Lhasa Entertainment & Bars – where to have a drink of cup of tea, coffee or Lhasa Beer
There is not a great deal when it comes to entertainment options in Lhasa. In the evening most travelers head to one of the restaurants in the Tibetan Sqaure and then retire to the roof of the Barkhor Namchen House or Banak Shol hotels for a cold Lhasa Beer.
Lhasa Bars
Dunya (BAR)
The breezy upstairs bar at this popular restaurant is a firm favourite of both local expats and tour groups. There is a nice terrace and a big-screen TV for major sports events.
Address: 100 Beijing Dong Road.
Beer: CNY12
Makye Amye (RESTAURANT/BAR)
The past is tastier than the present at this watering hole overlooking the Barkhor. If the stories are to be believed, this was once a drinking haunt of the licentious sixth Dalai Lama, who met the famed Tibetan beauty Makye Amye here and composed a famous poem about her. Chinese tourists are drawn to the absorbing views of the Barkhor from the corner tables and fine rooftop terrace, but the food is just so-so.
Drinks from CNY15; Mains CNY25-60
Summit Cafe
With authentic espresso coffee and smoothies, sofas that swallow you up, free wi-fi and melt-in-your-mouth cheesecakes, this American-style coffeehouse is a mocha-flavoured nirvana for Starbucks addicts. It’s in the courtyard of the Shangbala Hotel, a stone’s throw from the Jokhang, with a couple of less useful branches around town. Other places for a real coffee include the courtyards of Yabshi Phunkhang or the Kyichu Hotel.
Address: 1 Danjielin Lu
Coffee CNY14-25; Deserts CNY10-24
Spinn Cafe
This funky, tiny backstreet cafe/bar is a hang-out for cold beer, filter coffee, teas and snacks and is a good resource for travel information (especially biking). It’s down a back alley off Beijing Donglu.
There are several Tibetan teahouses around town where you can grab a cheap thermos of cha ngamo (sweet tea). Most of them are grungy Tibetan-only places, blasted by high-decible kung fu videos, but there are few exceptions. The bustling local Tengyelling teahouse beside the Tashi Takgay Hotel is very central, though the teahouse in the Ani Sangkhung Nunnery is probably the nicest for a quiet cup of tea. The two excellent teahouses in Zang Gyab Lukhang Park behind the Potala are also well worth the dinner.
