Alba $
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- Beijing’s Best Sights
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70 Gulou Dongdajie
10/6709-1383
HOURS: Daily 10 a.m.-2 a.m.
COST: Most entrées less than ¥100
METRO: Guloudajie (Line 2)
As well as live music and quirky shops, Gulou is famous for its artsy café scene. Alba is possibly the best of the bunch, and has everything you’d expect: free Wi-Fi, a menu scrawled on blackboards, worn wooden furniture, and cheap, tasty food.
A sunny café by day, Alba morphs into a laidback bar when night falls. There’s a small rooftop area for warm nights and a front room with beat-up easy chairs for reading and chatting. Smoking is permitted throughout, adding to the bohemian atmosphere.
The menu was designed by a chef from a nearby Italian restaurant, and runs the gamut of Western sandwiches, pastas, and salads.
© Susie Gordon from Moon Beijing & Shanghai, 2nd Edition
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