Barcelona Bar

One of the more peculiar bars to open in Beijing recently, Barcelona Bar is dedicated to the majestic footballing skills of Barcelona FC. Taking up the space previously occupied by Mojito bar at the Kuntai hotel, Barcelona Bar's entry-way features a staircase painted garishly in the team's red and blue colours, with faux gold leaf-framed photos of the team's biggest players, including a charming portrait of [smiling and sweating] footballing genius Ronaldinho. The bar itself is cavernously large, with ample seating and achingly consistent team colours splashed across ceilings, walls, bar stools and sofas.

One of the more peculiar bars to open in Beijing recently, Barcelona Bar is dedicated to the majestic footballing skills of Barcelona FC. Taking up the space previously occupied by Mojito bar at the Kuntai hotel, Barcelona Bar's entry-way features a staircase painted garishly in the team's red and blue colours, with faux gold leaf-framed photos of the team's biggest players, including a charming portrait of [smiling and sweating] footballing genius Ronaldinho. The bar itself is cavernously large, with ample seating and achingly consistent team colours splashed across ceilings, walls, bar stools and sofas.

A Chinese band kicks things off 9.30pm to a small, suspiciously empty dance floor - maybe it's the lack of terrace anthems such as ‘the referee's a wanker'. The bar's 14 KTV rooms are typically plush and the drinks are mixed well with no short measures, but at 50RMB for a standard mixer and 18RMB for a Tsingtao, it's unlikely they'll draw many of Beijing's sports teams on an all-night bender.

While definitely filling a niche in Beijing (what other bar caters to Catalonian crooners better than a KTV Barca bar?), it's hard to envisage this large space becoming a permanent fixture on Beijing's sports-bar circuit, especially considering the glaring omission of a single television set. RG

West Gate of Royal Kuntai Hotel, Chaoyangmenwai Dajie, Chaoyang district. No phone number.