Reviews Been there? Add a review!

cityweekend

Just a few minutes walk from The Tree, Nearby the Tree is a two-storey complex featuring your typical Tree-like bar on the first floor and your untypical bistro on the second. Indeed, head upstairs and the atmosphere is entirely different with its stylish decor, alluring couches and coffee tables. Ambience aside, this newbie will strike a different chord with Tree-goers, serving up pasta as its specialty with pizza nowhere in sight. The seafood chowder (¥45) was the best we’ve had and the parma ham tortellini was a also favorite, (¥75) though a bit on the salty side. We also recommend the carbonara (¥45), which, though it could have been creamier, still had us savoring every bite. Of course, any Tree experience would not be complete without a couple of Belgian beers, and we were sure to help ourselves to one or two (okay, three) ensuring that we were full and content when we left.

 

tree

As the name suggests, the new venue is just a few minutes walk from the existing Tree, and uses a similar design. It is not an overflow for the busy Tree Bar but a new and exciting concept. 'Nearby' is on two floors; downstairs is a bar in a similar style to The Tree, albeit with less Belgian Beer on stock and the upstairs (when open as Phase Two) will be serving fresh Pasta in a more children friendly relaxed bistro restaurant environment.

 

1 year ago

tree

Nearby The Tree is opening on October 21st

11 months, 4 weeks ago

forest

Will there be a no-smoking area?

11 months, 3 weeks ago

beorn

I went there for a relaxing afternoon coffee, and it's safe to say I'll be coming back many times.

The upstairs has huge windows and is very airy and bright, the music is good, the interior design just the way I like it (wooden, red bricks, comfy sofas, lots of plants), and they've got free wifi (*).

The food menu seems a bit limited (pasta's not my thing), but the drink selection seems much better; they've got lots of bottled Belgium beers, and De Konick, Beamish, Hoegaarden, and Tsingtao on draft.

(*) They also make the mistake of using a non-sensical (default) name for their wireless LAN (the SSID) . When will people learn that the SSID could be both descriptive and good advertising. Take a clue from Hooters, which has an SSID called "Welcome to Hooters!".

 

9 months, 3 weeks ago

duncanshaunsmith

The pasta tastes great and is actually made to order in the open kitchen. We also really enjoyed the meats and cheeses combo platter.

The dining area is very bright and airy with huge windows all around the room. They play some rather good tunes and the service is very friendly.

Will definitely be back, but they lose marks for a lack of a baby highchair.

 

9 months, 1 week ago

pixienic

What a beautiful place! So relaxing and great to just hang out, use the net, and have some very good food! The service was fantastic - very polite, and was very initiative- telling us of the upcoming promotions - which is a first in Beijing!

I will be going back again, and again!

 

8 months, 2 weeks ago

tree

duncanshaunsmith: thanks for the comments. Nearby now has a baby high-chair.

8 months, 1 week ago

siennapc

The decor is reminiscent of The Tree but more elegant and upscale looking. I ordered a pasta dish with asparagus and semi sun dried tomato pesto that didn't look that amazing but turned out to be incredible. The only problem with our meal is that everyone's dishes came at different times, and those who had ordered lasagne had to wait until everyone else had finished eating before their food arrived! While the food was great, the high prices (75 kuai for a plate of pasta? Even if it is excellent?) will probably stop me from going back.

 

6 months, 3 weeks ago

zachary_franklin

It is a lot less chaotic and wholeheartedly more relaxing at Nearby the Tree. The dishes come out in a much more timely fashion. And the giant glass windows allow the sunlight to flood the floors during the day.

Instead of plating the pasta, Nearby the Tree places it in deep bowls, making sure each string of pasta gets covered in sauce — messing with the tortellini is nothing short of a good idea.

You can order pizza as long as you're sitting in the downstairs portion of the restaurant. But you don't go to Nearby the Tree for the pizza.

My one qualm with Nearby the Tree is in fact it's name and location from the Tree. Any party arriving at separate times will have this to worry about when they're looking for the restaurant:

Friend 1: Where are you eating? Friend 2: Nearby the Tree. Friend 1: [pause] Right, I'm nearby the Tree, so where are you eating? Friend 2: Nearby the Tree.

 

2 months, 2 weeks ago