Salud

Have pure fun at the second bar of the same name

Snapping up the last remaining available Pure Girl space on Sanlitun Beijie, Salud – the Nanluoguxiang hangout populated by Beijing hipsters and funky bohemian Frenchmen – aims to wipe a bit of sleaze off the strip with the bold move of serving proper alcohol.

Salud’s glass-encased DJ booth and beer garden out front – the obligatory Sanlitun pavement overspill – keep it in line with its neighbours, but comparisons don’t stretch much further than the layout.

The drinks menu is a clear ten kuai more reassuringly expensive than the surrounding bars, with pints of Tsingtao draught going for 20RMB, and more expensive beers suchas Duvel costing 40RMB.

Tequila shots go for 25RMB, cocktails are around 30RMB, and you can select a house rum (from the original Salud) for 20RMB. Inside, the walls are a deep red, but the bar’s lack of windows means it’s a bit gloomy, and once winter comes, and everyone is huddled inside, Salud is likely to become uncomfortably packed.

Still, this is a healthy addition to Sanlitun – after downing a shot of genuine tequila on the strip you’ll never go back to the five kuai irradiated piss that passes for Cuervo in some of the neighbouring establishments.

Sure, super cheap drinks are great for your wallet, but the ensuing hemorrhagic hangovers that consistently accompany a budget night out at one of the area’s dodgier establishments really aren’t worth it.

Summertime pavement drinking in Sanlitun is a noble tradition, and one we heartily endorse. Now, with Salud’s arrival, you have the option of doing so without the fear of imminent blindness hanging over your head.

Salud Sanlitun Beijie, opposite Tongli Studio, Chaoyang district (6417 7055). Open 4.30pm-late daily. 朝阳区三里屯北街