Beijing latest features - Time Out Beijing

City Reporter: Are Beijingers ready to ditch the cigarettes?

China is not the place to be if you want to avoid smokers. There are over 350 million of them, and one in three cigarettes smoked in the world are smoked in China, according to the World Health Organization.

Guantanamera.com

This new two-floor bar and restaurant on the east side of the Kuntai Hotel is the latest in Beijing to cater to Cuban food and music. Downstairs features a small bar that is primarily used as a coffee shop, while upstairs is the bar/restaurant section.

Barcelona Bar

One of the more peculiar bars to open in Beijing recently, Barcelona Bar is dedicated to the majestic footballing skills of Barcelona FC. Taking up the space previously occupied by Mojito bar at the Kuntai hotel, Barcelona Bar's entry-way features a staircase painted garishly in the team's red and blue colours, with faux gold leaf-framed photos of the team's biggest players, including a charming portrait of [smiling and sweating] footballing genius Ronaldinho. The bar itself is cavernously large, with ample seating and achingly consistent team colours splashed across ceilings, walls, bar stools and sofas.

The Boat

Immediately standing out as one of Beijing's more original bar concepts, The Boat is the one you've probably seen driving past on the Liangma river near to Sanlitun Beixiaojie. Forget any ideas about sailing along Beijing's canals, however, as The Boat is weighed down by a thirty tonne block of concrete that keeps it very much stationary.

Maxi midi

China’s largest music festival is back with a stellar line up of local and international artists writes Ian Sherman

Secret city：Republican Congress Building

Tucked away inside the grounds of the Xinhua News Agency is a building where world leaders once met to discuss China's fate.

Park Life

Beijing is not short of parks with elegant pagodas and historical gates, but forget that… Tania McCartney finds some parks based on pure, unadulterated fun

Maker, meet faker

Contemporary artist Sheng Qi heads to a faker's studio with Toby Skinner and Denise Fung to critique a forged copy of his art

It happened here

The raid of the red light district

Vegetarian Survival

Vegetarians have a tough life in Beijing's non-vegetarian restaurants. In Chinese restaurants asking for, and getting, a dish prepared without meat doesn't necessarily mean the dish is meat-free.

Red Ocean Butterflies

For a restaurant that describes itself as a musical restaurant, Red Ocean Butterflies hits all the wrong notes.

Wagas

As if on cue for springtime, Wagas bursts into Beijing's dining scene like daffodils and tulips blossoming after a long, cold winter.

Caffé Parma

Don't go to Caffé Parma looking for tiramisu. Named after the Northern Italian town of Parma, home to the best prosciutto, the chef (also fromParma) cooks up simple dishes the way his grandmother taught him.

The A-Z of Peking Opera

Revival of the shrillest

With a blockbuster film in the making, the opening of a specialist theatre and a slot in the new school curriculum, Tom Pattinson asks whether, after a recent decline in fortunes, Peking Opera can a comeback.

Davidoff Bar

Now the first Davidoff Lounge has arrived in Beijing and it should please cigar fans, if no one else.

Kilimanjaro

Kilimanjaro is one of Beijing's only African themed bars.

Red House

The Red House definitely feels out of place in the once peaceful alley, but this doesn't get in the way of it being a decent enough watering hole.

Baoyue Chuping

Asakuma

Not only does Asakuma offer rolls with combinations and flavours more Californian than Japanese, but the perky staff makes one wonder if they've been poached from Hatsune owner Alan Wong's territory.

La Maree

True to its name (‘the tide' in French) - its shades-of-blue décor evokes an upmarket seafood restaurant in Brittany and the menu, is nearly all straight from the sea.

Da Gui

The restaurant executes its dishes well enough that it could become a formidable competitor to the popular Three Guizhou Men.

Meli Melo

This French fusion restaurant tends towards the whimsical in its eclectic décor of peach-coloured sofas, gilded screens and red chandelier covers made of an Issey Miyake inspired fabric.

Stefanel

Garden Books

Garden books aims to be your friendly local bookshop.

The Chieff Store

The Chieff Store is a not unfamiliar collection of weird and wonderful modern lifestyle and home products thunk up by European designers with funny names.

Uniqlo

at Uniqlo - where their motto is to ‘provide people everywhere with the pieces they need to create their own style' - it's no surprise she's getting behind it.

Modern art, ancient setting

A new contemporary art museum nestled snugly against the walls of the Forbidden City? Sounds too good to be true, especially when coupled with an innovative curatorial vision at odds with the art scene's prevailing commercial ethos, writes Dan Edwards.

