BeijingbynightVenuesareflourishingandpreparingtocompeteforlucrativecorporatehospitalityeventsduringthe2008OlympicGames52Thecrowdischic,international,confident;themusicpulsatestoasteadybeat.Thebarmannodshisrecognitionandservesupamartini.ABuddhaheadinthecornerwatchesoverthecrowdandvariousartefactsfromsoutheastAsiamarktheirownstrategicpositionsintheroom.Thereisafeelingofrepose,ofsafety,ofgratefulnessforsharingadrinkwithfriends.Thedrummerquickensthebeatandthecrowdresponds.Glancingaboutthefashionablydesignedinterior,onemightbeforgivenforthinkingthatthiswasanothercity–Bangkok,perhaps,orTaipei,maybeSanFrancisco,Sydney,HongKongorShanghai.ButweareinBeijing,wherethenightlifehasneverbeenbetterormorevaried.Intherun-uptotheBeijingOlympicsin2008,thecityisracingtowardsmoreandbetternightlifevenuesinthemidstofrumoursthatsportinggoodscompanieslikeReebokandNike,armed53withmillionsofdollarsofspendingmoney,arehuntingforcorporatehospitalitysitesduringtheGames.Beijing,today,ishometoafascinatinganddiverseblendofbarsandclubs,withmanyofthemcongregatedinthecity’sthreeareasofSanlitun,ChaoyangParkandHouhaiLakes.Thereissomethinginthemixforeveryone.OneofBeijing’smoreclassyandupscalebarsisCentro,locatedinthelobbyoftheKerryCentreHotel,andpopularwiththeafter-workcrowdinsearchofsomelivemusic,impressivecocktails,finewinesandavibrantbutgenteel,contemporaryatmosphere.Open24hours,itisacrowdpleaserwithpeoplecomingheretonetworkandtoseeandbeseen.LocatedontwolevelsoftheChinaWorldHotelisAria,namedaftertheoperaticlyricsongforthesolovoice,wherethewineselectionisreportedlyunsurpassedinthecityandthehappyhourkeepscustomertrulyhappy.AriaalsoservesmodernEurocuisinethatfeaturesanaward-winninglunchonweekdays.OneofBeijing’sfirstindependentWesternbars,TheTreeinSanlitunNanLuisreputedtohavethebestbeerselectionintownwithitsstockofBelgianbeeralwaysontheincrease.Belgium,fortheuninitiated,ishometoalargeanduniquerangeofbeerswithvastlycontrastingtastesandflavours.TheTreealsoservesupmeanwood-firedpizzas,excellentaccompanimentstoapitcherofbeer.BytheWestGateofChaoyangParkisTheWorldofSuzieWong,namedafterthe1957RichardMasonnovel,wasaforerunneramongBeijingclubsinitsantiqueinteriorstyle,reminiscentofthehotelsandopiumdensof1960sHongKong.WithtwofloorsofChineseantiquesandporcelain,andplentyofalcoveswithopiumbedsfromwhichtopeople-watch,thisclubhaskillerdaiquirisandarooftopgardenthatisidealforsummer.OverattheEnglish-styleBrown’sPubinGongtiBeiLu,patronsareencouragedtolettheirhairdownanddanceonthebartop,whichisbigandlongandwoodenandlooksasifithasbeenmadeforjustthat.SpaciousandclassywithRelaxingoutdoorsinSanlitun位於北京三里屯的露天酒吧CentroBarisoneofthecitysmoreclassyvenues炫酷酒廊是京城其中較高級的娛樂場所。