Best Pubs in Guilin: Where Locals Actually Drink

If you're hunting for the best pubs in Guilin, you should know that this isn't Shanghai or Chengdu, where cocktail culture has gone fully mainstream. Here, drinking is woven into the river-town rhythm, part post-hike reward, part quiet evening ritual after a day spent staring at karst peaks. I've been hitting the same handful of spots for years, sometimes with friends from out of town, more often alone with a beer and whatever is on the bar menu. Guilin's pub scene lives in basements, on rooftops, and in converted old houses, and it rewards people who know where to look. Here's my honest, lived-in guide to the local pubs Guilin residents actually drink at, not the ones travel blogs recycle every six months.

The Pubs Around Zhengyang Pedestrian Street and Its Back Lanes

Zhengyang is where everyone passes through but almost nobody stops to drink, which is exactly why I like it. The walking street itself is mostly tea shops, milk tea chains, and aggressively bright souvenir stalls. But duck into the alleys running off it, particularly the lanes between Zhengyang Lu and the Li River embankment, and you'll find some of the most unpretentious local pubs Guilin has. These places cater to Guangxi university students, off-duty tour guides, and the occasional long-term expat teacher who wandered in years ago and never quite left.

1. The Tipsy Monkey (微醺猴子)

The Tipsy Monkey sits on the second floor of a worn building just off Zhengyang Pedestrian Street, near the side street locals still call Jiefang Lu. You walk up a flight of stairs that creaks more than it should and land in a long, narrow room lined with mismatched wood tables and yellowed beer posters. The owner, a former Li River raft guide named Lao Qin, opened the place in 2019 after realizing he was tired of tourists asking him for "the real Guilin." He figured the best answer was a pub.

What you order here matters. Most first-timers default to the Tsingtao on tap, which is fine, but locals actually drink the house-brewed osmanthus ale, made with flowers from the orchards south of the city. It pours cloudy amber and tastes faintly of apricot. Pair it with the dry-fried river snails or a plate of the cold beer duck, sliced thin and dressed with soy, ginger, and Guilin chili. The kitchen closes at 10pm sharp, even on weekends.

Local Insider Tip: "Sit at the bar facing the window, not the back. Lao Qin keeps the good osmanthus ale on the lower tap on weekends only, and the bartenders won't tell you unless you ask. On Saturday nights, order the duck before 8:30 or it sells out, and Lao Qin will genuinely look disappointed if you ask for the menu in English, just point at the duck."

The Tipsy Monkey gets uncomfortably loud after 9pm on Friday nights because the students from Guangxi Normal University take over. But the weekday evenings are quieter and far more interesting. Drop in on a Wednesday around 7pm and you'll likely end up trading stories with raft guides and a few older locals who have been drinking here since the place opened. It's one of the top bars Guilin has in the under-the-radar category, especially for travelers who want a sense of what drinking culture actually looks like away from the river cruises.

The Lijiang Waterfront Drinking Scene

The Li River, or Lijiang as locals call it, is the literal and emotional center of Guilin. People who live here drink facing it whenever they can. The strip running from Sun and Moon Pagodas (日月双塔) east toward Wenchang Bridge has a few different personalities depending on where you stand. The southern side, especially the area near Dongxi Li (东西巷), draws families and couples. The northern embankment, with its dimmer lighting and quieter bars, is where you find the after-work crowd and serious beer people.

2. Riverbend Tap House (河弯精酿)

Riverbend sits a short walk east of Wenchang Bridge, tucked under a row of plane trees on Binjiang Lu. It's a small craft beer bar with maybe twenty seats, owned by a homebrewer who used to work at a factory in the industrial park south of the city. He finally quit, took over this spot in 2021, and now rotates six taps of his own beers plus a couple of guest brews from Nanning and Kunming.

The IPA here is properly bitter, not the sweet, citrus-bomb style that dominates most Chinese craft menus. The stout, brewed with local rice, is unusually clean and goes down dangerously fast. They do a smoked mango ale in summer that's unlike anything I've had anywhere else in Guangxi. Food is limited, mostly pickles, cold cuts, and a daily rice dish. The pork knuckle on Saturdays is the real draw, slow-braised and served cold.