Eating Out Awards 2008

Time Out selects Beijing's best restaurants of 2008

Beijing Botanical Gardens

Puyi's final Pastime

Say Cheese

China's first home made gouda arrives

The West

Time Out journeys to the capital's West side

Secret City: Matteo Ricci’s Tomb

A very old China hand

Anti-Valentine's Day

Bored by the commerciality, offended by the overall crassness, or just sick of the forced romantic sentiment, Time Out air kisses the face of rebellion and offers you a selection of original Valentines day ideas to help you survive the tackiest holiday of the year.

Beijing's best hotels

Whatever your accommodation requirements, Time Out has a hotel that will suit your needs...

Beijing backpackers

If you haven't flown in to the city on a private jet and can't afford the presidential suite at the Peninsula Palace Hotel, then one of the city's hostels is the place to stay

Pool Bars

The best places to play pool around town

Best Champagne Bars

Far more than just 'fizzy wine', Champagne has long represented elegance, class and wealth. Time Out tells you the places to celebrate in style

Beijing markets

Instead of heading to Beijing's markets on a shopping mission, go to the more quirky ones and just enjoy the atmosphere. It's a guaranteed good day out

The Beijing Hotel

Chang'an Jie (Long Peace Street) is a fitting address for The Beijing Hotel and its long list of superlatives.

Where to Stay

The Olympic hotel spirit is all high-rise and high-end – but the city barely gets a bronze for good, affordable rooms

Baijiu and Fake Alcohol

Think before you drink; introducing baijiu and the dangers of fake alcohol.

Bars & Pubs

Whether you're looking for a dive bar, a glamorous cocktail lounge or just a cheap beer with a student crowd, there's a great night out to be had here in Beijing.

Fakes in Beijing

Don't expect the real deal...

Bargain guide

There's no getting away from the fact that in Beijing, bargaining is king. Outside of the department stores (and sometimes even inside) anything can be bartered down to a better price

Tailor-made clothes

Made to measure threads for less than you'd pay off the rack at home

Buying handicrafts

Beyond the mounds of pirated goods lies an incredible array of gifts that actually mean something. Seek and ye shall find

Beijing's Shops & Services

All the pearls, silk, antiques, fakes, clothes – and tea – in China

Beijing specialities

Peking duck likely tops the list of what visitors most want to eat when they come to Beijing. But Peking man does not live on duck alone. The following is a list of some of our favourite dishes in Beijing

Eating in Beijing

Forget celebrity chefs and designer décor – Chinese food is about eating... anything and everything

Hutong demolition

Beijing's move towards modernity comes at a price...

South Beijing

Temples of heaven, cranes of hell

Becoming a eunuch

Time Out takes a look at the excruciating process by which the emperor's eunuchs were separated from their 'crown jewels'...

The Centre

Welcome to the historic heart of the universe...

Cosmology and garden design

Decoding the Chinese garden...

The North-west

Join the emperors and escape to the hills...

Traditional Beijing Street life

Escape to the back streets...

Houhai & the North

From the ramshackle old-world charm of Houhai to the sleek modernity of the Olympic developments, a journey up from central to north Beijing is a journey through time..

Canal boat trips

There are worse ways to explore the city than on Beijing's traditional canals, Time Out discovers

Chinese holiday photos

Why is it that Chinese tourists are so snap-happy? Time Out explains...

Financial district

Where flow the old canals and the new money...

Chaoyang district

If capitalism is Beijing’s new passion, then Chaoyang is its heart...

Kebab joints

Since most Beijing restaurants close early, street-side kebabs are a good late night snack that are never too difficult to find. Just look for the smoke...

Art classes for kids

Beijing offers plenty of inspiration for budding Picassos. Whether it's painting, drawing, pottery or jewellery-making, Time Out finds out where kids can get creative in the capital

Amusement parks

If you're stuck for ideas about where to take the kids, try one of Beijing's amusement parks in the outskirts of the city. Time Out spins, loops and rides its way around the best places to scream your head off

Golf lessons for kids

Golf used to be seen as the ultimate bourgeois activity but now increasing numbers of Chinese parents, whether to prepare them for the world of business or to burn a few calories, are sending to learn how to tee off

Nanxincang area guide

Time Out takes a look around one of Beijing's restaurant quarters, a converted 600-year-old granary, now home to some of the capital's most interesting restaurants

Beijing Snacks

Beijingers love their snacks and thanks to a courtyard restaurant near Houhai, a dozen of the capital's most famous eats have a new home. Time Out joins the queues of hungry hordes

Ethnic eats

Time Out eats its way through some of the different ethnic cuisines on offer in the capital...

