Latte

Snatching the gaudily adorned crown from Chocolate’s head to become the king of Beijing’s tacky curiosities is Latte. They have outdone their Russian rivals with an even more ridiculous name and what must be a world record for the number of chandeliers fitted into a space this size.

The comparisons with Chocolate stretch only to the adventurous décor, for really Latte is a pure Gongti club with dice games, Chivas deals, pounding music, no dancefloor and fruit platters aplenty. An outdoor elevator whisks customers inside, while a decked terrace serves as a waiting area and chill out zone.

Inside, the club fosters a steampunk aesthetic, with brass pipes and valves powering slowly rotating windmills. There’s a VIP balcony overlooking the main area, and both are crowded with sofas, thrones and other bourgeois places to rest your posterior. The 1800s French brothel look has never been so fully realised in Beijing.

The drinks menu is focused around bottle deals. The only beer available is Budweiser for 30RMB, while the cheapest Johnnie Walker deals start at 600RMB. And of course there’s the odd bottle of 36,000RMB Chivas to buy for you and your friends, just in case it’s been a while since your last vulgar display of wealth.

The wait staff don’t pressure you as much as in other clubs – they actually leave you alone to take a look round, and don’t nervously try to herd you towards a table. That’s something of a refreshing change in contrast to most of the other clubs which populate the Gongti area. Ross Goulding