I go in there sometimes, but you're right. Once i forgot to bring a lighter, and when I asked the bartender for one, he just stared at me. When I asked him again, he said "Where's yours?"

The service at Sophie's, in contrast, is pretty good. In another cigarette related incident, i asked them if they sold smokes. They didnt, but the waitress actually went outside during their busy lunch hour to buy me a pack. wow.

@bjlaowai: thanks for starting this thread! i wanted to say something about it a while ago but didn't know if it'd be appropriate since it seemed to be so popular with people. here's what i came across:

we went there for an event about a month ago, and since we were late we just stood outside the counter in a corner waiting for the waiters to finish tidying up. that's when we saw the staff taking back the wine glasses with leftover wine from the customers and pour it back in a wine bottle... one glass after another, till they'd emptied all the glasses and they corked up the bottle and put it back.

i was startled there with my mouth open and staring at the staff-- he spotted me and turned sharply his back to me and left the counter.

i know this probably happens all the time in a cheap bar or restaurant, but i didn't expect bookworm to do that. never ordered anything from them again since.

@ sinolink,

no, it was a magazine launch party or something like that. not a regular event.

:shock: why are they so stingy?

We will forward this to the owner of bookworm.

The events there, like the lecture given by the authors of lonely planet, seem cool though...

@ catsmeow

How is April "tooting her own horn"? Maybe you are unaware that there are many event held at the bookworm each month and she only used one to make an example that even though the service at BW may suck, they still put on free and worthwhile events. Besides, what is wrong with the moderators recommending their services anyway? In case you forgot, it's their website!

I have to agree with everyone else that the service is pretty bad. I only order tea if I absolutely have to order something if I am with other people or using their wireless.

I don't think the editor of Insider's Guide has ever given a lecture there. :roll:

And Lonely Planet is not our product.

Thanks Chinarye for clarifying for me.

Catsmeow, I mentioned the events there because I feel sorry for bookworm that they are doing well in one aspect but ignoring the service which is also important.

Anyhow, nothing is perfect. When we find their problem, shall we inform them and see whether they can improve first or just can't wait for it's closure?

Anyhow, if it doesn't do anything about this at all, ppl will lose confidence in it gradually no matter how much they advertise in that's Beijing

I am not afiliated with Bookworm in any way. But I suspect the waiters (non-western... weren't they??) were either stashing the wine for their own consumtion or cooking the inventory books and skimming profits.
I seriously doubt the owner would condone this behaviour. Don't forget we ARE in China where the general population's cocept of sanitation is woefully backward.

I say, give the bookworm owner a chance to respond before condeming her or her business...

on second thought catsmeow I'll save you the trouble of looking -- it's not there. Bookworm is not an advertiser and never has been.

any "defense" of them is strictly on the basis of the place f*ing rocks. Beijing is a better place because of it -- not for the food, for the books and lectures.

Ooh, testy, testy Admin! Could you be a little bit... defensive? Note that in my post I referred to not only the Bookworm (ok, maybe they're not advertisers, but they do sell you books and have hosted your editor in a panel discussion, no? wouldn't want to offend them, would you?) but also to Reifu - there's a long post in which you, admin, defend them- and Hatsune - again defense of them. And I'm sure there are many other examples on this board if I had time to look... Anyway, we all know what side your bread is buttered on. But the more you continue to defend advertising clients, the less trustworthy tha'ts beijing becomes. Let's face it, all these expat rags are paid ads, but that's beijing seems (or at least SEEMED) to TRY to rise above the fray. You wouldn't want to lose your readers trust, wouldya?

Hatsune: I stand by my comments. I'd eat there if they advertised with us or not.

Rui Fu: Show me again where I defended Rui Fu?

was it here:

or perhaps here:

Holy crap, I just realized we probably eat at, drink at, hold events with, co-sponsor, write about, or feature the advertising of almost every place in Beijing.

sh*t, we can't be objective anymore.

That's it, we're closing up tomorrow.

Goodbye, cruel world!

as admins of a website may need to post in their own forum to promote at the very beginning, but when the forum runs well with itself, i think admins can gradually quit posting. and if still wanna say sth, why not register with a common user name just like "sharenglish" "Karma" or "laowild".

Its funny that this thread began literally a day after I spent a frustrated night at the Bookworm. The place is definitely chill and is a spot I can spend hours just reading stuff I can't find anywhere in China, but the service is TERRIBLE. I too asked for a lighter and got a blank stare. We received the starter the same time as my friends meal came out..... 15 minutes later my meal came out. I hate that sh*t. But like the rest of you, I will most likely find myself back there.... just for a cup of coffee or draft beer.

i know i'm going against popular opinion here, but i've eaten at the bookworm more than a few times over the past few months, and the service has never been anything to complain about. maybe i've just been lucky? the food isn't great, but it's not terrible, either.