Crab restaurants

A shell-shocked Time Out goes out in search of the city's best hairy crab dining experience...

Japanese Restaurants

Time Out finds out what Beijing's Japanese community considers the best places for a taste of home

Exotic eating

Time Out tucks in to find out why Chinese diners pay thousands of renminbi to chow down penis, bird's nest and other delicacies

Cosy cafes

Whether you want a change of scenery from your living room or need somewhere to take a date for a romantic evening, Time Out snuggles up in the city's cosiest cafes

Juice bars and juicing

It's not just health freaks that are getting stuck into a smoothie or two, but where can you get the real deal in Beijing? Time Out gets fruity...

Chicken wing restaurants

There's no need to wing it when it comes to choosing Beijing's best barbecued chicken: Time Out identifies the fast-food joints that serve the best of the bunch

Insect delicacies

Where better to start a meal than at the bottom of the food chain? With an open mind and occasionally closed eyes, Time Out samples the best six-legged snacks Beijing has to offer

International dining

For when you get fed up with fried rice, Time Out explores some of the city's most authentic foreign restaurants, from dining Kosher to gorging on Brazilian meat feasts and everything in between...

Eating alfresco

Time Out goes in search of an outdoor eating experience that doesn't involve a tartan blanket...

Secrets of the city

From out of the way restaurants and tatty old flea markets to mountain retreats and ancient temples, Time Out goes in search of 50 of Beijing's most exciting hidden spots

Extreme sports

If your last rush was biting into a chili during a Sichuan meal you might want to consider trying something a bit more adventurous like extreme sports. Here's how to get your heart-rate pumping

Music lessons

Inspired by Beijing's diverse musical scene? If do-ray-me-fa-la-SO, it's time you picked up an instrument and learnt how to play: Time Out shows you how

Musical instruments

Time Out gets to grips with where to get everything from a guzheng to a guitar

Fortune tellers

Ever wondered what's in store for the future? Time Out tracks down the city's fortune tellers (surely they were expecting us?) and finds out more...

Chinese cookery classes

Don't know one Chinese dish from another? There's no need to duck the issue any longer: Time Out heads back to the classroom and discovers how to cook Chinese style

Second-hand and vintage

Sick of paying through the nose to look like everybody else? Time Out tells you how to inject a bit of originality into your wardrobe with the definitive guide to vintage, second hand and celebrity cast offs in the capital

Hot spring resorts

When winter in Beijing leaves us cold, Time Out heads to the burbs for an alfresco steam at a hot spring resort. Bring your bathers, a swimming cap and a sense of fun

Ice skating

Beijing winters are legendarily chilly: keep warm by lacing up some rented skates and heading to some of the city's most picturesque frozen lakes for a twirl on the ice

Flea markets

If you find Beijing's shopping malls over-priced, clinical and uninspiring, then it's definitely time to venture out to one the city's flea markets for a bargain hunt

Bike ride routes

When in Beijing, do as Beijingers do and pedal to the metal. Time Out suggests where you can hire a bike and enjoy the city's most picturesque and cycle-friendly routes

Wine tasting

The best way to pick the wine for you is to try before you buy: Time Out tells you where you can sample a selection at an organised wine tasting. Ganbei!

Vineyard visits

For a taste of the best wine China's countryside wineries have to offer, escape from the city, wander round the vineyards and sample a glass or two

Ethical shopping

Thanks to an army of celebrity fair trade advocates, ethical buying has become cool, so take a tip from Chris Martin et al and think before you buy. Time Out tells you where in Beijing you can shop with a clear conscience

Fishing

Leave the city behind and banish Beijing blues with a spot of fishing in the countryside. Time Out wades through the options

Haunted houses

Headless prisoners, executed soldiers and faceless school girls: Beijing's turbulent history has caused many ghosts and ghouls to remain in the land of the living. Time Out discover some of the most haunted buildings in the city

Best brunch venues

From champagne, crabs and clowns to candy floss and chocolate fountains, Beijing's brunch restaurants are all competing for your attention. Time Out tells you the best places to blow your waistline in style

Cheap booze

If five star dining and drinking 150RMB cocktails is beyond your budget, the city has a whole host of all you can drink nights to send you into oblivion...

Cheap boutiques

There’s nothing better than bagging yourself some cheap threads, but no one wants to take home any old junk. Time Out tells you where to find the best quality bargains in Beijing

Film, theatre, art, music and clubs; there's always something going on in the capital

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