrance, leave your itinerary on Zhongyang Dajie and enter the world of Carl Damo, Harbin's hippest conceptual artist…
Kunming
The new second branch of a long-standing Kunming favourite is far more accessible, and the long wooden bar is fairly inviting as well. You'd have to try…
Yangshuo
With a prime riverfront location overlooking karst peaks, Demo's outdoor terrace is the perfect spot to come for a sundowner of quality craft beers. Its…
The Bund & People's Square
Set back in People’s Park alongside a pond, Barbarossa is all about escapism. Forget Shanghai: this is Morocco channelled by Hollywood set designers. The…
Nanjing
Hermit offers two playfully sophisticated bars in one. Start downstairs at the science-themed beer bar, before heading up the candlelit stairway to an…
Kowloon
What's that sound? No, it's not the chink of cup and saucer, it's your jaw hitting the marble floor as you gaze, enraptured, at Hong Kong's most fabulous…
Shanghai
Originally a modest convenience store opened by a local woman (Mrs Zhang), this 24-hour drinking hole stocks around 200 varieties of craft beer. The…
Lhasa
With authentic espresso coffee and smoothies, free wi-fi and melt-in-your-mouth cheesecakes, plus salads, paninis, pizza and American-style breakfast…
Hangzhou
The craft-beer craze has certainly hit Hangzhou and the standout place to sample some top-notch craft beers is Midtown Brewery. Housed in the Shangri-la…
Hong Kong
Australian Ashley Sutton is a master of theatre and his bar is unlike anything else in Hong Kong. Ten thousand butterflies flutter from copper threads…
Guangdong
A lovely place for a tea experience with an English speaker in a minimalist, modern-meets-ancient Chinese teahouse. You pay for a taste test of bottomless…
Hong Kong
There's something indescribably comfortable about the Pontiac, which rocks to a different tune from most of the cheesy bars in LKF. It's a skinny, open…
Guangzhou
The booze boffins at this speakeasy have an on-site lab with bubbling stills for bespoke spirit infusions, resulting in some of the most creative top…
Chengdu
For 200 years, one of the city's most venerable teahouses has been tucked away in a peaceful courtyard behind a stone archway off frenetic Kuan Alley, the…
Shanghai
Run by a bright and sunny bunch, good-looking Sumerian packs a lot into a small space. The real drawcard here is the coffee – the cafe roasts its own…
Tianjin
Leading the way in the Tianjin craft-beer scene, this hidden gem of a bar is tucked away down an alley off Xi'an Dao. Its English-speaking owner knows his…
Shanghai
Part of the trendy Zhang Garden eating and drinking complex, this brewhouse has a nice outdoor area, rooftop terrace and 20 craft imports on tap. Food is…
Kowloon
You could squish a dozen Hong Kong bars together and they still wouldn't have as much personality as this boho hang-out with its art-adorned walls,…
Shanghai
Wow your date with Shanghai’s most intoxicating nocturnal visuals from the outdoor terrace on the 58th floor of the Ritz-Carlton, where Flair nudges you…
Chengdu
Always lively, this century-old spot is the most famous teahouse in Chengdu and the ideal place to fritter away an afternoon with a bottomless cup of tea …
Yunnan
Of the many fantastic cafes in Baisha, and there are surprisingly many, Me Let stands apart for its selection of and passion for coffee, as well as for…
Shangri-la
Raven is the best bar in town and one of the best in northwest Yunnan, with a huge range of beers and spirits and a small selection of pub food. There's a…
The Bund & People's Square
The decor here is decidedly bohemian and its cool retro feel makes it one of the Bund's most atmospheric spots for a drink. Cocktail prices are accessible…
Kunming
Yunnanese and Ethiopian beans are roasted on-site and served as delightfully balanced brews at this tiny, unprepossessing coffee shop beyond Brooklyn…
Sichuan
Housed within the ochre walls of a 100-year-old guild hall of boatmen and merchants, this lively teahouse (officially known as 临江茶楼, Línjiāng Chálóu) is…
Dunhuang
This comfy and eclectically designed cafe with ample greenery, high ceiling, voluminous glass windows, a vast aquarium with huge, colourful fish and lots…
Guiyang
Tucked down one of the many alleys off Qianling Dong Lu, Trip Smith is a small, happening bar that brews its own beer and serves better-than-average…
Qinghai
With guitars lying around on the sofas, a pool table and superb views of Yushu, the river and hills from the veranda, this excellent choice also has a…
Macau
With lotus-shaped light stencils on the walls, intimate Goa is a cocktail bar that plays on the Portuguese-India theme. The menu, resembling an ancient…
