Gulou / Beiluoguxiang / Jiugulou Dajie-鼓楼北锣鼓巷旧鼓楼大街

A comfortable little coffee shop that focuses on quality third wave roasting principles, without any of the pretension or snobbery.

Gallery is a swanky cocktail, whisky, and wine joint opened by Lao “Lincoln” Hu, the brains behind another purveyor of upscale tipples, Andingmen’s DaliDali. Much like their flagship location, the walls are decked out with the Spanish surrealist’s iconic paintings, and the space features dark wood furniture, leather-clad booths, and moody lighting straight out of a noir film. What's more, Gallery is decidedly much larger and features a sizable lounge set off the main bar area.

Soft-serve in specially rolled cones is the specialty of this hutong ice cream shop.

Wake Up & Coffee is a cafe, bar, and gallery on the south end of Beiluoguxiang street. With exposed wood beams in the ceiling, a wall that appears to have been haphazardly smashed in so that the seating area could be connected with the barista counter, and a fresh coat of white paint, Wake Up & Coffee straddles the line between traditional hutong, distressed warehouse, and modern art space. You can expect bold beans, beautiful design, and a relaxed atmosphere.

A small punk bar run by members of three Beijing bands, Wasted Laika, Xiao Wang, and Hang Nail.

Blinding Elephant has a full selection of liquor, a fridge with a wide variety of beer, two taps, and a menu full of snacks perfect for a night of drinking.

It's a community first and foremost, predicated on a love of music and good times.

A new cafe with various cats to play with over by the Drum Tower area. Drinks available include alcohol soft drinks such as tea and coffee. There are five sections for five types of cats and you can stay in the lobby where there is no cat to consume food (pizza) and drinks. Interacting with the cats requires a separate fee.

A hip, two-story restaurant in the heart of Gulou, serving up affordable Sichuan food and their own custom drinks, plus Great Leap beer.

Though its focus is on gluttonous Yunnan-style hot pot, Red Cloud Restaurant is also a great place to have noodles, have a glass of mijiu, or try traditional Yunnan side dishes like the fried shrimp balls or garlic chicken foot.

This bar's interior features stripped brick walls and traditional hutong roof beams, making for a memorable atmosphere that compliments the affordable cocktails well.

A courtyard vintage shop located off of Nanluogu Xiang.