Beijing Boyce

Charly Kusagsizoglu

Yesterday, I posted photos here and here from Atmosphere and Lounge, which both opened on the eightieth floor of China World Summit Wing. Here are six more photos, including a couple from Grill 79 one floor below, as well as ten thoughts about the opening of the year in Beijing.

1. View: A 360-degree view of the city that takes in everything from The Forbidden City to The Bird’s Nest, the CCTV Tower to the shell of the Mandarin Oriental, and will inspire a billion “yeah, but you can only see them three days a year” jokes  that will quickly become as tiresome as the ones about the waitresses at Hooters. Anyway, the place stands to be a must stop for first-time visitors to Beijing–on those three clear days, of course.

2. Drinks: The 50 ml pour in the Old-Fashioned is a good sign and patrons can expect to find plenty of classic cocktails from barman Charly Kusagsizoglu. There were a few glitches–for example, CF’s Old-Fashioned came with a cherry, while one I had earlier did not–but things went well for a first night, at least up to when we left at ~8 PM. CF, SM, and I considered our drinks “good” and hope for even more on return visits. The prices are also good, with most cocktails at RMB65. And Atmosphere will be open until 4 AM on Fridays and Saturdays, giving us a decent (literally) high-end place for late-night drinks.

3. Wine: There are abbreviated menus for the bar and lounge as well as a main menu put together by Koen Masschelein that includes hundreds of wines, from the familiar to the unique, from about RMB200 to more than RMB40000 per bottle. Those who want to try Chinese wines will find about 20 reds and whites from Grace Vineyard, Silver Heights, and Helan Mountain. The prices are excellent: a bottle of Cloudy Bay Sauvignon Blanc is RMB375; the by-the-glass list starts at RMB42 for a 150 ml pour of Grace.

4. Spirits: This place has sourced spirits you are unlikely to find elsewhere in the city. As for single malts, it has a wide selection, including several 30-year-old whiskeys. Though it does not carry the older vintages found at the Ritz-Carlton and at Aria or the niche whiskeys found in the city’s Japanese-styled bars, there is enough choice to keep the vast majority of patrons satisfied.

5. Beer: Not considered a priority, as the menu only includes five bottles–Tsingtao is RMB35, Guinness is RMB45–and no draft.

6. Food: I had the New York burger for lunch with ksquare in the Lounge. The quality of the ingredients, notably the beef, was high, though we found the patty slightly overcooked and the bun crumbly.  I would also have preferred fries, or ksquare’s suggestion of sweet potato fries, to the accompanying batter sticks. The RMB89 price tag is more than fair for a place such as this given that is about what you would pay at numerous places in Sanlitun. So is RMB35 for a coffee. As for steakhouse Grill 79, it seats ~100, and has three private rooms, one semi-private area, and a bar near the entrance. I’ll have more on this place soon.

7. Decor: Plenty of eye candy due to the wide range of colors, with a nice mix of cool and warm ones, and lots of wood, leather, and shiny stuff to provide balance. The seating, lighting, and candles mean there are places for intimacy, while the bar will likely appeal to the more gregarious. (Speaking of patrons, most showed up at night wearing at least “smart casual“.) The things that struck me as off were the red glow from the band area and the rectangular glass plates hanging above and that someone compared to (ghostly) graham crackers. But overall, I think most people will be impressed.

8. Service: Given it was opening day, the staff showed a high degree of competence and professionalism, with the only issues being a few language ones. The staff did well on the “my laptop is out of battery and I can’t find a plug” test: An employee offered to find an extension cord and when unable to used a plug near the coffee station. (The wireless is free.) They also did a good job of checking on us, deftly walking that fine line between being over-attentive and ignoring the customer.

9. Service charge: There isn’t one.

10: Overall: The biggest problems for this place would seem to be ones over which it has little control, from air quality affecting the view to a lack of taxis in this area at night. But when it comes to overall value–the range of beverages, the size of the drinks, the quality of the decor and the view, the vibe and the prices–this place came out a winner on day one.

Grill 79

I will have a longer writeup soon about Atmosphere and Lounge, which opened today on the eightieth floor of China World Summit Wing, but for now I will limit myself to saying the prices are right (case in point: an Old Fashioned with 50 ML pour for RMB65, no service charge), the service today has been good, and, once again, the views are excellent. Her are nine more pics…

The entrance to Atmosphere bar

Some of Atmosphere's hard-to-find spirits

Another view of the city

Punch a higher floor.

Beijing’s highest bar–Atmosphere–is slated to open Monday in China World Summit Wing aka Tower Three. On clear days, you can see The Forbidden City. On others, you will still have cocktails made under the direction of barman Serhan “Charly” Kusagsizoglu, a selection of whiskeys, cognacs, and other spirits, and a wine menu created by former Maison Boulud sommelier Koen Masschelein. In terms of decor, let’s turn to the press release:

“[Atmosphere has] a smart, almost feminine orientation with delicate ceiling features, cleverly installed lighting and jewel-hued furnishings. A beautifully illuminated wine wall greets guests upon alighting from the sleek glass-enclosed lift that ferries guests between the dining and entertainment venues on the 79th and 80th floors. A subtly lit spirits cellar at the bar’s entrance provide hints of icy cool, ethereal elegance that awaits inside. Inside the bar, the designer’s interpretation of “heaven” is highlighted by the dramatic expansive backdrop of Beijing cityscape, framed by a ceiling resembling a constellation of delicate stars and matched by comfortable lounge seating in delicate amethyst shades and plush olive-grey walls.”

The person who wrote that deserved a double at the end of the day. Atmosphere can seat ~130, is open Sunday to Thursday, from noon to 2 AM, and on Fridays and Saturdays to 4 AM, and ranks among Beijing’s biggest openings of the year. I’ll soon post more about this bar.

Also opening Monday on the eightieth floor: Lounge. It seats 80 and will have a wide selection of teas, cocktails, and coffee, as well as takes–based on cuisines from around the globe–on the hamburger. The hours will be 6:30 AM to 1 AM. One floor below will be steakhouse Grill 79, also slated to open Monday.

See also:

• High in Beijing: Grill 79, Atmosphere Bar to open on floors 79-80 in China World Summit Wing

Impression of Atmosphere bar...

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Early next year, Beijing diners and drinkers will be able to get even higher as Grill 79 and Atmosphere lounge and bar will open on the 79th and 80th floors of China World Summit Wing, the official name of the third phase of China World. The design behind the venues, as well as for a private dining area on the 81st floor, come from Adam Tihany, known especially for his work in New York on spots such as Jean-Georges, Daniel, and Le Cirque 2000. These will be the loftiest places to eat and drink the capital. Look for a substantial wine list – with as many as 1500 labels.

The hotel will have two ballrooms (one of which is capable of hosting banquets of up to 1500 people), a spacious lobby, a Japanese restaurant called Nadaman and an as yet-to-be-named Thai restaurant on the fourth to sixth floors, hotel rooms from the 64th to 77th floor, and a spa and club on the 78th floor.

China World Summit Wing will top out at 330 meters, making it the highest building in the city, and is slated to open in the first quarter of 2010.

I’ll have more details on these venues, as well as a talk with Tihany, early next week.