The Den (Dun Huang), Beijing

Dont let the inital scenery fool you. We first walked into this place to see nothing but old travelling business men kicking back getting drunk. We didnt think we would last too long, but after a while the dance floor upstairs started to get some younger people and we were in for a big one.

Spirits can be bought by the bottle and are usually more expensive, but the place goes pretty well on saturday nights. Watch out for hookers on the prowl though.

Dress Code: Usual, bar nightclub stuff

The decor is beat up, though some (including me) think it gives the place character. Great happy hour - half-price pizza and drinks - up to 10 PM. If you've had a few drinks and it's past midnight, this is a great place to load up on some carbs! The staff is extremely efficient and polite.

Dress Code: Casual

I basically behaved myself while in Beijing and most of China but one night, I decided to check out some nightlife. I headed out to the Santilun district where there were apparently many bars. I was searching out a couple of places listed in my guidebook but instead found the Den by accident. This was a lucky happen chance because I really liked this place. Fortunately for my timing too, I got there for happy hour. I decided to eat here because I had already begun to tire of Chinese food. I had some sort of schnitzel which really was only passible. Still I liked the atmosphere of the bar. The Den is a so-called Irish pub, so it attracts mostly Western expats.

Dress Code: Casual

a small 2-floor building, serving a variety of food on the ground floor together with a bar near the entrance. the floor above is... the dance floor with another bar! and what makes it better is... IT'S FREE!! (oh well, not the drinks u know, hehe..) very busy at weekends, has local DJs as well as foreign DJs (last summer when i was there, i think they had someone from london). u'll find a good mix of people here: locals, overseas students, foreigners working in china, tourists... again, good place to meet interesting people!

Dress Code: smart casual stuffs, as usual! (unless u wanna impress 'someone special'! hehe..)

If you want to get away from the standard raving (techno, etc.) music that permeates the majority of western night clubs in Beijing, the Den is a good place for top 40 and hip hop. The decor could definitely use some help...it is modelled after the whole Shanghai triad look...red lanterns and all... Get there early if you want a booth for a base. The layout isn't great...most of the seats are on the bottom floor while the dance floor is on the top... The floor is always crowded and very dark. It's still one of the pitstops on your way around the San Li Tun circuit though... (Also serves a decent breakfast if you are up 'til dawn...)

Dress Code: None