Beijing Boyce

More chandeliers than you could shake Tiffany’s at, more gilded pillars than you could shake Fort Knox at, morev elvet chairs than you could shake what’s left of Louis XVI at, more… well, you get the idea. Chocolate, just around the corner from Treasure Island, is over the top and in this case it is a good thing.

Patrons get to Chocolate by riding down an escalator and entering a cavernous room that takes a page from LAN Club, complete with that sense you could pack the entire place up and move it to, say, Chengdu overnight. Three big differences: it is a lot less pretentious, the drinks are about half the price, and it has the vibe that something risque could happen at any moment.

Expect plenty of velvet, gilding, elaborate pictures frames holding oil prints, mind-numbing techno music, and a floor show that I hear mirrors that at Treasure Island (we didn’t arrive at the right time to catch it). Oh, and faux solid gold urinals and toilets, at least in the boy’s loo.

As for prices: A Beijing draft is RMB20, other beers start at RMB30, and a Black Russian sets you back RMB38 (so does a Mojito, though it was unavailable on this night).

Also in the area:

Hollywood: This place remains under chain and lock. I have to say I don’t miss the impromptu shoulder massages – and requests for tips – from the toilet attendants.

Treasure Island: Closed on this night, though a note on the door indicated it would be open late this week, which means now.

Maggie’s: For some time, the lads showed up but the ladies stayed away, apparently due to frequent police checks.  On this night, the demographics were reversed.

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See also:
Treasure Island: Where vodka meets fire breathers and pole dancers

The extremely annoying “lady bar” touts on the Sanlitun Village side of Sanlitun North appear to be gone – let us hope it is not just for the holidays. On my last five visits at night I have heard not a single “Sir, lady bar,” “Massage-e”, or “Sexy girl!”

Other happenings…

Rooftop Pepper, known for flair bartending shows that delayed drink delivery, is closed. (Hat tip to Mr. Brau and apologies to him for taking two weeks to follow up).

Timeout reports that Song has joined the likes of places such as China Doll 3.3 that have closed for “renovations”. I thought the design was the main selling point? Or maybe the place is finally getting toilets.

Hatsune is slated to open its Sanlitun Village branch in March, while sibling restaurant Karaiya is due a month later. Next month, the current Hatsune outlet will offer a free appetizer and bottle of sake if you say “Samurai sushi” upon ordering.

Maxim’s in Solana has a handful of new French liqueurs, five new flavored coffees, and stocks several Chinese wines, including a Xi Xia Chardonnay at RMB88.

All-Star, which in my mind still needs to earn the words “Sports Bar” behind its name, will reopen for dinner on the 31st. It appears the “open 24 hours” concept is falling by the wayside. A sign on the door lists the hours as 5 PM to 2 AM.

Across the way, a new Banana Leaf is under construction, while a bit further on, Water Bar & Restaurant is slated to re-open on February 6. Meanwhile, the long-awaited Crobar is giving new meaning to the words “opening soon.”

And over on Lucky Street, Tao gets back to business on February 1 and The Stumble Inn is looking to increase its list of 54 beers. One patron has already tried the lot.