GREENSTEP 青台

Written by Benjamin Greuter

Xi’an has given us the green light as far as young entrepreneurial endeavors are concerned. As a result, we’ve all been able to benefit from the ensuing race to catch crowds, foreign and local alike, as well as to witness the numerous and varying methods that young Chinese businesses employ in their attempts to rise to the top. In a city where time has always been the ulimate test, new businesses, from café to club, have exploded onto the scene, with every intention of following in the footsteps of the China-dream success stories that have circulated like wildfire over the past decade. One of them, humble and hopeful as it is, is Greenstep.
Located comfortably on on one homey little corner on a wall-side street, just a kilometer or so east of South Gate, the bar has an unmistakable sign letting oncomers from the gate see it early as they walk up the romantic, sloped brick street. The bar is small, and has only one large table inside the ‘storefront’, but they place umbrella’d tables out around the front doors both on the building side of the street as well as on the raised sidewalk attached to the wall. Their projector shows their name and logo on the ancient-looking city wall above the sidewalk through the surrounding trees, which shelter the tables. I’m not sure what they will do in snowy or stormy weather, but we shall see! As of the end of September, they hadn’t prepared a beer/wine list yet, but it seems they will focus on some classy imports and local favorites. Whether you’re after an atmospheric drink with some class on the ancient wall, or a fun, relaxing drink with your buds in the nice Autumn weather, you’ll be all set.
The owners seem to enjoy making this bar their cretaive outlet, and if you look closely, there are several small hints of their personas coming through various décor choices and styles. One look at the skull-shaped beer glass is what set it off for me, but feel free to look through the photos around this page for more hints! Five Chinese dreamers started the business together for both security and the thrill of a joint venture. They all have lives and responsibilities unique to themselves, but, as I said earlier, this place is their creative outlet, and a healthy (maybe, kinda…?) way of relieving stress after a long, full-time work day. When asked what their goals were, long or short, for the bar, they said simply, “if we get popular, we’ll need to buy some games.” That’s what every expat wants to hear when looking for a new place to chill, right?
Pros: Atmosphere
Cons: Small; may not be ready for winter
Address:East of shun cheng xiang,South Gate.( 南门顺城巷东 )
Tel:186-9102-6821
Open Hours:7:00pm-3:00am