First Glance: YIN on 12 Rooftop Bar at New World Beijing Hotel Chongwenmen

A slick, new rooftop bar atop New World Beijing Hotel in Chongwenmen was unveiled last Thursday (gallery here) to creative cocktails, fresh oysters, and one boisterous saxophonist (if you were there early, you'll know what I mean). But we can look the other way on that because YIN on 12's "modern Oriental" 1,100-meter space is nothing short of impressive, and boy do they know how to spruce up an evening of chuan'r. Their al fresco grill and bar is one summery spot to look forward to if you're ever on the southside.

YIN on 12 (a name that calls to mind those swanky restaurants in the 1st-9th blocks of a city's center) is putting their view to use firstly with regular themed events aimed at Beijing's gentlemen. Look out for Gentlemen's Night on Thursdays, which pairs single malt whiskeys with Cuban cigars at a 50 percent discount (and if you're looking for that near Sanlitun, you may want to check out BBC).

We'll be doing more cocktail sampling in the coming weeks – we tried the Long YIN Iced Tea with chrysanthemum but found its sweetness to be too overwhelming for the mix. If you want to keep things simple, they have no shortage of wine, tapped beers and vintage champagne.

To make a reservation, contact dining.beijing@newworldhotels.com

YIN on 12
New World Beijing Hotel
Tues-Sat 6pm-late. 8 Qinian Street, Dongcheng District (5960 8822)
东城区祈年大街8号新世界酒店12层

Photos: Jessica Rapp and New World Beijing Hotel