Davidoff Bar

Now the first Davidoff Lounge has arrived in Beijing and it should please cigar fans, if no one else.

The Davidoff brand dates all the way back to 1925, when Russian Zino Davidoff created the first cigar cellar in Geneva and went on to develop the brand until it became a byword for quality among the world's cigar smoking fraternity. Now the first Davidoff Lounge has arrived in Beijing and it should please cigar fans, if no one else.

Located inside the Ritz-Carlton, the lounge is spread over three floors. One floor houses a small yet well stocked Davidoff shop (open 12am-9pm daily) while beneath lie four VIP rooms (costing 2,888RMB per evening), each styled by a different designer but all conforming to type with leather chairs, plasma screens and a KTV machine.

The third section - the bar itself - is unfortunately a bit of a disappointment. The overuse of brown velvet is reminiscent of a council house in a 1970s Ken Loach film, while the carpet is pretty awful too. However, the bar does boast a walk-in humidor with a large selection of cigars. The Davidoff tubos No.2 for 300RMB will no doubt be a popular choice, while the selection of Cuban cigars - including Romeo Y Juliet Belvederes at the budget price of 90RMB, and Cohiba Lanceros for 420RMB - are also of a high standard.

It's also worth mentioning that the artwork hanging on the walls is changed monthly and for sale, and that the menu goes someway toward making up for the décor as it contains a selection of tasty starters from Ritz-Carlton restaurant Aroma's kitchens. What's more, the extensive whiskey and wine list allows smokers to take their pick from a number of bottles from different vintages, some going back 30 years.

Overall, Davidoff provides an excellent outlet for selling cigars and a great location for private parties. It suffers due to the underwhelming bar area, which isn't nearly as nice as The Ritz Carlton bar located in the same building.

China Central Place, (at the rear of the Ritz-Carlton Hotel), 83A Jianguo Lu, Chaoyang district (5908 8070) Open 5pm-2am Mon-Sat, closed Sun.