When Chinese want to get together to enjoy each other's company, they organize a meal -- a seemingly endless succession of exquisite dishes accompanied by plenty to drink. But Westerners, an increasingly common sight in China and especially in Beijing, have had a difficult time finding a place to carry on their tradition of having a free-flowing conversation over a beer or a cup of coffee.

Until recently, that is. In the last few years a good number of cafes, bars, pubs and bistros have sprouted up in Beijing as if in direct response to a call for a meeting place, that locale where people can leisurely get together without making plans. Most are located in the embassy neighborhood and initially seemed to be reserved exclusively for foreigners, not because Chinese were barred but because the prices were rather prohibitive. Moreover, at first these places were probably seen as dens of Western decadence. As their numbers have gradually grown, however, (there are more than one hundred in the city today), a purely capitalist kind of competition has pushed prices down. Today cafes and bars are apt to be found in any neighborhood and Chinese are now common patrons. At the same time, more and more foreigners speak Chinese and today's cafe, like the pre-1949 tea house, has become a place to meet, talk, exchange points of view. In a sense, the spirit of the old teahouses has found a worthy contemporary reincarnation.

These establishments should not be confused with the nightclubs and upscale bars housed in five star hotels. They often bear monikers apt to be found anywhere in the world and which reflect their unpretentious, everyone-welcome style: The Terrace (whose owner has faithfully reproduced the ambiance of a Parisian bistro-cafe), Sentiment, Cafe-Cafe, Frank's Place, CD Cafe, Poacher's, Texas Bar, Jazz Ya, Havana, Blue Moon, Schiller's, Kebab Kafe, Keep in Touch... Although some are the exclusive hangouts of overpaid, homesick expats, others have a much more democratic air. Chinese employees of foreign firms, joint ventures or purely Chinese private sector companies predominate, and self-employed professionals, students and artists are frequent clients.

Decor and ambiance varies from one place to another. Each strives to create a special feel and identity, to carve out its own special niche in the market. In this regard, one of the most successful has been Shadow Cafe. A group of artists and musicians have managed to take a large, impersonal space and by building a series of arches and vaults, make it resemble the catacombs or a mosque. They've decorated it with fioritures on lamps, table and chairs legs and their own cast iron sculptures. Many clubs try to create such a personal style. Everything German rules at Hof Brauhaus, which also brews its own beer. The San Francisco Brewery also makes its own microbrew and shows free movies every evening. Some cafes hang the works of painters that cannot yet afford to rent gallery space, recreating a certain bohemia. And there are English pubs and Italian cafes (not at all related to the pizzeria!). The Hidden Tree has been nicknamed "The Belgian Bar", since one of the owners is from Belgium. His fellow countrymen meet there regularly and excellent Belgian beers are available. And darts, a game the Chinese positively adore, are played in many a Beijing bar.

Today more and more people want to get on the information superhighway, to surf the net, but may not be able to afford a computer or find access to one. Distributors of computer products have come to the rescue opening "Internet cafes". These are quiet places where you can sip a cappuccino while using one of their computers. And if you run into a problem, there is always a specialist nearby to help out with some timely advice.

Some clubs are nothing if not original, like one constructed from three buses welded together and then decorated in classical Merry Prankster style. Many have live music -- Poacher's was one of the pioneers here. You may be seated next to some of China's up-and-coming musicians while listening to others who are just as fashionable but who don't yet have the calling card of the large concert halls or the full imprimatur of the authorities.

On a weekend night, you can wander around until the wee hours, from one sidewalk cafe on a small, tree-lined street to another on a wide, dusty avenue. Or if you are searching for a more exotic or intimate atmosphere, you can try one that is the closest to the traditional teahouse: the Sanwei Shuwu. The ground floor houses a bookstore and the upstairs a cafe in a large room reminiscent of a scholar's study. In this traditional setting, surrounded by sober furnishings, scrolls of calligraphy and Chinese paintings, you can try one of many varieties of tea, or a beer if you just can't resist! Two evenings a week concerts are scheduled: jazz one day, classical Chinese music the other.

In summertime, the old towers and walls of some of the few city gates still intact host open-air cafes. Here you will find the cheapest draft beer in Beijing. You can sit with friends, munch on snacks or a freshly barbecued kebab, and watch the sun set over the city and its countless new construction sites. Under an umbrella with a beer in hand and an evening breeze at your back, you will surely be convinced you that these old ramparts aren't a bad place at all to end your day.

(China Today)