The Irish Volunteer

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Opening among the massage parlours and DVD shops on the north side of the Lido hotel, The Irish Volunteer adds to the area’s meager selection of bars.

Not a venue likely to attract Beijingers all the way out past the Fourth Ring Road, The Irish Volunteer is nevertheless a decent place to pop into for a snack or a drink if you’re in the area.

This one-room bar resists the temptation to cover every inch of wall in Emerald Isle kitsch, which is a blessing because, as much as we love Oscar Wilde quotes and anachronistic countryside bric-a-brac, it would have all been too much in such a small space.

That’s not to say that The Irish Volunteer forgoes the odd lick of green paint, and the music is almost definitely a CD entitled Top 50 Stereotypical Irish Bar Songs, so there’s still enough of an atmosphere to attract people in the area.

Still, the prices are a definite plus point: a pint of Guinness costs 45RMB, Tsingtao is 15RMB, and the menu also contains a selection of pub grub, including panini with chips and salsa for 45RMB.

The owners must surely have been aware that they’ll get a lot of business from the moneyedtourists who stay in the hotel opposite and deserve credit for not jacking up the prices accordingly.

With so many other similar establishments already open in Beijing, it’s hard to recommend The Irish Volunteer too heartily, but if the place manages to get a small group of loyal regulars together it may well be worth another look in a few months.

The Irish Volunteer Jiangtai Lu, Chaoyang district (138 1199 2375). Open 9am-2am daily.