SIP: Janes & Hooch
The dark, brooding interiors might remind you of a 1920s speakeasy, but the owners – Apothecary and D Lounge alumni – would rather you call it a vintage dive bar. It’s a sip and be seen kind of bar, where patrons drink prohibition-era cocktails and bourbons.
STAY: The Opposite House
Designed by Kengo Kuma, this glassy boutique hotel is unapologetically minimalist in style without compromising on comfort. It boasts an enormous central atrium that showcases both permanent and temporary art exhibitions, a 22-metre stainless steel pool and four dining outlets, including Mediterranean restaurant Sureño and Chinese stunner Jing Yaa Tang. Rooms are spacious – a vision of blond woods and clean lines with subtle touches of traditional Chinese decor. All 98 rooms and suites feature spa-like bathrooms with rain showers and oak tubs, plus Ba Yan Ka La products, which are made using pure glacial water from the Qinghai-Tibetan plateau.
SHOP: Shang Xia
Shang Xia was founded as a partnership between designer Jiang Qionger and Hermès to bridge the finest Chinese craft traditions with contemporary design. As with the Shanghai and Paris boutiques, the Beijing store interior was designed by Kengo Kuma, whose lattice of aluminium partitions are a clear nod to the brickwork found in the city’s hutongs. Its collection includes exquisite furnishings crafted in zitan wood, bamboo and eggshell porcelain, along with beautiful clothing and jewellery.
SHOP: Ubi Gallery
Machtelt Schelling stocks a covetable collection of contem- porary ceramics and jewellery from China and beyond in this Dashilar gallery. Look out for Korean artist Choonsun Moon’s statement necklaces, Li Liang’s marine-inspired rings crafted from ceramics, silver and gold-plated silver and JAS/MV’s quirky, distorted porcelain cups.
SUP: Jing Yaa Tang
The menu reads like a roll call of China’s most beloved regional dishes, but roast duck is Jing Yaa Tang’s raison d’être – the fowl is placed centre stage behind a glassed-in kitchen, where chefs sling birds in and out of a wood-burning oven. Talking about where to find the best roast duck in Beijing is a divisive topic, but Jing Yaa Tang’s perfectly roasted duck, with its crisp skin and tender flesh, has caused many to reconsider their go-to for this classic dish.
SEE: Caochangdi
Just a few minutes’ drive from 798 Art Zone is Caochangdi, where many of the art spaces were designed by China’s most famous artist provocateur Ai Weiwei. Numerous galleries have set up shop here, and like 798, the best way to explore is to simply spend time walking around the enclave. Standouts include photography specialist Three Shadows Photography Art Centre; Lucerne import Galerie Urs Meile and Asian art focused Pékin Fine Arts.
The Opposite House | Taikoo Li Sanlitun North, 11 Sanlitun Rd, Chaoyang; tel +86 10 6417 6688,the.oppositehouse.com
Shang Xia | China World Mall, China World Trade Center 1, Jianguomen Outer St, Chaoyang; tel +86 21 6390 8899, shang-xia.com
Ubi Gallery | 62 Yangmeizhu West St, Xicheng; tel +86 10 6301 2382, ubigallery.com
Jing Yaa Tang | The Opposite House, Taikoo Li Sanlitun North, 11 Sanlitun Rd, Chaoyang; tel +86 10 6417 6688, the.oppositehouse.com
Janes & Hooch | 4 Gongti North Rd, Chaoyang; tel +8610 6503 2757, janeshooch.com
Three Shadows Photography Art Centre | 155A Caochangdi, Chaoyang; tel +86 10 6432 2663,threeshadows.cn
Galerie Urs Meile | 104 Caochangdi, Chaoyang; tel +86 10 6433 3393, galerieursmeile.com
Pékin Fine Arts | 241 Caochangdi, Chaoyang; tel +86 10 5127 3220, pekinfinearts.com
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