Beijing has, mercifully, sheltered itself from such embarrassing interpretations of debauchery. By virtue of being landlocked (and bound by enforced laws), our city appeals to neither sunburned Englishmen in wife-beaters nor those Americans who make irritating whooping noises.SanlitunBar Street is the closest we’ve come to a northern stop on the Banana Pancake Trail. But it’s all rather civilized in comparison.
Nonetheless, if Thai-themed Soi Baochao had been located anywhere near Beijing’s own mini-Khaosan, it would have become instantly detestable. Bars serving alcohol in buckets are veritable moron magnets. Yet, here in the quiet northern reaches of Gulou’s Baochao Hutong, there’s something almost quaint about the idea.
If one is surrounded by harmless hipster types, is there anything wrong with drinking through straws from a large plastic receptacle? We would argue not. We would even say that, at RMB 80 for a bucket of spirit-plus-mixer, it is a superbly economical way to get drunk.
The bar’s ground floor has something of a grungy, rock club vibe. There’s an arcade machine and tables of the foosball and pool varieties. Sure, we find a big Thai flag and the bar’s name appears in luminescent blue, all Thai-alphabet-style. But Soi Baochao isn’t pushing the theme too hard.
Tel: 86 10 6401 1066
Add: 10 Baochao Hutong, Dongcheng District
Source: thatsmags.com
Beijing has, mercifully, sheltered itself from such embarrassing interpretations of debauchery. By virtue of being landlocked (and bound by enforced laws), our city appeals to neither sunburned Englishmen in wife-beaters nor those Americans who make irritating whooping noises.SanlitunBar Street is the closest we’ve come to a northern stop on the Banana Pancake Trail. But it’s all rather civilized in comparison.
Nonetheless, if Thai-themed Soi Baochao had been located anywhere near Beijing’s own mini-Khaosan, it would have become instantly detestable. Bars serving alcohol in buckets are veritable moron magnets. Yet, here in the quiet northern reaches of Gulou’s Baochao Hutong, there’s something almost quaint about the idea.
If one is surrounded by harmless hipster types, is there anything wrong with drinking through straws from a large plastic receptacle? We would argue not. We would even say that, at RMB 80 for a bucket of spirit-plus-mixer, it is a superbly economical way to get drunk.
The bar’s ground floor has something of a grungy, rock club vibe. There’s an arcade machine and tables of the foosball and pool varieties. Sure, we find a big Thai flag and the bar’s name appears in luminescent blue, all Thai-alphabet-style. But Soi Baochao isn’t pushing the theme too hard.
Tel: 86 10 6401 1066
Add: 10 Baochao Hutong, Dongcheng District
Source: thatsmags.com
