The closing of the first incarnation of Stumble Inn around two years ago was a big loss for the beer drinking community in Beijing, which is why many of the city's ale lovers have been waiting anxiously for the re-opening of Stumble Inn in Sanlitun's Village complex.

While the original bar was a great success and at the time had the best beer selection in town, many other competitors have opened since the original was forced to shut due to the landlord issues.

Shane O'Neill, from Ireland and one of the founders and managers at Stumble Inn, explained why it has taken so long for this new version to open.

"I wanted to reopen straight away but I couldn't find a great location for the bar. The Sanlitun location is ideal though because it was an almost blank shell, which meant I could create the bar I really wanted," said O'Neill.

The bar is certainly one of the best renditions of a proper sports bar or pub in town, with dark wood furniture, TV screens, a pool table and dartboards spread over two floors. There is also plenty of light from the large windows that look out onto many of the other venues in The Village.

The dcor though is less important than the beer, which has always been Stumble Inn's trademark. In its previous form there were 50 bottled beers on the menu and draft options. Incredibly, that menu has been expanded to 100 bottled beers. Some of the highlights include Moosehead beer from Canada (35 yuan for 33cl), the excellent Fuller's 1845 (55 yuan for 50cl), Stowford Press Cider (70 yuan for 50cl) and the surprisingly flavorsome Taiwan beer (35 yuan for 33cl).

"The list was edited down from 180 beers to make sure we could get regular stock for all the beers on the menu," said O'Neill.

Even with this editing, Stumble Inn has easily the best bottled beer selection in Beijing, complemented by a range of typical draft beers such as Guinness, Carlsberg and Hoegaarden.

Although the bar was only in its third or fourth day when I visited, the full food menu was available, combining regular pub fare such as burgers, bangers and mash and sandwiches with some more innovative ideas. The wide variety of chips, from thick-cut "Jenga Chips" to toppings such as gravy, baked beans and blue cheese, make this a great place for the chip lover.

Other items of note include DIY sandwiches and salads that allow you to customize to your liking, depending on budget and appetite. Prices all seem reasonable for the area and with a previously loyal following from the original bar, it is sure to do well.

However, with the extra competition it faces from the likes of IF, Union Bar and Grille and Luga's in the area, Stumble Inn needs to be even more innovative to make its mark.

One way this was achieved in the previous incarnation was with daily events and promotions, which are something the management team are looking to bring back in The Village.

"We have a daily happy hour from 7-9 pm and we are also going to bring back events such as the quiz night and the Stella Artois Loyalty Cards, which we developed ourselves with Stella for our bars."

Stumble Inn isn't really anything strikingly new but there is a sense that the owners are committed to maintaining quality in both drinks and food, which is something that many other bars fall down on after a few months of being open.

Although it remains to be seen how it will fare in its new shopping area location, Stumble Inn is still a must-try for anyone craving really good beer or a hearty pub meal.

These may be simple pleasures, but when done properly they really work. On first impressions, it looks like Stumble Inn has found this simple recipe for success.

China Daily

(China Daily 09/21/2010 page27)