The streets around the Jiangbei old quarter north of the Yong River contain Ningbo's highest concentration of bars and late-night restaurants. The mix is varied — Japanese izakayas, craft beer bars, cocktail bars in converted colonial buildings, and the Chinese-style baijiu bars where groups of business associates conduct extended drinking sessions — and the street is lively from around 9pm to 2am on weekends.
The best of the colonial-era bars have taken the restoration aesthetic seriously: exposed brick, original timber frames, and period lighting give a genuine sense of the treaty-port atmosphere without tipping into tourist kitsch. Several bars have riverfront terraces with views over the Yong River toward the Laowaitan, which becomes particularly atmospheric after dark when the old buildings on both banks are lit. This is a comfortable evening destination for anyone staying in the city rather than passing through on a day trip.