44 Lounge Is a Promising Indicator for the CBD's Cocktail Scene
Turns out Sanlitun isn’t the only Beijing neighborhood with cocktail bars hidden in apartment buildings. Better still: 44 Lounge near Dawang Lu isn’t a lazily designed, glorified household den like so many of those Yoolee Plaza joints. Instead, the Jianguo Lu-adjacent joint is spacious, with a 14-meter-long bar and dozens of bottles on the shelves behind it, not to mention the massive 150sqm rooftop terrace.
The bar has some of the best rooftop seating in the CBD
Sure, this is still a hidden apartment bar, and as such lacks the slick ambiance of its top-shelf competitors like Janes and Hooch, Infusion Room, or one of cocktail mastermind's Xiao Ming's numerous venues. That being said, 44 feels like you're attending a party at your wealthy pal's bachelor pad, making the apartment bars near Sanlitun look like dank little man caves in comparison. Much of that can be attributed to the relatively cheaper rent on the sleepier street that 44 is located on. But the owners are also clearly more professional than many of their Sanlitun apartment bar counterparts, judging not only by the tastefully modern decor but also the drinks.
Not a bad view at all
Their No. 44 cocktail, for instance, should get points for originality alone. Its mix of pineapple, orange and lemon juices, along with a Bacardi rum base, was made all the weirder by a dusting of cocoa on top. What should have been a conflicting, disgusting combination instead somehow works quite well, making for a fruity, frothy cocktail with an ever so light chocolatey undertone. Granted, you're not going to want to gulp multiple cupfuls of this one back into the wee hours (or at least I wouldn't, because it's not quite potent enough for my debaucherous purposes), the bar's eponymous cocktail nevertheless works well as a smooth starter before you dive into the harder stuff, or for a light and refreshing nightcap if you're looking for a one-and-done option on a quiet evening.
The bar's No. 44 cocktail
There are also two pages of classic cocktails that each cost more or less RMB 100, and numerous spirits you can drink straight. None of it will blow you away, but there's plenty on offer, certainly more than your average bar given the extended shelf space, and the prices are comparable (but not really cheaper) than most bars around town. 44's true appeal will be to CBD residents looking for a fun, elegant but not an overly ostentatious joint to bring their friends for an evening without venturing too far from home and, judging by this venue's success in those regards, we hope that 44 more places like it open up in quieter neighborhoods across Beijing, so that party people across town can better enjoy themselves instead of constantly elbowing their way into Sanlitun to try yet another cramped bar.
44 Lounge
Daily, 6.30pm-2.30am. Rm 3204, Bldg 6, 88 Jianguo Road New Town Apartment (131 2693 9598)
通惠河北路SOHO现代城6号楼3204室(近西大望路)
Photos courtesy of 44 Lounge
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