Uptown is the straight-up favorite bar for Guiyang expats. The tunes can be loud, but they don’t totally overwhelm conversation, there’s a good selection of beers and cocktails, and they have a pool table.
The staff here speak some English, and the drink menu has English and Chinese so you can order easily even if you end up with a bartender who can’t understand you. They keep the beer cold, which is still not the standard in many Guiyang bars, and the service is reasonably fast.
Uptown is on the smaller side, with one big table at the entrance, several six-tops, and a few little tables at the back. You can order drinks at the bar, pay, and they’ll bring them to you when they’re ready. At the back you’ll find the pool table, the major reason people gather there even when they’re not looking to party too hard.
It has a relaxed atmosphere, with friendly bartenders who will lend you the bar’s iPad to choose the music if you ask nicely. On the average night, the bar is pretty full but not crazy loud. If there’s a party, the center of the bar will be filled with people dancing.
Drinks come out pretty quickly, and the bar’s Long Island iced tea is strong and tasty. The most popular drinks are gin and tonic, mojitos, and the Long Island. You can also grab a tray of 12 tequila shots for 120 RMB, a great way to get the party started. Beers start at 20 RMB and cocktails are in the range of 40-50 RMB. Uptown also has a small food menu, with standard pub meals. The chips and salsa features salty homemade tortilla chips, and the quesadilla is not bad.
LOCATED
You can find Uptown on Shaanxi Lu, the downtown street that crosses Qianling Bar Street. Your cab should drop you off somewhere between Yanan Dong Lu and Qianling Dong Lu. If you are surrounded by wandering drunk people, you’re in the right place. Heading in the same direction as traffic on Shaanxi Lu, you’ll see an alleyway to your left (pictured below), just before Qianling Dong Lu. Uptown is just inside the alley, on the left-hand side. Simply search for UPTOWN on WeChat locations if you’d like to map your way.
TAXI: 陕西路 （陕西路和黔灵东路十字路口之前）
Uptown is open from 8PM-1:30AM.
