New Gongti Venue F Space Aims to Satisfy Barflies, Art Geeks, and Aspiring Dancers With its Eclectic Digs

F Space puts the "art" in party. The recently opened Gongti venue features not only a lavish lounge room, top-notch cocktails, and a panoramic rooftop bar, but also an exhibition space in the entrance where artists can show off their work as well as a dance studio where students can turn up to show off their hip-hop moves.

Right now several cartoonish dog sculptures are on display in the foyer, along with vibrantly colored paintings, walking the artistic spectrum from abstract to absurdist.

That eclectic spirit is also on display on the lounge's cocktail menu. It forgoes conventional (and let's face it: frequently pretentious) cocktail titles in favor of simply numbering the options from one to eight. A perfect wintertime option is the number four, which features coffee infused bourbon, Amaro, and Campari along with coffee beans torched on an orange slice (courtesy of one of the the prompt bartenders). The drink's bitterness is saliva-inducing, and its generous splashes of alcohol will leave you with a warm buzz far removed from Beijing's winter chills.

Their breezy number six cocktail is made with gin, cucumber, lemon syrup, and celery, and its vibrant emerald color and spritzy flavor will leave you feeling refreshed and not the least bit indulgent (which can't be said for a few of the somewhat overly rich, though still tasty cocktails like the number three, made with bourbon, grapefruit syrup, grenadine syrup, and an egg white). The bar will unveil 12 more new cocktails at their October 31 Halloween party (which begins at 10.30pm).

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All in all, the venue is one of the most varied and ambitious that we've ever seen in Beijing, and we look forward to the new works that will adorn its walls, the new concoctions that will fill its cups, and the new tunes that will blare from its studio's speakers as this dynamic spot realizes its boundless potential.

F Space
601, Bldg 8, Gongti Xilu, Chaoyang District  (188 8885 2562, call to ask about the opening times of the bars, art gallery and dance studio)
朝阳区工体西路8号楼6层

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Photos: Kyle Mullin