Best Bars in Beijing: Cocktails, Hutongs and Craft Beer

For Beijing bars, start with TIAO for a hutong setting, Bar Long Fong for cocktails, Make a Toast for unusual flavors, and Slow Boat or Jing-A for beer with dinner. The best choice depends on the evening you want and the district. A Qianmen courtyard and a Sanlitun taproom are separate plans.

This is an editorial shortlist checked on September 3, 2026. The order reflects visitor usefulness across different styles; only explicitly cited award positions are formal rankings. We reviewed venue information and dated Rednote reports, without claiming personal visits to every bar.

1. TIAO: a hutong cocktail evening

TIAO at Mandarin Oriental Qianmen combines a two-level bar with drinks inspired by Beijing food and culture. Its setting is the strongest reason to choose it after a day around the historic center. The award organizer lists it at No. 50 in Asia for 2026.

The hotel address is 1 Caochang 10th Alley, Dongcheng — 东城区草厂十条1号. Ask the hotel for the correct evening entrance and whether your preferred seats are available. Book this as the main bar of the night; a hutong address is a poor reason to assume it has neighborhood-pub prices. For dinner beforehand, keep the route in the Qianmen area.

2. Bar Long Fong: put the drink first

Bar Long Fong is listed at No. 96 in the official 2026 extended ranking. Use the Park Plaza Beijing Wangfujing hotel name to distinguish it from similarly named businesses. It suits someone who wants to spend the evening at a cocktail bar rather than collect skyline photos.

A June 2025 Rednote comparison grouped it with Make a Toast and NON-BINARY Lab, illustrating the range of Beijing’s smaller cocktail rooms. That is a taste report, not proof that the same drinks remain on the menu. Ask for the current list and describe the spirits and flavors you enjoy before ordering a signature.

3. Make a Toast: an exploratory choice

Two reports, from December 2024 and June 2025, describe an outer dining or lounge space and an inner cocktail room, with more adventurous food-inspired flavors. That makes Make a Toast a useful shortlist for curious drinkers who enjoy discussing a drink with the bartender.

The business’s company profile places Make a Toast in the Xinyuan Street residential compound, Chaoyang — 朝阳区新源街小区, and describes an outer living-room space and inner study-style bar. This supports the two-room distinction, but it is not a live reservation page. Confirm which room, the entrance and the current menu when booking. If you prefer familiar classics, say so before choosing an unusual ingredient combination.

4. Slow Boat Sanlitun: beer and an easy dinner

The brewery’s own location directory lists its Sanlitun branch at 6 Nansanlitun Road — 南三里屯路6号. This is the practical option when the group wants craft beer and food without organizing a formal cocktail reservation.

Check the branch carefully: Slow Boat has several Beijing locations, and the official directory identifies its original Dongsi Batiao taproom as closed. An old travel article about that original location should not determine your destination. Staying around Shichahai or Baitasi? Look up the brewery’s current branches there before crossing town just for the Sanlitun name.

5. Jing-A CBD: a beer stop in the business district

Jing-A’s CBD taproom is in the Kerry Centre at 1 Guanghua Road — 光华路1号嘉里中心. Its official page describes 32 taps, food and a terrace with a view toward the CCTV building. This is a useful choice for travelers already staying around the CBD.

Ask what is on tap that evening and choose by beer style. A terrace seat is a separate preference to mention when booking; its availability depends on conditions and the night’s bookings. For a mixed group, check the food and alcohol-free choices before settling on a beer-led venue.

Which Beijing neighborhood fits your evening?

For a heritage day, finish sightseeing, have dinner around Qianmen and make TIAO the evening’s destination. For a Wangfujing stay, check Bar Long Fong. For casual food and beer, use Slow Boat Sanlitun or the Jing-A branch nearest your hotel. Make a Toast needs its own confirmed pin before you connect it to dinner.

Do not turn this shortlist into a five-stop itinerary. Beijing distances make the hotel-to-bar route more important than the number of names saved. Our Beijing night guide helps combine an evening walk with one drinks stop; the Beijing food guide is the starting point for dinner.

Do you need to reserve Beijing bars?

For TIAO and Bar Long Fong, request the date, time and exact seat type in advance. For Make a Toast, add the room name. Ask whether there is a deposit, minimum spend, service charge or cancellation deadline; a bar seat and a reserved table may have different conditions.

What should you budget for drinks and the ride back?

Use the current drinks menu plus any table minimum, service charge and return fare as your budget. Old Rednote receipts do not establish a 2026 price list. Agree a price before ordering an off-menu cocktail.

Save the Chinese hotel or street address for the return ride, and check the last metro connection for your particular journey before relying on it. If you need English assistance, ask when booking rather than assuming every shift has the same language coverage.

Continuing elsewhere? Compare Shanghai cocktail bars or Xi’an bars.