The speakeasy era is known for being one of the most decadent and innovative times for cocktail creation in the history of the planet. That being said, there is a huge distinction between the romanticized decade of prohibition and the one that I experienced as a child via Tom Cruise in the film Cocktail, where bartenders would just throw blue Curaçao in a couple ounces of vodka and call it something like “Kokomo Kiss,” then, just like magic, they were king of TGI Fridays. Anyway, the difference between these two styles is a stark one and we can't but appreciate the surge of speakeasy-style bars that have emerged in Beijing at an amazing/alarming rate over the past few years. Night & Nice, on Sanlitun Dong San Jie, fits into this category but supplements its standing with a massive menu of cocktails and decent bar food, to get and keep you there, and will have you feel like a glutinous dandy or a floozy flapper in no time.
 

We started the evening with their martinez (RMB 75), and drink that seems to pop up wherever we go, with the same Luxardo cherry, which is comforting in a way because we seriously love this drink. We also slurped down a zombie (RMB 70); a secret drink featuring Goslings Black Seal and Orgeat made by the big boss; and a dark and stormy (RMB 65), all of which were beyond our expectations, made with TLC and overly generous pours of booze. You’ll find a wide variety of single malt whiskeys and Champagnes if these potions are more your thing.
 

The main boss here is Vincent Guo, who some of you may recognize from D&M Bar in Shuangjing or Ala House. He’s no newcomer to the scene and has previously worked with Leon Li of Apothecary. Vincent was very knowledgeable behind the bar and added to the pleasant experience we had at Night & Nice. The menu is a little reminiscent of what you would find at Miles or Hidden House, which was no surprise to us after we discovered that Xiao Ming (the owner of Revolution, Miles, and Hidden House), is also an investor in this project. He’s slowly becoming the cocktail equivalent of Cheesecake Factory or Hampton Inn, promising consistency and quality above all. Night & Nice adheres to this expected level of quality frighteningly well, though doesn't do much to transcend it unfortunately. 

For some, the bar might be out of the way by about 10 minutes, that is, 10 minutes away from Sanlitun bar street, but the walk is all the more worth it during their delicious happy hour, featuring half-off on all cocktails from 5-9pm. Their drinks are already at a fair price, and this discount makes them downright dangerous, guaranteeing a strong buzz to anyone that makes it over – an insane deal that all self-proclaimed boozehounds need to check out.

By:Kipp Whittaker(thebeijinger)