Events

Ongoing Events

• Wednesdays
  Gin or vodka cocktails on special all day: 10 yuan for singles/20 yuan for doubles. Wednesdays, San Miguel 15 yuan/bottle.

• Thursdays
  Gin or vodka cocktails on special all day: 10 yuan for singles/20 yuan for doubles

• Fridays
  Gin or vodka cocktails on special all day: 10 yuan for singles/20 yuan for doubles

• Saturdays
  Gin or vodka cocktails on special all day: 10 yuan for singles/20 yuan for doubles

Reviews

• • Selinda
    January 22, 2012
    1 reviews
    5 stars: 1
  • Great dumplings.It's my second year to celebrate Chinese Lunar New Year in Chapter One.It'a nice place although I come here once each year(the DAY) .Aihua and his staffs are very nice.Thanks!Happy Near Year!

• • shadowave
    August 18, 2011
    2 reviews
    3 stars: 1
    5 stars: 1
  • Nice place for sports fans.

    Beers also great.Haven't tried food yet.

    Have to say fuwuyuan really changes fast, but service always slow.

• • barshopper
    July 29, 2011
    8 reviews
    1 star: 2
    2 stars: 1
    3 stars: 1
    4 stars: 3
    5 stars: 1

• • read46
    July 1, 2011
    1 reviews

  • Excellent bar, very welcoming with highly efficient service from the Ai Hua and his friendly staff.
    Good selection of beers and snacks with, in my opinion, a very very tasty and filling Shepherds Pie!!

• • skipflip
    May 29, 2011
    1 reviews
    5 stars: 1
  • have spent many an enjoyable evening in chapter one.

    the beer selection is probably the best thing this bar has going for it... really good beer, including a range of imports.

    also, the decor is well done and the place feels spacious, meaning it is good for going out and accomodating large groups of people.

    definately a place for evenings!

• • jonny9
    May 23, 2011
    4 reviews
    0 stars: 1
    1 star: 1
    2 stars: 1
    3 stars: 1
  • Nice people.
    Bad music.
    Criminally horrible Italian pasta (floating on a sea of water!!).
    Conveniant location.
    3 stars.

• • noodlehead
    May 21, 2011
    7 reviews
    0 stars: 1
    2 stars: 1
    4 stars: 1
    5 stars: 2
  • Love this place!! Has a great atmosphere, and the owner Ai Hua is most welcoming!! Love the pubquiz as well, really good fun! My favourite bar in Kunming!

• • iliveinkm
    February 22, 2011
    3 reviews
    3 stars: 1
    4 stars: 1
    5 stars: 1
  • The paintings on the wall are really nice!

• • flamezpowah
    November 7, 2010
    2 reviews
    5 stars: 1
  • The friendliest bar in the foreigner area that I know of. Ignore what someone says later about the food, in MY experience, the food is very good, in terms of taste AND value for money, e.g you order a chicken burger and not only do you get that but it also comes with bacon and chips... (and at the cheapest price for a chicken burger I have seen yet here.) they also have steak on the menu !

    The drinks are fairly priced, happy hour is great (5-7pm,) the people who work there are fantastic and Aihua is the friendliest, most welcoming bar owner I know.

    On top of that, a great selection of literature which you can freely borrow.. then comfortable surroundings, free wifi, genuinely should be higher in peoples estimations that 1/5 stars...

    the music is a bit eclectic sometimes though..

• • DanTheMan
    November 5, 2010
    40 reviews
    1 star: 2
    2 stars: 1
    3 stars: 2
    4 stars: 8
    5 stars: 14
  • I think of Chapter One mainly as a bar, so I do a lot more drinking than eating there.

    On that front, it's a great place—open late with a good selection of brews. Aihua, the owner, is frequently around and is always friendly and has been great about donating beers for the pub quiz.

    He is also doing charity work with some of the bar's proceeds, which not many other bars or restaurants seem to care much about.

• • lostinyunnan
    September 8, 2010
    4 reviews
    1 star: 1
    2 stars: 1
    4 stars: 2
    5 stars: 1
  • I tried a burger here and it was the worst thing I've ever eaten. It was like eating tough, unground steak meat with a hard line of fat running through the middle. My knife couldn't even cut through it after my teeth gave up. Stay clear of this place, especially the food!

• • chocolatlover
    December 25, 2009
    2 reviews
    1 star: 1
    5 stars: 1
  • Its a bar,thats all i need to say.Don t order any type of food here because its pricy and you definitly wont get your moneys worth.

    Just go to some other place and bring your food.If you order something be sure that it will be cold and wont be tasty.

• • Andorra
    October 8, 2009
    17 reviews
    0 stars: 1
    1 star: 1
    2 stars: 7
    3 stars: 6
    4 stars: 2
    5 stars: 1
  • I know this place for since 2005 and think its a pity that there nearly havent been any changes since - despite even new owner earlier this year. Went there recently a few times and the fuyuan still drive me mad. Being the only customer on first floor, seeing at least 3 fuyuan behind and infront of the counter and each time a pain to order something or make them coming to the table (why going to the table if the customer could just get up and get his own things?). Reminded me entirely of the service in French cafe (where for that reason havent been in ages). A pity, because the location is not bad and there could be much more done with little effort - so hope that happens when from next year on those wenlin street places are not able anymore to serve food and only rely on beverage (and service).