Local Insider Tip: "Grab the high stool at the far end of the bar. From there you can actually see a sliver of the Li River between the trees, especially after 8pm when the cruise boats slow down. The owner sometimes pours free samples of whatever experimental batch he's testing, just ask him what's 'new this week.' Cash only, even in 2025."

This is where I bring friends who think Guilin is only about scenery. After two pints, even the most jaded visitor admits the river looks different from a barstool than from a tour boat. The crowd is mostly Guilin locals in their late 20s to 40s, working in tourism, design, or the universities. English is spoken but not the lingua franca, so brush up on the basics or come ready to point. It's one of the more authentic local pubs Guilin has, and it stays open later than most places on this stretch, sometimes until 1am on weekends.

3. Mulanshang (木兰香)

Just a couple of doors down from Riverbend sits Mulanshang, a quieter, more traditional spot that predates the craft beer wave. It calls itself a wine and tea bar, but in practice it's a place where middle-aged locals and a few regular expats come for slow evenings with friends. The owner, a retired teacher from a local middle school, runs the front of house while her son handles the music and lighting.

The drinks here are unusual. There's house-infused plum wine, made from a family recipe that uses rock sugar and dried osmanthus, and a row of single-grain baijiu bottles from Guangxi, Sichuan, and Guizhou. The plum wine is sweet but not cloying and pairs well with the cold sesame noodles on the small menu. The baijiu flights are only for the brave, but the staff will explain each bottle's origin if you show genuine curiosity.

Local Insider Tip: "The plum wine is sold by the half-jug on slow nights, which is essentially a full bottle for the price of a glass. Order it during the weekday happy hour from 6pm to 7pm, when the owner lights a small charcoal stove on the patio and the river breeze cuts the sweetness. Don't come on weekends if you want to talk. Live folk music starts at 9pm and it gets loud."

Mulanshang fits the more contemplative side of where to drink in Guilin. It isn't about getting loud, it's about slowing down. The clientele includes painters, retired civil servants, and a few long-distance walkers who come in to plan routes. On weekday evenings, you can sit on the small stone bench out front and watch the river traffic thin out as the boats head back to their moorings.

The Seven Star Park and Qixing District Corners

The area around Seven Star Park (七星公园) has a different rhythm. It's quieter, more residential, and the pubs here tend to draw regulars rather than tourists. Guilin's north side has always been a bit more laid-back than the riverside, and the drinking culture reflects that.

4. Qixing Brewery Taproom (七星精酿)

A short walk from the south gate of Seven Star Park, Qixing Brewery Taproom is a slightly bigger operation than Riverbend, with around forty seats and a dedicated brewer who used to study in Belgium. The place has a converted loft feel, exposed brick walls, long communal tables, and a window that opens onto a small canal. The canal isn't famous, but locals know it as one of the cleaner watercourses in the city, fed by underground springs from the karst hills.

The taproom runs roughly eight house beers at any time, including a Belgian-style witbier made with local jasmine and a dark lager roasted with tea leaves from Guangxi. The food menu leans Belgian, which means mussels in season, frites with house mayo, and a serious beef stew in winter. They also do a brunch service on Sundays from 11am to 2pm that's half locals, half confused but happy travelers stumbling in from the park.

Local Insider Tip: "The window seats near the canal are best in late afternoon, before 6pm, when the sun hits the water and the whole room smells like jasmine from the brewery's test batches. Order the witbier if it's on, and ask the brewer about the 'small batch' chalkboard by the kitchen door. That batch is usually the most interesting thing on the menu and rarely makes it to the website."

Qixing Brewery Taproom has become one of the more dependable top bars Guilin residents mention when friends from bigger cities visit. The brewer travels to Belgium every year to refresh his yeast cultures, which means the Belgian-style ales here are notably better than what's typically found in southern China. The Sunday brunch gets crowded, so either show up at 11am sharp or wait until after 1pm.

