(That's Beijing)
Updated: 2007-10-24 10:05

Everything about this hotel bar screams decadence.

Immediately as you alight from the plush elevator, you know your wallet is in for the cruel and unusual punishment usually reserved for the victims in Quentin Tarantino films. The windowless watering hole is targeting the upper echelons of those who prop up Beijing’s bar scene. No expense has been spared on the decor, and while it is all nice it is certainly not cheerful. The dominance of the black walls over the accoutrements that bedeck it is hard to ignore and a little unwelcoming.

With a circular bar divided by a cascade of glass and a surfeit of leather and velvet, it feels more boudoir than boutique hotel. There is a calculated ambiance but a distinct lack of atmosphere; this is further exacerbated by management’s eschewal of “Happy Hour.”

Despite their best attempts to remove the “hotel” from the bar by shrouding it in decadent decoration, the hotel still remains, confirmed by the house band playing to an empty room. The drinks selection is excellent but prohibitively expensive – Pimm’s at RMB 65, Deutz Champagne at RMB 3,256. Rest assured, though – unlike at some of Beijing’s less salubrious bars, the drinks here are genuine.

M Bar is an ideal spot to recreate Brewster’s Millions, but all impoverished students, penniless backpackers and the frugally-minded might want to steer clear of Sofitel’s sixth floor.

Location: 6/F, Tower C, Wanda Plaza, 93 Jianguo Lu, Chaoyang District
Opening hours: Daily 4pm-midnight.
Tel: 010 8599 6666 ext 6525