El Nido is the quintessential Gulou hutong booze hole, with ample varieties of the good stuff represented from all over the world - imported beers, specialty spirits, absinths, and whatever else gets you respectably blotto.

Located just across from the Fangjia Hutong theater complex, this tiny bar serves stunning brews like Trappistes Rochefort, alongside reasonably priced French wines and absinthes. This tiny hutong bar looks like the kind of bunker a beer aficionado might have assembled in preparation for a nuclear holocaust. Inside, it almost looks as if the bomb has already been dropped - dusty racks hold bottles of wine, while a succession of fridges are crammed with beer from all around the world - undoubtedly among Beijing's best selections of beer.

Prices are reasonable, starting from 25 RMB a glass (or 100 RMB a bottle) for a Les Alyses Merlot. But don’t expect smooth service: the cheery staff had to pop next door to get a bottle opener, while our white wine was served warm. Still, if you’re prepared to stick to the reds and muck in with your fellow drinkers, then you’re in for a treat.

Open: 5:00 pm - late daily

Add: 59 Fangjia Hutong, Dongcheng District, Beijing

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