• • Pombar
    May 24, 2009
    1 reviews

  • Chapter One is the number one retreat for expats and students after 11 or so when the local restaurant/bars (such as Salvador's, The Box, and French Cafe) are closing up. It's not pristinely kept, but it's a fun, down to earth drinking hole, with plenty of nearby noodle bars to slink off to once you've had your fill of booze. The food is not especially recommendable, but they do serve chips and (oddly enough) popcorn that is serviceable enough.

• • redrosez
    December 27, 2008
    6 reviews
    1 star: 1
    3 stars: 2
    4 stars: 1
    5 stars: 4

• • shelley
    November 8, 2008
    3 reviews
    3 stars: 1
    5 stars: 1

  • The last time I went by Chapter One there were two large dogs inside the restaurant mingling with food and customers. I can't eat in an environment like that.

• • banishedimmortal
    October 22, 2008
    11 reviews
    3 stars: 2
    4 stars: 5
    5 stars: 1

  • chapter one has the best happy hour beer specials in kunming right now... and since they own indian kitchen a couple doors down, it's no problem to get samosas or even curry brought to your table

• • Ocean
    June 9, 2008
    12 reviews
    0 stars: 1
    2 stars: 1
    3 stars: 1
    4 stars: 5
    5 stars: 1

  • The last few times I've been the service has been slow, the atmosphere very smokey and the worst coffee I've had in years. Sorry!

• • Debbie
    March 27, 2008
    5 reviews
    4 stars: 3

  • This is not a review of Chapter One but a way of saying 'thank you'.

    Thank you Piers for all your recent assistance and for your help in obtaining tickets for the China v Australia game. Great atmosphere, mediocre game but a good time had by all.

    Anyone that is ready to help other visitors in this way should surely have a successful business - good luck with your rennovation/review of Chapter One.

• • Bernie
    December 29, 2007
    21 reviews
    1 star: 5
    2 stars: 4
    3 stars: 10
    4 stars: 5
  • I would agree with everything that Jared said, but I should add that the importance of always having a cook in the kitchen -- certainly at midday -- goes without saying.

• • WeiXue
    October 11, 2007
    12 reviews
    3 stars: 4
    4 stars: 8
    5 stars: 1
  • I would just say it depends what you are looking for from Chapter One.

    The food is not great and it's often hard to find a fuwuyuan to order another beer, but there is no place better than Chapter 1 to hang out on a Friday or Saturday night (they're even showing the Rugby World Cup!), or to spend an afternoon studying.

    Don't order a cup of coffee, though.

    If you must eat there, the hamburgers are usually decent, but the fries are soggy.

    As far as drinks go, as Jared mentioned they have Beer Lao (a bit expensive, but good), but I prefer the wine by the glass, which is often hard to find in Kunming.

• • Kevin
    October 8, 2007
    6 reviews
    1 star: 2
    3 stars: 1
    4 stars: 2
    5 stars: 1
  • I have found this place to be sub-par in customer service and food quality.

    The three times i have eaten there, I have had to repeatedly question the fuwuyuans where my food was.

    If you don't order at the front desk, forget about it.

    The food is bad in general.

    The last time I was there, thinking I would give them a "third" chance, I ordered the chicken salad sandwich.

    It was more of a mayonnaise sandwich.

    I expect more from a western restaurant.

• • Jared
    October 5, 2007
    5 reviews
    0 stars: 1
    2 stars: 2
    4 stars: 1
    5 stars: 2
  • Library by day, pub by night, Chapter One is great for both weekday studying or Friday night libation. Despite its mediocre food offerings, Chapter One has a solid drink menu and a comfortable, relaxed atmosphere.

    Food. Last spring I'd come in several times a week for the inexpensive but tasty Indian curry. Over the summer, however, the Indian menu was spun off to create Indian Kitchen (two shops down on Wenlin Jie). Besides the decent burgers, the remaining food leaves a lot to be desired.

    A cheese pizza I ate a couple of weeks back had an almost milky consistency and had the aftertaste of some kind of fruit.

    Drinks. Chapter One has a comparatively good selection of alcohol. You can choose between slightly up-market imports like Beer Lao (¥16) and old standbys like Dali or Qingdao (both a reasonable ¥8). The bar has at least two or three options for popular liquors like whiskey or vodka. Non-alcoholic options are pretty standard, though I wouldn't recommend the coffee.

    Ambiance & Service. With its comfy lounge-like set-up, Chapter One is one of my favorite places in Kunming. The second floor features cushy-couches and sturdy large wooden tables. I've spent countless hours reading and studying there. The servers are friendlier than average, and while helpful generally leave you alone.

    Unique Feature. Unlike some other expat restaurants lined book shelves, Chapter One's book collection is definitely worth browsing.