First impressions: Lan – are we cosmopolitan yet?
Exposed concrete floors and low unfinished ceilings contrast with a wealth of paintings, bed-sized mirrors, voluminous curtains and assorted furniture from modern to regal – Lan, while reportedly covering 6,000 square meters, reminds me of an art installation that might be packed up and carted off in two days for quick reassembling in, say, Ulan Bator or Taipei.
I went there for a recent Freixenet sparkling wine party. As it turns out, this was one of those body painting, flair bartending and DJ deals. Not exactly my scene – excuse me, Mr. Bartender, isn’t the ice melting and diluting the drink as you continually toss that cocktail shaker behind your back? – but it seemed to fit well with the venue.
Some quick observations on the drinking side of a spot largely focused on food (with the latter being overpriced if readers’ comments are any indication):
- There is plenty of eye candy: those distracted by shiny objects may never leave
- The floor space is intriguingly broken up into dining, drinking and private rooms
- The ceilings are surprisingly low, giving the place a kind of subterranean feel
- The door staff on the night I visited had minimal English-language skills
- The drinks are expensive: expect to drop 70 kuai on a cocktail
- The place is in an office tower in an area with very little nightlife, making the exit a sobering experience
A long observation: Lan seems part of the “make Beijing cosmopolitan” movement whereby our city is deemed to require world-class venues (look at us!) on par with London, Paris or New York. Note the media coverage heavily focused on the fact that internationally known designer Philippe Starck is the genius behind the design (look at us!) , with reportage on the food and drink either a side note or ignored altogether.
In short, this place is the anti-Suzie Wong..
Does it work?
In terms of a bar, strip away the décor and this place barely rates average. High prices, so-so drinks, no beer on tap, and a staff that doesn’t understand the words “toilet”, “exit” or “let me out”. Even so, it’s worth checking out once and, in the interests of fairness, I’ll give it another few looks. In the meantime, I’m interested in what others think…
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Lan is in the same building of our Beijing Office. Have been there several times. Not my piece of dumpling.
Have to agree with you about LAN. While it may seem to some as an oasis in the surrounding desert, once you get inside, you realise that it would have been a good idea to bring your own drinks and food. The wine list is as pretentious as it is long. The food does not match the decor.
Oh and I wrote a whole paragraph without mentioning the decor? Stunning at first sight, one could be forgiven for breaking out in laughter after contemplating the whole effort. Supposedly Zhang Lan paid $8 million for the fitout – hence the high prices – but a few moments reflection would soon lead you to offer to sell her the Sydney Harbour Bridge. (That’s how we Australians describe gullible people.)
I took a couple of Chinese friends there, and they were mightily impressed by the fact that some famous TV or film star – a kid who looked no more than 20 – was there that night. But he didn’t look so impressed, by the place or by my friends hounding him. Perhaps he had the right idea by leaving his sunglasses on.
And then it is time to leave the joint. If you are lucky, there might be a taxi nearby. For me, it’s only a 15 minute walk to home (or Centro if especially thirsty). More often than not, the oasis becomes a deserted island once outside.
So I concur – let’s pack it up and ship it to Taiwan, Tuvalu or Timbuktoo.
@ Sam, is it the drinks, the food or the design that isn’t getting you back?
@ Paul, how about Tasmania? Or Tamworth? Would it go over well there?
Cheers, Boyce
Jim,
Tamworth is the C & W capital of Australia. Pass on that one. Tasmania is a scaled down version of England – no fit there either. There is however a couple of beaut little towns in OZ that would happily take the art works – I am thinking of Nar Nar Goon South, Yackandandah, or perhaps best of all – Tangmalangmaloo.
I went to that place mainly for business reasons. Have to admit that we brought our guests there on purpose (try to impress them?!). First time, we have lunch there. The food is ok. But compared with the price we paid, we do not think it was good enough.
For the decor, I think it is quite funny. Could not find out the theme for the design-cosmoplitan? may be, or pretentious? could be. That is my overall impression of the place. As we went there for business reasons, we always wear formal suits which are just not fancy enough to match the surrounding decor. It is just so pretentious. Do we have enough fancy people or expats like this kind of place in Beijing? I am not sure. Guess BB urself would have better idea about this.
Last, could mention a little bit about their wine list. It forms one of the most important parts for the promotion.However, I am not a wine lover. Got no comments on this part myself. According to my friends from California, they said LAN does have some good wines (from California?). While I only remember the Mojito there was a little bit watery…
cheers,
Sam
Most people I know have been there – once, to go and have a look-see. It’s not a place that attracts many regulars – and no-one ever talks about the food and drink, which says rather a lot. Opening a bar / restaurant when the most important item to be discussed is the decor I think rather misses the point.
@ Paul, Tangmalangmaloo it is, since the place has “lan” as part of its name.
@ Samanta, it does seem the reason to take people there is for the “impression” factor, but that’s usually not enough to get them coming back. Unless the food, drinks and service a good, Lan will be a “flavor of the month” and easily replaced when another new spot opens.
@ Chris, I totally agree.