There's Something Really Good Here

Here are some of my thoughts from a few visits during The Dirty Duck’s soft opening.

The beer is delicious. I’ve tried the stout, the apricot wheat, and the English pale ale. I can’t decide which I like the most and rotate through the beers on tap, but the wheat was the real surprise. It's balanced, not an obnoxious or cloying fruit beer. It’s light and easy to drink with a clean apricot finish. Boddington’s, Greene King IPA, whiskies, and cocktails are on offer, but I just stick with what’s on tap.

Sometimes I’ve gone for a drink and the rooftop beer garden was rented for a private party, but I enjoy it the most when I can drink pints in the warm night air. You can also look down and watch the activities at The Other Place, 8- Bit, and the hutongs.

Euro 2016 is coming and the usual suspects are always crammed for big sporting events. This is a big pub with darts and a pool table, and I wonder what they will do for the games in June. There are flatscreens on the walls and over the bar.

The downstairs is nice with dark wood and leather booths. British friends tell me that it’s like being home. The roof is relaxing, but feels like a missed opportunity. There isn’t any food on the menu yet, and that makes drunk me very sad indeed.

In my mind, the phrase “English pub” can bring up thoughts of a old-fashioned and conservative place, but my experience here has been warm and open. There is always a mix foreign and Chinese faces. Late at night, I once saw people dancing near the open door, pulling people off the street to join them. Think Cool Britannia rather than aloof library.

My friends have had a hard time finding the Duck. I haven’t decided if this is a location or a friend problem. (FYI The BeiLuoGuXiang is 450 meters west of Andingmen. From where BLGX meets the 2nd ring road, go south just past 8 Bit. From the South, just go north across from Nanluoguxiang tourist street past Mao Live House. If you see you 8 Bit, look behind you).

There are a few negatives, but the beer is good and the pub feels like a good place to join friends for pints. It's just not ready yet, but if feels like there's something really good here. The beauty of the hutongs is that you can turn a corner and find something totally unexpected… like an English pub.