5. Old Li's Place (老李酒馆)

Old Li's Place is one of those unmarked spots that only survives because everyone who goes there tells two more people. It sits on a corner near Qixing Lu, a residential street a few blocks from the park's east entrance. There's no English sign, just a small hand-painted wooden plaque with a single Chinese character meaning "wine." Inside, it's part living room, part neighborhood pub, with mismatched stools, a battered upright piano in the corner, and walls covered in old photographs of Guilin from the 1990s.

The drinks are simple. Beer, basic cocktails, and a rotating selection of house-infused soju and rice wine. The cocktails are surprisingly good, made by Old Li's daughter, who trained in Nanning before coming back to help run the place. She'll mix a proper negroni if you ask, and her take on a whiskey sour uses locally distilled baijiu instead of rye. The food is whatever Old Li's wife cooks that day, but the braised pork belly with dried bamboo shoots is legendary.

Local Insider Tip: "The piano works. Anyone can play it, especially late on Thursday nights when the regulars hold an informal jam. Sit near the kitchen door if you want the braised pork belly, because that's where the wife brings it out first, and she'll quietly slip you a second portion if you compliment her cooking. Bring cash, and don't bother with cards or apps."

What makes Old Li's worth a mention is the way it captures the older side of where to drink in Guilin. This is a place where teachers, retired factory workers, and park rangers gather to talk about the city's changes. The Li River cruise controversy, the new high-speed rail link, the closing of old teahouses. If you want to understand how Guilin's drinking culture has shifted over the past twenty years, sit here for two hours on a weekday.

The Universities District: Guilin University of Electronic Technology and Guangxi Normal University

The student-heavy area around the two main universities has its own pub scene, and it's worth a visit even if you're well past college age. These pubs are loud, cheap, sometimes chaotic, and occasionally brilliant. They cater to students but welcome outsiders, especially those who don't mind late nights and a slightly rougher edge.

6. Book and Bottle (书与瓶)

Book and Bottle sits about a ten-minute walk from the east gate of Guangxi Normal University, on a side street lined with copy shops, used bookstores, and cheap noodle stalls. It's a hybrid bar and bookshop, with shelves of secondhand novels in Chinese and English lining one wall and a long bar on the other. The owner is a former literature teacher who left the profession to open a place where students could read and drink without being kicked out at 8pm.

The drinks are unpretentious: local beers on tap, a small cocktail list, and decent coffee during the day. The cocktails use Chinese spirits and local ingredients, like the osmanthus negroni and the kumquat sour. The food menu is mostly small plates, including a particularly good chili-oil cheesesteak that sounds weird but works. They host weekly readings, open mic nights, and the occasional poetry slam.

Local Insider Tip: "Show up on Tuesday night for the silent reading session, where everyone reads their own book for an hour in total silence. It's meditative, a little cultish, and the perfect way to recover from a weekend of hiking. The chili-oil cheesesteak is only on the menu after 8pm, and the barista sometimes runs out of the house-made chili oil by Saturday."

Book and Bottle is part of the growing craft scene and one of the more interesting local pubs Guilin has produced in the past five years. The crowd skews young, but there are always a few older regulars, including a retired linguistics professor who comes in most evenings to grade papers. The atmosphere is relaxed during the day and slightly electric at night.

7. The Roost (栖窝)

The Roost sits near the Guilin University of Electronic Technology campus, on a corner that used to house a print shop. It has a bird-themed interior, exposed beams, vintage light fixtures, and a rooftop patio that catches afternoon sun. The owners are three friends from the university's music department, and the venue doubles as a small live music space on weekends.

Drinks are fairly standard but executed well. The house cocktails are built around Guangxi baijiu, and the bartenders take pride in their smoked old-fashioned, which uses applewood chips and a small cloche. There's a decent wine list and a small selection of locally brewed beers. Food is mostly bar snacks, but the dan dan noodles are better than they have any right to be. The live music on weekends leans indie folk and Chinese rock.

Local Insider Tip: "The rooftop is the place to be in October, when Guilin's weather is at its best and the smell of osmanthus drifts up from the surrounding streets. Sit near the stairwell for the best acoustics during the live sets, and order the smoked old-fashioned because the bartender who makes it only works Thursday through Saturday."

