"San Francisco nightlife is pretty good," said the Californian native, "but it doesn't compare to the nightlife in Beijing."

"Here it's easy to meet people and clubs stay open until sunrise, while in San Francisco most close around 2 a.m."

Young at heart

In a city more traditionally known for tea than beer, she was surprised at the amount of alcohol consumed.

"People tend to do more binge drinking here, because they can, it's cheaper," she said. "The lifestyle of a lot of people is pretty irresponsible. A lot of expats here are either young or young at heart."

As the manager of Obiwan bar, Katja Drinhausen from Germany, sees Beijing's nightlife from a different perspective.

According to her, bars in Beijing tend to cluster together, and getting people to come to a place off the beaten track can be difficult.

Chinese and foreign drinkers mix together much more nowadays than in the past, she said, but often take a different approach to going out.

Most expats expect cheap drinks, and are used to paying the price on the menu.

"Chinese customers are used to getting discounts on the menu. They like to haggle," she said.

One of the things Drinhausen likes best about Beijing nightlife is its growing diversity.

"More and more places are not just about loud music and flashing lights or cheap drinks," she said. "There is much more to see in the city's nightlife than just a beer."

The city's evening diversity caters to many tastes, from all night raves to relaxing lounges.

"One of my favorite areas is Sanlitun," said Hines. "Salsa Caribe there is great for dancing and meeting people, the music is good, and it feels friendly. I also like the White Rabbit on Lucky Street. The people there are very friendly."

Hines is also a fan of Beijing's live music scene. "I found I like a lot of local bands, although they usually have a Western sound," she said. "Carsick Cars are my favorite."

For a quieter evening she enjoys Nanluoguxiang, a narrow hutong lined with mostly small and very unique bars and restaurants.

"It's a good place to meet friends and actually be able to hear each other talking," she added.

Of course, there is more to do during an evening in Beijing than drink. The city abounds with restaurants; so many in fact that it can be hard to pick where to go.

"There are so many more restaurants now than there used to be, especially when you think of food from around the world," said Ghosh. "It's much more diverse and there are so many choices."

Fantastic food

Unlike the bar and club scene, good restaurants in Beijing are spread out everywhere. Some districts are more expensive than others, and some restaurants look more atmospheric, but when it comes to food the Beijing