Hangzhou Craft Beer Bars and Taprooms to Visit

Hangzhou’s nightlife extends far beyond quiet teahouses and scenic lakeside strolls. Across bustling corridors like Zhongshan Road and tucked into quiet residential neighborhoods, the city has cultivated a dynamic craft beer scene. Whether you are searching for freshly pulled house brews, rare international guest taps, or relaxed sidewalk seating, Hangzhou offers an impressive selection of dedicated taprooms and casual bars.

Local Veterans and House-Brewed Specialists

For drinkers who prioritize self-brewed recipes and local community atmosphere, several established Hangzhou taprooms lead the conversation:

• 东河 (东河Taproom): A landmark near the Donghe canal area, this long-running spot features 16 house-brewed taps. Popular pours include their crisp Kölsch and a refreshing table saison. A beloved local ritual is ordering skewers from the neighboring lamb stall to eat alongside your beer.
• 啤条胡同: Operating for over six years, this neighborhood institution is celebrated for familiar staples like house smoked porter and traditional English bitters across its 16 taps (seven dedicated to house brews).
• Tapdog: Situated along historic Southern Song Imperial Street (南宋御街), this comfortable venue features 18 taps (10 house recipes), pouring smooth English bitters alongside hearty meat-sauce hot dogs. It also frequently hosts brewery tasting sessions.
• Pi: Equipped with 24 taps—including nine house pours—this bar pairs proprietary recipes with top-tier international guest kegs, such as Denmark's To Øl hazy pilsner.
• 青门: The Hangzhou outpost of the Tianjin craft brand features 16 self-brewed taps directly linked to an eye-catching overhead pipe system, pouring reliable hazy pale ales ideal for a late-night session before an early morning walk by West Lake.

High-Capacity Tap Walls and Expansive Selections

When variety is the priority, several venues across the city provide massive line-ups covering IPAs, sours, stouts, and ciders:

• 大番茄 (大番茄精酿): Known for its jaw-dropping wall of roughly 100 taps alongside well-stocked retail coolers, this bustling destination offers accessible pricing on varied styles from fruity sours to punchy double IPAs.
• TOP (TOP精酿): Operating locations including Zhongshan Middle Road and an outpost on Zhongshan North Road, TOP features 30 taps dominated by imported brands alongside select domestic offerings, offering a vibrant setting for casual evening gatherings.
• Hang Together: A joint collaboration between local outfits Pitiao and Qianpi, this spacious pub boasts 36 taps split evenly among 12 house recipes, 12 imported labels, and 12 domestic guest beers. The food program is equally substantive, featuring Japanese ramen and boneless beef.

Specialty Importers and Curated Taprooms

Connoisseurs seeking hard-to-find international kegs and bottle releases have several focused destinations to consider:

• Sip (Sip Coffee&Taproom): Renowned among local beer geeks for carrying premium international labels like Paradox and Trillium across 12 taps. However, social posts note a few practical quirks: the indoor air conditioning can feel aggressively cold, the bar counter can get cluttered, and service can occasionally feel aloof. Its affiliated SIP Coffee&Taproom.HZ in the Hangguan area has also drawn attention for hosting global brewery takeovers, including Evil Twin.
• 山海 (心有山海精酿): A warm, pub-style taproom featuring 14 predominantly imported taps. It regularly hosts brewery takeovers and is frequently favored by locals looking for an intimate, cozy atmosphere.
• 小男孩: A charming, couple-run bar offering 18 taps, leaning heavily on imported craft selections paired with creative original branded merchandise.
• Unknown Taproom: Perched on the second floor of a Zhongshan North Road intersection, this spot was founded by a local homebrewer. It provides 16 taps rotating house brews and guest kegs, accompanied by a small street-facing balcony.

