Beijing's Rooftops & Terraces: Andingmen, Gulou & Beixinqiao

Last week, we took a look at the best rooftops and terraces around Sanlitun and Gongti, and now we’re moving on to the hutongs around Beixinqiao, Gulou and Andingmen. There are countless rooftops and terraces hidden among the capital’s hutongs, so we’ve picked out a few of our favorites along with a few that are perhaps lesser known. 

Toast at The Orchid

Botique hotel The Orchid’s restaurant Toast has a lovely rooftop right in the heart of Beijing's old city. If you’re worried about the heat but still want beautiful hutong views, they also have an indoor terrace with large windows that open up so you can enjoy the outside and AC at the same time. 

A super popular brunch spot – though they also do afternoon tea and dinner – Toast does a range of East Mediterranean-inspired mezze dishes and tapas that are ideal for sharing. For brunch, they have classics such as Shakshuka (RMB 78) and Turkish Çılbır (RMB 78) or more unusual offerings like the Full Chinglish (RMB 98). For those wanting a little bit of everything, you can’t go wrong with the Mixed Mezze Supreme (RMB 168), which has a variety of delightful nibbles.  

Toast at The Orchid
65 Baochao Hutong, Dongcheng District
东城区宝钞胡同65号
Hours: 10am-10pm
Phone: 010 6402 0824

Pebbles Courtyard

There's no shortage of terraces and rooftops on Wudaoying Hutong, but our personal favorite spot is Mexican restaurant Pebbles Courtyard. Their long, spacious rooftop is simply decorated with wooden benches and tables, wicker chairs and a tiled floor, adding a bit of a rustic vibe. 

When it comes to food, their tacos (RMB 58-65 for three) are not to be missed, which can also be enjoyed as a special deal of RMB 98 for six tacos every day, or on Taco Tuesday, you can get ten tacos for RMB 108. Other weekly deals include Tortas Wednesday, where you can enjoy their tortas (Mexican sandwiches), which feature their fresh, homemade bolillos (bread), and Char-Grill Thursday, where a range of special meaty dishes are on offer. Of course, no trip to Pebbles would be complete without trying one of their signature mezcal and tequila cocktails, many of which are often on a buy one get one free deal each day. 

Pebbles Courtyard
74 Wudaoying Hutong, Dongcheng District
东城区五道营胡同74号
Hours: Tue-Thu 5pm-10pm; Fri-Sun noon-10pm
Phone: 010 8404 0767

Celestial

Situated halfway between Beixinqiao and Zhangzizhonglu stations, Celestial is a live house and bar that now also has a charming rooftop. With plenty of greenery and warm, yellow lighting come nighttime, it's a very chilled spot to enjoy a few drinks. Being west-facing it's also a great place to watch the sunset with a drink in hand. They have a range of craft beers on tap, as well as bottled beers, cocktails, wine and soft drinks, plus a range of western dishes. Downstairs, they regularly host a variety of live music events, comedy shows, poetry nights and more, so if you want to take a break from the roof, there's always some entertainment in store. 

Celestial 空想酒吧 
2/F, 27 Dongsi Beidajie, Dongcheng District 
东城区东四北大街27号2层 
Hours: 2.30pm-1.30am 
Phone: 185 1917 5294 

OVERTONE

Located right next door to Celestial and sharing the same rooftop, though they are separated, is Scottish Brewery OVERTONE, which opened up last year. One side of the roof features a deck area with comfy deck chairs, while the other half has more formal seating. Here, you can enjoy one of their 20+ beers on tap and some of their great food, like their burgers, which earned them the #13 spot in this year's Juicy Burger Cup.

OVERTONE (Beixinqiao branch)
2/F, 74 Dongsi Beidajie (next to Lawson Station)
东城区东四北大街74号罗森便利店旁上二楼右手
Hours: Tue-Sun, 4.30pm-1am
Phone: 135 0126 2135

The Factory

The Factory has a lovely little hidden rooftop where you can escape the hustle and bustle of Gulou Dongdajie. Surrounded by wood paneling, the venue's rooftop has an almost pub garden vibe, and they’ve got the beers to go with it as well! They have a great range of regularly rotating beers on tap, plus they regularly do cask ale events in partnership with Beijing-based brewers Oak & Iron, as well as a range of tap takeovers with other breweries. They also often host events on the roof like Reggae Factory where they combine special Jamaican meals with live reggae DJ sets. To keep up-to-date with goings on at The Factory, you can follow their official WeChat account by scanning the QR code below. 

