Great Leap’s New Brewpub Brings 30 Taps and Hearty Food Options to Lido

Christmas came early for fans of Great Leap Brewing when the homegrown Beijing beer brand announced the soft launch of its new Lido location on Dec 21. The new venue is now fully up and running, so we called in to take a peek. 

Located in the new Nuo Center next to Nuo Hotel Beijing, the Lido location has inherited its look and feel from previous GLB locations – think lots of polished wood tables, brick walls, and Edison bulbs. The key features that set this location apart are the wraparound bar in the center of the venue, which has seating for 40, and the floor-to-ceiling windows, which let in plenty of light and make this just as much a daytime space as a nighttime one.

There is no brewery on-site at the Lido location but that doesn’t mean the beer selection is limited. Far from it, in fact, as there are 30 taps stocked with both GLB’s own core and seasonal beers and guest brews from other breweries such as Baird and Mikkeller (look for these to change regularly). As someone who doesn’t drink a lot of beer (although there is a special place in my heart for GLB’s own Honey Ma Gold), I enjoyed the Mikkeller Hallo Ich Bin Berliner Weisse Mango, which reminded me more of a refreshing cider. 

The majority of the food menu will be familiar to fans of GLB, incorporating their popular burgers (which netted them second place in last year’s Burger Cup) and New York-style pizzas, which are also available by the slice. One new dish that stands out, however, is the Rueben sandwich, filled, as is tradition, with corned beef, Swiss cheese, sauerkraut, and Russian dressing. This is a sandwich with real heft and a pleasant funk from the sauerkraut; I can see it being a popular choice for brunches/hangovers. 

Overall, the brand looks to have another hit on its hands with this new Lido location, one that doesn’t reinvent the wheel yet is nevertheless a welcome addition to an area lacking in brewpubs, and is even more relevant after last month's sudden closure of local favorite Ramo.

Pssst... Great Leap isn't the only brewpub giant to get a new venue: Slow Boat Brewery is also getting in on the action with a soon-to-be-opened 40-seat taproom.

Great Leap Brewing (Lido)
Sun-Thu 11am-1am, Fri-Sat 11am-2am. 1/F, Nuo Center, 2A Jiangtai Lu, Chaoyang District (6434 7221)
朝阳区将台路甲2号金尚丽1层

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Photos: Robynne Tindall, courtesy of Great Leap Brewing