Xiu

Xiu me the money

After China Bar opened in the Park Hyatt at the end of last year, visitors seemed suitably awe-struck by the views on offer, yet many complained the bar didn’t take many risks with its design, and that without the views it was little more than ‘just another hotel bar’.

This is a criticism no one can level at Xiu, the Park Hyatt’s new bar, which can be found on the sixth floor. Aesthetically speaking, Xiu is a delight, successfully fusing traditional Chinese design with all the modern touches that make the best contemporary bars so chic.

The outdoor section is especially wondrous – reminiscent of the traditional rooftops found in Lijiang and set opposite an impressive fountain with water trickling over cubic, jet-black stone.

The large interior houses a main room with a well stocked bar, set in front of a stage currently occupied by a band called Liquid. In thefollowing months more international jazz, soul and R&B acts are set to take to the stage.

The interior of main bar sports exposed brick walls, and the piping and air filtration system have been left uncovered, favourably emulating the style of an underground live music club.

The bar itself is relatively swish and juxtaposes creatively with the stripped-down interior. This main room also includes an open kitchen, where chefs slice off strips of Hong Kong BBQ, hung up for all to see behind a glass screen.

A series of inter-connected rooms offer ample seating, as does a second balcony, containing a slightly smaller bar than the one on the primary terrace.

Everything about Xiu screams class, from the exceptional bar snacks (a big bowl of prawn crackers, 20RMB; or deep-fried prawn wontons, 60RMB) to the Japanese robotic toilet with heated seats.Drinks, meanwhile, are well mixed and hover in the middle of the high-end price range: we’re talking 70RMB martinis, 65RMB mojitos, and ten different wines sold by the glass, ranging from 60-140RMB.

With a daily happy hour from 5-8pm offering buy-one-get-one-free on selected drinks, Xiu will undoubtedly become an after-work hotspot.

The slew of high-end establishments that opened last year in time for the Olympics didn’t really impress us, nor apparently anyone else considering how many of them have since closed down.

Xiu, on the other hand, is really a venue to get genuinely excited about, and one that has enough style and class to justify the price tags. Ross Goulding

Xiu Floor Sixth floor, Park Hyatt, 2 Jianguomenwai Dajie, Chaoyang district (8567 1108). Open 11.30am- 2.30pm daily; 5pm-2am Sun-Wed; 5pm-3am Thur-Sat.