Neighborhood Vibe and Alternative Hangouts

For visitors who value ambiance, quiet conversation, or unique themed settings, Hangzhou's secondary bar scene offers diverse alternatives:

• 别二: Tucked discreetly on the second floor of a residential community, this quiet sanctuary serves 17 taps (five house brews, including an intriguing sour Kölsch). Notably, it enforces a strict indoor no-smoking policy covering both cigarettes and e-cigarettes.
• 友谊市场: Located on cafe-dense Zhongshan North Road, this day-to-night venue features outdoor curb seating and allows guests to sample specialty drinks before committing to a full glass.
• nana: A relaxed roadside bistro on Zhongshan North Road where patrons unwind with craft beers and light drinks while sitting on low sidewalk chairs.
• 月升王国: Located at Zhongshan North Road's Ersheng Temple, this spot embraces a stylized, cinematic crimson interior, serving fruit-forward ales at wallet-friendly prices.
• 18号酒馆: Located in Shanzeli, featuring an industrial aesthetic, an illuminated draft wall, and globally inspired pub snacks.

Also Mentioned Around the City

Several other drinking spots appear in local social recommendations, catering to specific tastes:

• Taproom Wu: Located near Xintiandi, praised by visitors for its clean environment, though notes observe that its imported draft range has recently narrowed.
• 喵吉·酒平lzakaya: A Japanese-style tavern equipped with draft tap systems that allow side-by-side tastings of mainstream Japanese lagers like Sapporo Black Label and Asahi alongside craft pours.
• 瓦伦汀酒馆: A themed Western saloon inspired by the video game Red Dead Redemption 2, featuring period decor and themed cocktails.
• CHAO BAR: The rooftop lounge atop the Park Hyatt Hangzhou, visited primarily for high-altitude skyline views rather than dedicated craft tap selection.

Practical Tips for Visiting

1. Neighborhood Clustering: Many of Hangzhou’s most characterful bars are concentrated along or near the Zhongshan North and Middle Road axis. This makes it easy to hop between larger taprooms like TOP and low-key sidewalk spots like nana or 友谊市场 in a single evening.
2. Food Strategies: While venues like Hang Together and Tapdog offer full kitchen menus, neighborhood taprooms like 东河 actively welcome pairing their house beers with hot street food ordered from adjacent vendors.
3. Seating and Comfort: If you prefer smoke-free environments, seek out explicitly non-smoking bars like 别二, as smoking policies vary across older independent taprooms.

Places by City

These entries come from the saved local posts. Practical details reflect those posts and may have changed; source links let you check the original context.

杭州

Locations

Place Name	Address/Area	Apple Maps
东河 dong he	Zhongshan Middle Road No.238-1 (Jin Subway Line 1 Ding'an Road Exit A), Shangcheng, Hangzhou, Zhejiang China	Apple Maps
Tapdog	No.188, Zhongshan Middle Road (Ding'an Road Subway Station Entrance & Exit D Pedestrian 280 Meters), Shangcheng, Hangzhou, Zhejiang China	Apple Maps
友谊市场 you yi shi chang	Hangzhou	Apple Maps
月升王国 yue sheng wang guo	中山北路二圣庙	Apple Maps
大番茄 da fan qie	Hangzhou	Apple Maps
喵吉·酒平lzakaya miao ji · jiu ping lzakaya	Hangzhou	Apple Maps
瓦伦汀酒馆 wa lun ting jiu guan	Hangzhou	Apple Maps
CHAO BAR	Hangzhou	Apple Maps
TOP	Zhongshan Middle Road No.505, Shangcheng, Hangzhou, Zhejiang China	Apple Maps
Sip	Hangzhou	Apple Maps
山海 shan hai	Hangzhou	Apple Maps
Hang Together	Hangzhou	Apple Maps
Pi	Hangzhou	Apple Maps
别二 bie er	Hangzhou	Apple Maps
啤条胡同 pi tiao hu tong	Hangzhou	Apple Maps
小男孩 xiao nan hai	Hangzhou	Apple Maps
青门 qing men	Hangzhou	Apple Maps
SIP Coffee&Taproom.HZ	Hangzhou	Apple Maps
Unknown Taproom	Zhongshan North No.381-3 (Zhonghe North Road Subway Station Entrance & Exit B2 Pedestrian 490 Meters), Gongshu, Hangzhou, Zhejiang China	Apple Maps
nana	中山北路	Apple Maps

Show 3 more

Video

All Xiaohongshu Notes