The Bookworm

One dreary Beijing afternoon, Lea and I found ourselves wet and lost in ChaoYang. And so, we decided to head over to the Bookworm for some Western comfort and familiarity. Even before arriving in Beijing, I had heard many good things about this establishment which is a café + bar + restaurant + library. Looking at its unassuming pistachio colored exterior, I was a bit skeptical about whether or not it would live up to its reputation. However, I was pleasantly surprised that The Bookworm was indeed a thriving expat hangout and one of the epicenters of Beijing cultural life. Let’s say, it’s no Shakespeare and Company meets Les Deux Magots, but perhaps comparable to a Beijing version of Village Voice (btw, not the NY newspaper, I mean the one on Rue Princesse) meets Prime 16.

The Bookworm is fairly spacious and has a lending library of over 14,000 books. There is also a small selection of English-language fiction and nonfiction as well as a variety of (mostly back issues of) British and American magazines and travel guides for sale. The café also hosts regular poetry readings, trivia nights, cover-bands performances, and book festivals. Apparently, all foreign authors of note passing through Beijing stop by The Bookworm.

Students studying abroad in Beijing looking for a place to study or to chat with local language partners, foreigners conducting business in nearly fluent Chinese, and the average Anglo-Saxon expat just looking for a place to hang out, all flock to The Bookworm. Their food is decent and there is an extensive wine list…although when we were there, there was a note inside the menu notifying costumers that they no longer served salads because their license to sell cold vegetables had been revoked…(it is quite difficult to find fresh salads in China).

We sat for hours before heading back home. I think that if you find yourself in Beijing for a prolonged period of time, sooner or later, you will definitely end up here, at the Bookworm.

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The Bookworm (书虫) | Bldg 4, Nansanlitun Lu (南三里屯路4号楼) | Tel: 6586 9507 | Open: 9am-1am.