Ruby Khi

Better than i-Ultra with its cosy cabanas and balcony

One of the biggest high-end names to disintegrate over the winter was i-Ultra. It’s now relaunched itself as Ruby Khi. Aside from ditching the silly and pretentious name, the main physical change is the balcony at eye level with Chaoyang Park’s tree-lined lake.

The balcony is big, with plenty of room for loitering, and we like the fact that tables will be doled out on a first-come-first-served basis rather than keeping with the usual rigid tradition of table booking.

Inside, i-Ultra’s cordoned-off VIP sections and plentiful booths have been replaced by wooden cabanas covered in white sheets, but otherwise a lot is as before: the DJ booth is still imposing, the dancefloor is still big and the shape of the main bar remains the same (meaning you don’t have to wait long for a drink).

Talking of drinks, the 150RMB fishbowls are bound to become a talking point – coming in giant novelty glasses, they contain four regular-sized drinks, so end up being reasonable value for money. We’d recommend starting with the Foreplay On The Beach and moving on to the lethal Long Island Iced Tea.

Though DJ schedules and a full music policy hadn’t been decided on at the time of writing, Ruby Khi’s motto is ‘Not just for a one-night stand’, the idea being that it is a place people will want to go to every night of the week. Let’s hope for some interesting mid-week events. RG

Ruby Khi 8 Chaoyang Gongyuan Xi Lu, inside the Block 8 complex, Chaoyang district (6508 8585). Open 6pm-late daily. 朝阳区朝阳公园西路8号八号公馆.