Lush
The ever-reliable Lush is a favourite (smoke-free) student hangout thanks to its king-sized cocktails, all-day breakfasts, and legendary burgers (half price between 1am and 3am). They even host a weekly pub quiz on Wednesdays and open mic nights on Thursdays, which are guaranteed fun nights out. During the daytime, you can study there with good coffee and free 5G VPN-enabled Wi-Fi. If you don’t want to brave the outside world, their food delivered is particularly handy if you're ill, the pollution's too high, or you're just plain hungover.
Pyro Pizza
If you want to practice your beer pong skills, head on over to Pyro Pizza (formerly known as Sugar Shack) on Thursday nights where you can win a bottle of spirits in their weekly competition. Owned by the same people as Lush, their New York-style thin crust pizzas are the best in Wudaokou and is definitely worth a visit at lunchtime (midday-2pm), when there is an all-you-can-eat pizza buffet. Pyro also runs a smoke-free policy.
Yummy Box
Next door is Yummy Box, offering cheap drinks to wash down (and hopefully forget) their Chicago deep-dish pizzas and massive burgers. The walls are plastered with everything American, including license plates and beer bottles. If you can nab a booth, you can compete against your friends in old school video games while waiting for your refreshments to arrive. Pub quiz and ladies night are held in unison on Wednesdays – the free cocktails should be drunk with one word of caution: only consume them if you think the alcohol will help improve your general knowledge.
La Bamba
For a Latin vibe, La Bamba offers good music, inexpensive drinks, and a lot of nachos. Its two floors are always guaranteed to be busy; despite now being linked to The Steps Bar (apparently for fire safety regulations), it can still be hard to find a table, especially on weekends. Both offer their joint student loyalty card, which gives you more discounts on the already cheap food and drinks.
The Bridge Café
Whilst The Bridge Café is no longer open 24/7, they still offer decently priced food and alcohol until 2am. If you stay out late enough, you can sample their delicious breakfast menu when the doors open at 7am sharp. Always the place to go for interesting talks or screenings, it is the best place for a quieter drink or a studious evening holed up.
More clubs: Dopamine, Sensations, Propaganda
Like three peas in a pod, Dopamine, Sensations and Propaganda are the main clubs along Heqing Road with cheap, and sometimes even free, drinks – especially during ladies nights on Thursdays at Propaganda. Blasting deafening R&B and pop music, both clubs have similar drinks menus and equally grimy basements; they always seem to be the most popular places to end the night in Wudaokou.
13 Club
A little off the beaten track, if you can find it on Chengfu Road, 13 Club is a great spot for live music in Wudaokou in a smaller, grungier setting. Bands, more often of the rock and metal variety, pay a visit on the weekend and make for the perfect alternative night out for a local live music fix.