The Roost draws a mixed crowd of students, young professionals, and touring musicians passing through on the southwest China circuit. It's one of the more energetic top bars Guilin has, and the live music scene is taken seriously here. Don't expect polished covers, expect loud, opinionated Chinese indie rock with a side of baijiu cocktails.

The Old Town and Its Restored Courtyards

Guilin's old town, particularly the area around Jingjiang Wangfu (靖江王府) and the restored alleyways of Dongxi Li, has seen a wave of small bars open in converted courtyard houses. These venues tend to be pricier, more design-conscious, and frequented by a slightly older crowd of locals, tourists, and creative professionals.

8. Wenchang Courtyard Bar (文昌院子)

Wenchang Courtyard Bar occupies a restored late-Qing courtyard house near Wenchang Bridge, one of the city's older stone crossings. The interior retains the original wooden beams and carved window screens, but the bar setup is modern and clean. There's a long walnut counter, a small stage for acoustic sets, and seating in the central courtyard under a pomegranate tree.

The drinks lean toward wine and baijiu, with a serious list of single-village rice spirits from Guangxi and Guizhou. The bartender is a former sommelier who returned to Guilin after a decade in Shanghai, and she'll walk you through the list without any pretension. The food is small plates designed to match the spirits, including smoked river fish, pickled lotus root, and a particularly memorable duck liver with rose petal jam.

Local Insider Tip: "Sit in the courtyard if the weather's good, especially during pomegranate season in September and October. Ask the bartender for the 'village flight' sampler, which usually includes three obscure baijius she keeps behind the counter. The acoustic sets on Saturday nights are the best, but they don't start until 9:30, so eat first."

Wenchang Courtyard Bar is one of the more polished venues on this list, but it still feels grounded. It attracts a mix of older Guilin residents, wine collectors from Hong Kong and Guangzhou, and the occasional curious traveler who wandered off the main sightseeing route. The conversation is more interesting here than at the louder venues, partly because the room forces you to talk at a reasonable volume.

When to Go and What to Know

Guilin has a tourist high season from April through October, with peak crowds around Chinese New Year, May Day, and National Day in early October. The best time to drink in Guilin is during the shoulder months of March, late October, and November, when the weather is mild and the city empties out a bit. Summer evenings can be uncomfortably humid, especially in rooftop venues like The Roost, so dress accordingly or sit inside.

Most pubs in Guilin open around 5pm or 6pm and stay open until midnight on weekdays, later on weekends. Reservations are usually unnecessary, except at Wenchang Courtyard Bar on Saturday nights and at Old Li's Place on Thursdays. Getting around is easy by Didi or bicycle, and most of these venues are concentrated in the central districts, so you can hit two or three in a single evening if you plan it right.

A few practical notes: cash is still useful at smaller spots like Old Li's, Riverbend Tap House, and The Tipsy Monkey. Public drunkenness is rare and generally frowned upon, especially near the river embankments, so keep the volume down when walking between venues. And finally, don't expect every venue to have an English menu. A translation app and a sense of humor will get you further than a guidebook.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the one must-try local specialty food or drink that Guilin is famous for?

Guilin is most associated with Guilin rice noodles (桂林米粉), specifically the braised horse meat version served at street stalls around Zhengyang Lu and the old train station area. Most locals eat them for breakfast, not lunch or dinner, and a proper bowl costs between 6 and 12 yuan. The noodles are thin rice noodles in broth made from soybeans, herbs, and pork bones, topped with thin-sliced horse meat, pickled green beans, and chili oil. A reliable standing-order is the dry-mixed version (干拌米粉) eaten with a side of broth.

Is Guilin expensive to visit? Give a realistic daily budget breakdown for mid-tier travelers.

A mid-tier traveler can expect to spend roughly 350 to 600 yuan per day. Budget around 80 to 150 yuan for mid-range hotel rooms, 60 to 120 yuan for meals including one mid-range restaurant, 40 to 100 yuan for two or