Best Bars in Guilin: Cocktails, Whisky and a Hotel Lounge

For Guilin bars, consider UNICO for a visitor-reported social room, 3% Cocktail Bar for inventive cocktails, Amber for a whisky-oriented setting, or U Bar at Shangri-La for a hotel venue with a direct official contact. This is a shortlist for Guilin city, not a list of bars on Yangshuo’s West Street.

That distinction matters more than adding another ten venue names. If you sleep in Guilin, plan a city evening. If your hotel is in Yangshuo, build the night there instead. Research was checked on September 3, 2026; the independent bars below are dated visitor leads, with current opening details still requiring direct confirmation.

1. UNICO BAR: a social-room lead

An April 2026 Rednote post identifies UNICO BAR 英之 and describes an international visitor atmosphere. That makes it a useful lead if you hope for a more social evening than a quiet hotel lounge.

We have not verified that an English-speaking crowd or staff member will be present on your date. Search the Chinese and English names together, request the current address and ask about the night’s music. A bar’s historic reputation is not enough to establish today’s language coverage, menu or hours. Choose it after checking the practical details, especially if meeting people is your main reason to go.

2. 3% Cocktail Bar: an exploratory cocktail stop

An August 2026 visitor report describes an industrial-style room and drinks combining fruit with savory or herbal elements. 3% Cocktail Bar is the clearest cocktail-focused discovery in the Guilin social sample.

Ask the team which flavors are available now and explain whether you prefer a familiar classic or an experimental drink. The name does not tell you the alcohol content of everything on the menu. Confirm its current pin and entrance floor before arriving; the public information reviewed here does not establish a complete operator-verified address or schedule.

3. Amber: a whisky-oriented alternative

A October 2025 report places 琥珀威士忌酒吧, translated here as Amber Whisky Bar, in Tashan Yufang — 塔山渔坊, and describes an upper-floor setting. It is a lead for visitors who would rather compare whisky styles than look for live entertainment.

Ask for the exact building, floor and current entrance. If ordering whisky, confirm the bottle, measure and price before pouring; the word “whisky” on a venue sign is not a budget category. This is an older visitor source, so do not make a special trip without checking that the venue is currently operating.

4. U Bar at Shangri-La: a hotel-backed option

Shangri-La’s U Bar page lists a bar and Western grill on the hotel’s first level, at 111 Huan Cheng Bei Er Road — 环城北二路111号. The official page identifies the space as non-smoking and provides the hotel contact +86 773 269 8888.

Choose it when you want an identifiable hotel entrance, food alongside drinks and a direct team to contact before arrival. Check current opening and the available menu with the hotel: the website’s displayed hours were ambiguous when reviewed, so we have not reproduced a closing time. If the non-smoking setting is essential, reconfirm that arrangement for your chosen table.

Should you choose Guilin city or Yangshuo for the evening?

Start by checking your overnight base in our Guilin destination guide. A Li River trip can involve Guilin, a departure point outside the center, Yangshuo and a return transfer. A saved bar in the wrong town can turn a simple drink into a substantial journey. Use our Guilin and Li River guide to settle the route first.

For a city sightseeing day, have dinner near your hotel and choose one of the confirmed Guilin pins. For a river day ending in Yangshuo, stay with a Yangshuo evening plan. For an early departure, a single hotel-bar stop may be easier to manage than searching for an unfamiliar upper-floor entrance late at night.

What should you check about prices and reservations?

The local sample contained promotional deals, new-opening posts and reports of individual visits. We used it to identify venues and possible styles, not to declare a citywide winner or publish old receipts as today’s prices. Ask for a current menu, seat minimums, any music-night charge and the cost of a custom drink.

If English communication is important, ask when contacting the venue; keep a translation of your flavor preferences and the hotel address ready. Confirm the pickup street for your ride back. For a larger cocktail scene on the same southern-China route, compare our Guangzhou bars.