Party time

Organising a party can be stressful. Time Out does the legwork and bargains with the best venues so you don’t have to

Best for a dance party The Boat

With White Rabbit biting the proverbial dust, The Boat is now the closest thing Beijing has to an underground club with its late nights and pounding electronica.

The lower level of the ship has its own bar, dancefloor and sound system, which is separate from the one upstairs.

What we wanted A party for 100 people, an open bar for 100RMB per head and our own DJ.

What we got ‘We don’t do wine for an open bar,’ manager Alan told us. But what we did get was an open bar with Tsingtao beer and mixed drinks (gin, vodka and rum) for 100RMB per person for the whole night.

The venue’s upstairs section comes with its own music so they wouldn’t allow us to use our own DJ.

8 Liangmahe Nan Lu (west of Sanlitun Bei Lu), Chaoyang district (6468 0735, Chinese; 159 0156 3473, English). 8pm-6am daily. 朝阳区亮马 河南路8号 (三里屯北路西).

Best for a bachelor party Chocolate

What better way to celebrate your graduation from bachelorhood to a lifetime of companionship than a trip to Chocolate, a place that will remind you of every facet of singledom.

Exotic dancers, classic art, gold toilets – yes, there isn’t even an ounce of irony to this place. Perfect, then, for a stag night.

What we wanted A VIP room for 20 people, drink deals and a dancer. 

What we got It’s best to have a Russian friend make the call since most of the staff don’t speak English (they asked us whether we ‘spoke China?’).

But we somehow managed to get a VIP room that would hold 20 people for 1,000RMB. No drink deals were available – standard prices apply – though a private room does come with lots of funny seating, mirrors on the walls and a stripper pole.

Which obviously led us to ask if it would be possible for one of the exotic dancers to perform a private show in the room. We were rebuffed with a stern, ‘I’m sorry, we don’t offer those services.’

Perhaps our Russian isn’t what it used to be.

19 Ritan Bei Lu (north-west corner of Ritan Park), Chaoyang district (8561 3988). Open 11am-late daily. 朝阳区 日坛北路19号 (日坛公园西北).

Best for a budget Tiantong Shijia Snooker

We could all do with being frugal in these testing economic times, but that’s no reason to forgo a celebration. Tiantong Shijia Snooker Hall is a 24-hour emporium that also doubles as an excellent budget party venue.

Each room comes with a flatscreen TV, snooker table and, erm, an assortment of Chinese antiques.

What we wanted A private room for 20 people with a snooker table and card table at 100RMB per hour for the room. We also wanted to bring our own food and drinks.

What we got Its largest room fits 15, but the management onlyallows ten so you’ll have to sneak your other five friends in.

They also don’t have both snooker and card tables in one room; pick the former – you can always play poker on the sofa. Snooker rooms cost 118RMB per hour and you’re free to bring your ownfood and alcohol at no extra charge (although glasses of ice are 2RMB a pop).

Nothing is negotiable here, but if you get a membership card (2,000RMB) you will be able to get 30 and 20 per cent discounts off the snooker and card rooms respectively.

Apartment 3, Third Floor, Tower A, GT International Centre, Yongan Dongli, Chaoyang district (5879 3631, Chinese only). Open 24 hours daily. 朝 阳区永安东里通用国际大厦A座.

Best for a luxury blow-out Fez Bar

A classy Moroccan-style venue in the Ch’ienmen 23 compound, Fez’s rooftop is ultra glamorous and has some great views. Known for its cocktails, Fez Bar is the place to splash the cash.

What we wanted A party for 50 people, a personal DJ, finger food and an open bar.

What we got Fez has a framework or every party you want to host. Our call was returned with an email detailing the specifics, in separate Word documents, of what they offer. 

Canapés range from 200 to 400RMB per person and include delights such as smoked salmon foam with capers, and garlic and chilli shrimp skewers.

They also offer three kinds of open bar (‘soft’, ‘standard’ and ‘wine’), which range from 155 to 260RMB per person for the first two hours, then 70 to 120RMB for each additional hour.

Deep pockets are needed if you want a DJ; hiring one costs 3,000RMB. They didn’t budge on price, but if you want luxe, there’s no compromise at Fez.

Chi’enmen 23, 23 Qianmen Dong Dajie, Dongcheng district (6559 6266). Open 6pm-1am daily. 东城区 前门东大街23号.