The Red Bar

Surrounded by Shichahai Lake, Houhai Bar Street is a scenic hotspot where thousands of locals and international visitors flock to every day. Yesterday my colleagues from Visitbeijing.com.cn and I went to a small bar in the Houhai Area, called the Red Bar. This bar left a great impression on me. The bar is located at the end of Houhai's Bar Street. In comparison with other bars in the area, Red Bar is quite different. Simply because you don’t hear someone standing in front of the door, loudly shouting soliciting customers and you won’t hear terrifyingly noisy music.

This bar is not very large and there are two floors with just nine tables; these tables are uniquely decorated. When you enter the room, you come face to face with three tires and many car photos adorning a white wall. It is said that the owner is crazy about all kinds of cars and it is his dream to share his love of cars with friends. So if you are an automobile enthusiast, it is a good choice to chew the fat with the owner or find some like-minded friends. It may be the most serene place for you if you are looking for a quiet place to take a seat and enjoy some drinks.

Catering to the foreign clientele, the menus are written in both English and Chinese. The Red Bar has an altogether different and more peaceful atmosphere, with a low hum of conversation and a light scent of popcorn lacing the air. The general vibe of Red Bar is low key and it serves as an oasis for tourists and locals alike Though by no stretch of the imagination is the bar luxurious, it does pleasantly mix Chinese and western styles to great effect. The comfortable Chinese sofas being a welcome sight to those with sore feet in need of a rest on weekends, the Red Bar hosts well known singers and also has an open mic for would be singers that wish to have a go at entertaining the bar's other guests.