The Factory
135 Gulou Dongdajie, Dongcheng District
东城区鼓楼工厂鼓楼东大街135号
Hours: Mon-Fri, 4pm-2am; Sat-Sun, 2pm-2am
Phone: 185 1461 8664

Café by Alba

Café by Alba boasts a large rooftop with beautiful views of the hutongs below. They have plenty of tables and also some stools looking out across Gulou Dongdajie, which makes for some very Instagrammable snapshots. Here you can enjoy one of their signature coffees like Coconut Milk Dirty (RMB 38) or French Style Mocha (RMB 38) as well as classic coffees too. They also have a selection of cocktails with offerings such as a Gin Smash (RMB 55) or the Beijing Mule (RMB 55), their take on a Moscow mule that combines vodka with chili, mint and ginger. To go with your drink, they have a range of cakes and sweet treats available too. 

Café by Alba
70 Gulou Dongdajie, Dongcheng District
东城区鼓楼东大街70号
Hours: 10.30am-8pm
Phone: 138 0128 8011

Tangled

Pasta bar Tangled is the newest entry on this list, only opening up a few weeks back and having their official opening party last Thursday. This hutong spot that specializes in handmade pasta has a cozy little rooftop tucked away upstairs. Here, you can enjoy their array of delicious pasta dishes, great wine selection, cocktails and more. The rooftop is also fitted with a projector screen where they regularly host movie nights.

Tangled
20 Banqiao Nanxiang, Dongcheng District
东城区板桥南巷20号
Hours: Tue-Sun, noon-2pm, 6pm-midnight
Phone: 185 0010 4976

MOONEE

Just north of Houhai, MOONEE’s large rooftop offers up spectacular views of the Bell and Drum towers and is a particularly great spot to enjoy during sunset. Its rooftop has an undeniable Mediterranean feel with its tiled floor and white stone walls contrasted against bright blue cushions and chairs. They offer up a range of classic and special cocktails, beer, wine and other drinks along with some of your usual Western fare like burgers, tacos, pasta and more.

MOONEE
51 Jiugulou Dajie, Xicheng District
市西城区旧鼓楼大街51号 
Hours: 4pm-2am
Phone: 155 0357 1026, 131 4125 1700

Slowboat Shichahai

At Slowboat’s Shichahai location, not only do they have a lovely rooftop overlooking the lake, but they also have a terrace area right by the water just a little bit south of the taproom. With beautiful views of Shichahai and the Drum and Bell towers in the far distance, Slowboat’s rooftop definitely has some of the best scenery on this list. With numerous tables plus seating along the wall where you can look directly out onto the lake, it’s an ideal spot to enjoy one of Slowboat’s signature beers or burgers. At this branch, they also do an exclusive snack, Deep Fried Lotus Root (RMB 36), which is a must-try!

Slowboat Shichahai Taproom
Bldg 2, Commercial Street, Hehua Market, 51, Di'anmen Dajie, Xicheng District
西城区地安门大街51号荷花市场内商业街2幢
Hours: Sun-Mon 11am-midnight; Fri-Sat 11am-2am
Phone: 130 5140 5508

Great Leap Taproom Gulou

One of Great Leap’s Taproom franchises, this Gulou branch has a banging rooftop with stunning views of the Drum Tower. With fake grass, wooden benches and a number of Great Leap’s signature brews on tap, it definitely has a pub garden vibe. As this is a taproom rather than a fully-fledged Great Leap, you can’t get Great Leap’s food here, but you can get a range of chuan’r and Beijing-style hotpot, plus other classic Chinese dishes perfect for enjoying on a hot summer’s evening. They also have a projector screen set up where they’ll often screen football matches and other sporting events. 

Great Leap Taproom Gulou
19 Dianmenwai Dajie, Xicheng District
西城区地安门外大街19号
Hours: 10am-midnight
Phone: 138 0107 8527

Page One

Page One’s Andingmen location has one of the largest rooftops on this list, stretching across two levels. Its muted, grey color scheme is reminiscent of the hutong buildings surrounding it and makes the greenery dotted around appear more vibrant. It’s an ideal spot to settle down with a book while enjoying one of their refreshing drinks or a bite to eat from their Western-style menu. They also have a small terrace area just outside the entrance if you don’t fancy climbing up the winding staircase to the roof.

Page One
1, Z Zone, Huayuan Hutong, Dongcheng District
东城区花园东巷城市空间1921文化产业园1号楼
Hours: 10am-7pm
Phone: 185 1894 0895

Dali Renjia

Nestled along Baochao Hutong, Dali Renjia is an unassuming Yunnan restaurant that has a charming terrace and rooftop, both surrounded by trees and views of the hutongs below. They boast an extensive menu with plenty of Yunnan classics like Fried Beef and Mint (RMB 58), Jasmine and Egg (RMB 38), Lemon Grass Grilled Fish (RMB 68), and an impressive collection of mushroom dishes – they have a whole two pages of them to be exact!

Dali Renjia
80 Baochao Hutong (100m north of Gulou Dongdajie), Dongcheng District
东城区东城区宝钞胡同80号（鼓楼东大街往北走100米）
Hours: 10am-10pm
Phone: 010 8402 2479

READ: Beijing's Rooftops & Terraces: Sanlitun and Gongti

Images: Uni You, the Beijingers, courtesy of the venues