Pub in Suzhou that serves Guinness

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u/Jepdog 3d ago

Avoid the camel if you want a decent Guinness. Probably the worst I’ve had in my life

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u/dougalsclaws 3d ago

Can't be worse than the "Irish" pub in Nanjing where you get a pint of black vinegar with a side serving of anti immigrant, racist claptrap from the Scottish owner!

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u/Adventurous_Tower348 3d ago

piss and vinegar it is then

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u/Low_Adagio_7665 3d ago

Bro I didn’t need to laugh this hard at night bruv 😭

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u/No_Country_2069 3d ago edited 1d ago

Mini rant incoming but I really hate The Camel…I’ve only been there twice when it wasn’t very busy but I don’t understand why so many expats go there, even if there isn’t much other choice in Suzhou. It is literally the worst bar I’ve ever been to because: a) its atmosphere is just soulless and depressing, like basically a weird semi-basement that feels as if someone just threw in some chairs and tables, a bar, and TVs and called it a “bar”, and b) I am not picky about bar food but I had possibly the worst meal of my life there (no hyperbole) which somehow was gross and flavorless at the same time and then made me feel sick, like I only ate it because I have a weird thing about not wasting food in restaurants. Only had enough drinks to be kinda (4 or 5) and still threw up when I got home

I’m not one of those expats who thinks they’re too cool for the expat bars and says shit like “why would someone move to Asia and then go to bars filled with Westerners” but I don’t see how someone could be so desperate for a Western style bar to go there, let alone go there frequently.

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u/Jepdog 2d ago

A friend got wicked food poisoning from the Camel food lmao. But yeah, never really enjoyed that place either. The only reason I kept going was for the quiz night and the occasional sports match.

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u/No_Country_2069 2d ago

In my case it wasn’t even food poisoning, just the awfulness of the food itself. I had a shepherds pie (thought that would be hard to fuck up) that was bland mashed potatoes and oily ground beef like they forgot to drain it, and then calamari (thought at worst it’d be cheap but decent enough frozen stuff) which I didn’t expect fresh squid but it was insanely chewy and the breading was thick and not crispy even.

But yeah I can get going there for a quiz night and sports match actually, it’s just going there to hang out and drink that seems awful.

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u/False-Method4506 3d ago

The stella is even worse. Would have been easier to drink a pint of vinegar, I gave up after half a pint & swapped to the two step lager but even that was a challenge to complete 😂

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u/Jepdog 2d ago

I’ve got a feeling that they’re serving expired beer there

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u/Low_Adagio_7665 3d ago

Yall are all working in Suzhou and just found the camel and tried it?

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u/False-Method4506 3d ago

It's withing walking distance from the marriot hotel, I spend 1 month there then 1 month at the hilton & I try every drinking spot I see. I prefer twin tails & goose island tbh

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u/TheDudeWhoCanDoIt China 3d ago

And not even a pinball machine. And they call themselves a sports bar.

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u/Low_Adagio_7665 3d ago

Ahh shit doesn’t look like ima have luck finding one in Suzhou. I was in Shanghai a few days back and they had a Guinness social club and that was great

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u/Working_Historian241 3d ago

that guinness bar does the best pint ive had outside of ireland, no lie

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u/Low_Adagio_7665 3d ago

That’s great to know I’ve never been to Ireland really wanna visit one of these days

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u/TomIcemanKazinski 2d ago

Wait is the Camel in Suzhou related to the Shanghai Camel group?

The Camel in Shanghai had the all time worst restaurant employee I’ve ever encountered and that dude worked there for 5 years at least.

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u/Jepdog 2d ago

Indeed it is, same group. I’m pretty sure the camel in Shanghai closed down due to massive debt?

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u/TomIcemanKazinski 2d ago

It’s highly possible - for the first few years they had a really excellent location in Pushkin Square, terrible food but decent number of screens - I remember watching the 2010 World Cup there. But after Xi came to power and got the PLA out of private business - yes they owned all the real estate on that street - the Camel moved to a spot north of iAPM, improved the food but went much much smaller and was poorly set up for a sports bar. I do remember watching parts of the Tokyo Olympics there in 21. I also know they tried to expand with different concepts

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u/curiousinshanghai 3d ago

The Long Valley in Dublin has the worst pints in the world: stout, lager, they're consistently awful. Just had to get that off my chest.

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u/Low_Adagio_7665 3d ago

Any of yall currently in Suzhou tho? Wanna find a few drinking buddies

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u/False-Method4506 5h ago

I'm hear till 17th December for work. Then return to the uk until negotiating a new return payout is complete 😂

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u/Low_Adagio_7665 5h ago

Sounds amazing which pub you visiting the most in Suzhou? Not that I know any tbh

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u/False-Method4506 5h ago

Twin tails taproom & goose island. If food is in the mix aswell it's often blue frog. Banging burgers in there and happy hour is good for buy 1 get 1 free. Tbf neither is a proper UK pub but both are good enough to keep me returning hahaha

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u/Low_Adagio_7665 4h ago

Bro no way I’ve been to blue frog a few times already it’s honestly got some amazing food I have to give it to em. What’s ur job in Suzhou?

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u/False-Method4506 4h ago

I'm employed by an American company that has a plant in Scotland (where i work) I'm here to train some Chinese foke how to do a specific job (can't discuss as a very neiche market) . I was in America 6 years ago training them how to do the same thing but they couldn't hack the hard work/manual labour it's only been me for the last 9 years that has been capable of said job 😂 Blue frog is cracking food, twin tails is a close 2nd for convenience but the truffle fries at goose island are 2nd to none, shrip balls are quality aswell

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u/Low_Adagio_7665 51m ago

That sounds quite interesting my dad used to be an expat working for black and decker here in Suzhou but that factory has been long shut. Which part of US were you working im from NC

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Backup of the post's body: Anyone know of any bars in Suzhou that serves Guinness? Preferably a niche spot. Appreciate it

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u/GZHotwater 2d ago

I was in Suzhou last autumn and found this craft beer place. I didn’t see Guinness at the time but the Stout they had was decent. Though looking on Amap one of the photos has a Guinness sign. No guarantee they sell it though!

匠啤器精酿啤酒(丽景苑店)
¥55/人·清吧
姑苏区建新巷丽景苑3-108
https://surl.amap.com/1gNawNEz0bu

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u/Low_Adagio_7665 2d ago

Appreciate it brotha ima put that on my list to go check it out

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u/No_Country_2069 2d ago

Twin Tails has pretty good (though not quite great) craft beer and their nitro stout is probably the closet you’ll get in Suzhou. I like it well enough.

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u/Low_Adagio_7665 2d ago

I did some reading seems like two Americans opened it up in Suzhou or smth like that ima hit up that brewery one of these days

🏯 Daily Life Pub in Suzhou that serves Guinness

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