If you’re looking for guaranteed quality and consistency in a city where neither are a given, few places are as reliable as a Japanese whisky bar.
Happily, bartender Moto Uchiyama has chosen to make Beijing his home, and continues to open some of the best hidden cocktail bars in the city (in the most random places imaginable).
His latest venture, Mokihi No.3, is no exception – hiding at the top of the wacky, tacky 3.3 Mall. But that’s just another reason to love it.
On the very top floor, behind a tattoo parlor, you’ll find a small entrance leading into what would best be described as a speakeasy. And while that phrase is often thrown around too lightly – this time it seems to ring true. Why? Because the unabashed Americana on show here is impressive as hell.
Kitted out from wall to wall with genuine antiques (the cash register is over 100 years old, the comfy leather sofas worn from decades of use) , No.3 will instantly transport you back to the 1930s.
Three beautifully carved wooden bars and armoires form the centerpiece, with old roulette wheels, light fixtures and signage dotted about for added effect. Even the soundtrack is on-theme, cranking out prohibition-era tunes mixed in with old school rock and roll.
And while it may go without saying – we are talking about the man that brought us Er and Apothecary here – the cocktails are superb. Well crafted classics such as Old Fashioneds, Manhattans, Negronis, Gimlets and Scofflaws all feature on the short and sweet menu, but of course these guys know their stuff, so request away. You won’t be disappointed.
Mokihi No.3 7th Floor, 3.3 Mall, Sanlitun Bei Lu, Chaoyang district. Open 6pm-2am Tuesday-Sunday (and until 3am on weekends). Stay tuned for Monday opening too.