Destination
Beijing’s biggest and busiest gay bar, Destination boasts two floors packed with a crowd that is at least 80 per cent male. The rest are straight female hangers-on though the management claim lesbians show up on occasion. Loud and proud, you might find your ears ringing when you leave.
Atmosphere: The joint gets busy at around 10pm, filling up with young men looking for action. With dark bars spread across slightly differently themed rooms, you'll have to squeeze your way through seas of men to get around. If you're not looking for a loverboy, Destination is equally good for an unpredictable crazy night out with your friends, drinking and dancing to cheesy music.
Most popular drink: Long Island Iced Tea (50RMB)
Cheapest drink: Tsingtao (30RMB)
Entrance: 60RMB
Sobear
A dedicated, niche gay bar, Sobear mostly attracts a male crowd though lesbians also drop by in smaller numbers. The ‘bear’ in the bar’s name gives a clue as to the demographic of this hotspot’s honey-seekers.
Thursday offers KTV night and on weekends DJ Pony (also the bar owner) plays house and electronica.
Atmosphere: Things can get busy on weekends but generally Sobear is a place for drinks and friendly conversation.
Most popular drink: Sobear cocktail (50RMB)
Cheapest Drink: Heineken, Carlsberg (30RMB)
Entrance: 60RMB on weekends, includes two beers
Alfa
This gay-friendly bar boasts a stylish main area furnished with tables positioned over pools of water and separated by a screen or curtain. The bar gets very busy on Fridays, Alfa’s regular gay night, as does the dance floor. The gay night attracts a mixed crowd but, again, men are in the majority.
Look out for Alfa’s one-off gay nights, including events aimed at lesbians.
Atmosphere: Though a fair bit classier than Destination, Alfa is still somewhere you can get drunk and party the night away. Make sure you get off the dancefloor before it closes or the staff will throw sand at you (really).
Most popular drink: Long Island Iced Tea (50RMB)
Cheapest drink: Beers from 30RMB
Entrance: Free for the main bar and seating area on Fridays. 30RMB gets you into the dancefloor area with one free drink and two-for-one deals until midnight.
Mesh
A chilled-out lounge bar that welcomes all, Mesh boasts a stylish gay night every Thursday. Men and women turn up for fruity martinis and sophisticated company.
Atmosphere: With its relaxing lounge music, comfy backless chairs and unpretentiously stylish warm décor, Mesh pulls in the more professional crowds.
Most popular drink: Passion fruit and lychee martini (70RMB)
Cheapest Drink: Beers go for 40RMB
Entrance: Free
Terra
Terra is a restaurant rather than dedicated bar. Fridays see an LGBT night, PINK, drawing in a mixed crowd of trendy gays and gay-friendlies, however. With electro beats, jazz and a variety of other international tunes, their daily happy hour (5-7pm and 10pm-midnight) also applies on PINK nights.
Atmosphere: A more up-market venue, Terra is sophisticated but relaxed with a clientele of all ages enjoying food and drinks.
Most popular drink: Pink Pisco Sour (68RMB)
Cheapest drink: Bombadier English Beer (28RMB)
Entrance: Free
The Lala Salon Activity Centre
Not actually a bar, this community centre offers an oasis for lesbians to get away from gay events teeming with testosterone (though people of any sexual leaning are welcome). There is a small bar offering limited free wine and tea – though visitors are encouraged to bring their own. The centre hold regular talks and social activities, including cooking salons and an English corner.
Atmosphere: With its simple décor, Lala Salon attracts an unostentatious crowd, mostly around their twenties to late thirties.
Entrance: 25RMB
Jujiao Yanyi Bar
Located on the first basement floor of the Golden Sun Hotel, this gay bar is very much for the (male) locals with loud KTV, the smell of popcorn and drag queens’ perfume filling the air. Drag shows are on Wednesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday from 10pm. Wednesday afternoons see 'U-bear' parties for the heavily set from 2-6pm.
Atmosphere: For westerners, this bar is mostly for novelty value. If the idea of implausibly loud KTV singalongs of 1970s nationalistic dirges followed by drag shows tinged with pathos and cruisy toilets floats your boat then set sail into the Golden Sun for a night to remember.
Most popular drink: Chivas Regal (60RMB a glass), Baileys (40RMB a glass)
Cheapest drink: Snow Beer (30RMB)
Entrance: Free
Share Club
Opened in September 2011 in the landmark Zhongyu Plaza, Share Club boasts an outdoor patio area for conversation and an an escape from the dance tunes inside.
Atmosphere: As the newcomer on this list, Share Club's Friday gay night has yet to make its mark.
Most popular drink: Share No 1 cocktail (80RMB a glass)
Cheapest drink: Raftberries cocktail (40RMB)
Entrance: Free
Vinyl Café
Striking for its tell-tale rainbow shop sign, Vinyl Café is a large, well-kempt space. The theme fits the name with framed album covers dotting the walls - there’s Queen’s Greatest Hits, Leon Russell, Spanky and the Gang (for real!) and other funky, big-hair seventies music greats.
Atmosphere: During the day the café is a quiet spot to do some work – the wifi is fast, the coffee a decent cup and the quiet ambience an antidote to noisy clubs and meat markets.
Most popular drink: Coffee (25RMB), Long Island Iced Tea (65RMB)
Cheapest drink: Tsingdao (18RMB)
Entrance: Free
Dao Le
Dao Le winebar is located close to the Today Art Museum and many other up-and-coming art spaces. Offering imported wine from about 10 different countries, the drinks list varies from season to season. Background music is mostly jazz. Dao Le runs gay-friendly Thursday evenings with two-for-one deals on house wine from 8-10pm.
Atmosphere: This little bar has developed an artsy air of its own, nestled amongst plenty of clean, new gallery spaces. Not surprisingly, the regulars are mostly artistic folk who work or live nearby.
Most popular drink: Borsao Seleccion Tinto (240RMB per bottle)
Cheapest drink: Concha y Toro Sendero Merlot Rose (35RMB per bottle)
Entrance: Free
