Beijing Boyce

Song Music Bar + Kitchen - the newest addition to The Place - offers drinkers downtown room to breathe. There is no ‘pack them in’ mentality in this 400-square-meter establishment. Seating areas are well-spaced, ceilings top out at nine meters, and the wide curving steps - symbolic of rice paddy terraces, says investor Paul Wong - rise to the second level.

The design is modest and cavernous. In fact, with a décor dominated by light wood, it feels a bit like a comfy cave. “This is not a flashy place like you find in Shanghai,” says Wong. “It’s meant to be cozier.”

The walls are plain, with images beamed onto them later at night as the place becomes more club than lounge. Admirably, at least when I visited, the music is at a volume that makes conversation possible.

Wong says Song aims at the mid- to upper-mid market. It also aims to provide an artsy retreat in the city’s center. “We would like to democratize art,” he says. “We plan to work with artists, photographers, fashion designers, and others.”

The place looks ideal for corporate events, with space for 300 to 400 standing, including 100 to 150 on the upper level, says Wong.

The beverages list needs work. Forty-five kuai for a glass of Signos in a puny glass would not a happy Boyce make. The good news: Wong says he is revising the wine list and has bigger glasses on the way. Decent wine and excellent cocktails - they’ll be priced around 55 kuai - would help bring in customers.

Another issue is location: Song is in B1, which requires a walk through the mall, a ride down an escalator and a search about. Given Song’s top level extends above ground, it would be ideal if one could jump out of a cab in front of The Place and simply walk into the bar, saving a trip through the mind-numbing mall. I’m not sure this is possible, just wondering…

Here are a few wine tastings over the next few days to get you warmed up for Christmas:

December 22
Let the holiday spirit pour forth as Palette Wines holds a tasting of more than 100 wines for 100 kuai. The Christmas Wine Bazaar is Saturday, 2 PM to 7 PM, on the second floor of the Central Park banquet hall (apparently, the hall is in the center of Central Park). There is a 15 percent discount on purchases made at this event. Some constructive criticism - Palette, for the love of Santa Claus, please give us more warning when you hold an event of this size and value!

December 21
On Friday, Sequoia Café in Sanlitun will hold a tasting of Ridge Wines from California. Organizer Frank Siegel writes, “If you need a change from the ‘value for money’ wines found at the hypermarket, this is the event for you.” The event starts at 6:30 PM, costs 150 kuai and includes tasting samples, snacks, and entry into a draw for “The Oxford Companion to Wine.” RSVP with frankie.siegel@gmail.com.

December 20
Join Aromes and Vinotheca on Thursday for a tasting of eight wines - Viognier, Cotes du Rhone, Petit Mansberg and more. The event starts at 7 PM at the French Cultural Center and costs 50 kuai. There is a 15 percent discount on purchases made at this event. RSVP with aromes2006@gmail.com