Ginks Bar

Ginks Bar is a gin-focused cocktail bar at 79 Zhengjiatai, Gannan Middle Road, in Lanzhou's Chengguan District, the capital of Gansu province in northwest China. It sits in the Gannan Road bar area, a stretch east of the Zhengning Road night market where small bars and bistros have clustered in recent years. The bar is listed as serving daily from roughly 8PM to 2AM, and opening times are worth confirming by phone, since small independent venues in Lanzhou adjust hours seasonally.

The crowd is mostly local professionals, university-age drinkers and couples in their twenties and thirties, with a smaller number of visitors passing through the city on Silk Road itineraries. Dress is casual to smart-casual; there is no formal dress code and no door policy beyond ordinary courtesy. The atmosphere is conversational rather than rowdy, closer to a cocktail lounge than a dance venue, and music is incidental background rather than a programme.

The drinks programme is the draw. The menu is built around gin and is themed on the 24 solar terms of the traditional Chinese agricultural calendar, so the cocktail list shifts with the seasons. Cocktails are priced at roughly CNY 50-90 (about USD 7-13), which is high by local standards for Lanzhou, where a beer in a casual bar costs far less, but modest compared with coastal Chinese cities. Classic gin serves such as a gin and tonic or a martini-style drink are usually possible alongside the seasonal list.

There is no cover charge. Reservations are generally unnecessary on weeknights, but a call ahead is sensible for groups on Friday and Saturday evenings; the bar can be reached on +86 180 0949 7747. Bottle-service culture is not a feature of this kind of small gin bar, and drinks are ordered by the glass. Payment in China is overwhelmingly through WeChat Pay or Alipay, so visitors without a linked mobile payment account should carry some cash and check card acceptance before ordering.

Gannan Road is easy to reach by taxi or ride-hailing app from most central Lanzhou hotels, and it is within walking distance of the Zhengning Road area, making it a natural stop after a night-market dinner.