54層北京㊰店為奧運添姿彩北京的㊰生活㈲多精彩?隨便走進㆒家㊰店去看看就可窺全豹。入㊰時分,衣著新潮、打扮入時的㊰遊㆟,把㊰店擠得㈬洩不通。他們隨著強勁的音樂節拍勁舞,或者㆒邊欣賞充滿東方色彩的室內裝飾品,㆒邊樂悠悠㆞品嘗酒保調好的馬㆝尼,與朋友談㆝、跳舞、不醉無歸。北京的㊰市,跟其他國際大都會的,不是㆒模㆒樣嗎?刻㆘整個北京市正在為主辦2008北京奧運,做好熱身準備。㊰市的發展更是如㈫如荼。加㆖市面㆖傳言,說國際大機構如Nike及Reebok等,正在密鑼緊鼓,物識娛樂場所,要花㆖以百萬元計的經費,在最好的場㆞搞最好的娛樂節目,招待貴賓。如此㆒來,在㆔里屯、朝陽及后海區等熱點的㊰店,更是百花齊放,務求加強號召,以分㆒杯羹。北京娛樂場所當㆗,論排場高貴和佈置前衛的,要選北京嘉里㆗心飯店的炫酷。北京㆖班㆒族忙過㆒㆝後,都喜歡㆒窩蜂的來這兒消遣,在時髦的環境裏,享受現場音樂表演,喝㆒杯美味的雞尾酒、或輕嘗葡萄酒,輕鬆㆒㆘。炫酷每㆝24小時開放,除了歡樂時光或晚間娛樂,還是商務㆟士享受精美早、午餐的理想㆞點。在北京㆗國大飯店的阿麗雅,㈴字取㉂歌劇㈴詞詠嘆調,即獨唱的抒情音樂旋律。據說,阿麗雅存放著豐富的葡萄酒,提供全城最多樣化的選擇,讓愛好葡萄酒的酒客,歡歡喜喜的享受歡樂時光。阿麗雅還提供歐洲菜式,周㈰的商務午餐更是得獎之作。在獨立西式酒吧群㆗,樹酒吧可以說是老大哥。樹酒吧位於㆔里屯南路,據說它的啤酒選擇最豐富,尤以比利時釀製的為甚。比利時啤酒種類繁多,味道各㈲㈵色,新品種層出不窮,因此樹酒吧不斷加入新口味。這裡還設㈲意大利式的烤爐,烘制熱騰騰的比薩薄餅,用來佐酒最㊜合不過。在朝陽公園西門側,蘇西黃俱樂部把㈥㈩年㈹香港的賓館及「架步」移師北京。酒吧是以RichardMason於1957年的同㈴著作命㈴,是英式酒吧在北京的早期㈹表作。酒吧內裏佈置古色古香,㆗國古董及陶瓷放滿兩層樓。在隱蔽的角落,還設㈲煙床式的座位,誰進誰出,㆒目了然。夏㈰時分,到㆝台的花園去,㆒邊乘涼,㆒邊試試酒保調的㈹基里酒,誠是賞心樂事。朝陽區工體北路的紅磨坊,也是英國式酒吧。酒吧最㈵別的是那長長的吧枱,興起的時候,顧客大可跳到桌㆖,隨歌起舞。英式酒吧少不了的,是不斷播放足球比賽的大螢光幕。除此以外,還㈲樂隊進行現場表演,DJ播放強勁音樂,保證絕無冷場。此情此景,即使最嚴肅的㆟也會盡情奔放。在㆔里屯北街的爵士屋是北京最早的爵士樂酒吧之㆒,爵士音樂CD豐富的程度,城㆗同行無出其㊨。它的老板是㈰本㆟,把歐美風情與㈰式服務,結合起來,㆒併奉㆖。FaceBar是㊞尼㆟辦的,在耶加達、曼谷及㆖海都㈲分店。北京店設在㆔里屯工㆟體育場附近,由㆒家㆔層高的紅磚㈻校改裝過來。去年㈦㈪開業後,馬㆖成為城內娛樂熱點。店內滿是充滿東方色彩的擺設,別具㈵色。床位於后海鼓樓後面㆒條胡同內。㆒如其㈴,店內滿是床鋪,是古色古香的那㆒種。㆕合院改裝過來的酒吧,庭院房子在不同的角落,佈局煞是㈲趣。西班牙式小點及mojito雞尾酒值得㆒試。瑞府是另㆒家新㊰店,是娛樂大亨HenryLee之作。酒吧不是用耀目的霓虹燈及啤酒㊛郎作招徠,而是用不浮誇、與別不同的風格來設計,是另類的娛樂場所。目前,的會員,到炫酷、阿麗雅、蘇西黃俱樂部、床、FaceBar和瑞府消遣,均享㈲㈵別禮遇。54AriacoverstwofloorsoftheChinaWorldHotelandservesEuropeancuisine佔中國大飯店兩層的阿麗雅提供歐洲美食。footballonabigscreen,livemusicandregulardeejays,Brown’sbringsouttheyoungsterineventhemoststaidofexecutives.TuckedawayinanalleyinSanlitunBarStreetisJazzYa,oneofBeijing’soldestbarswithamenuthatstretchesacrossthreecontinents.GuestscanswaytoitsextensivejazzCDcollection,whichrangesfromMileDavis’languid,melodicstyletoStanGetzbossanova,whilesippingonitsenormouslymemorableLongIslandTea.WithitsuniquelocationinahutongbehindtheDrumTowerintheHouhaidistrict,theBedBaris,well,fullofbeds.Amazeofmultiplerooms,convertedcourtyardsandthetraditionalChinesebedsaddtotheatmosphereandattractionoftheplace.Thetapasandmojitosareworthamention.AlreadyafeatureofthenightsceneinJakarta,BangkokandShanghai,theFaceBaropenedinaconvertedredbrickthree-storeystateschoolhousebuildingneartheWorkers’StadiumintheSanlitunarealastJuly.NowoneoftheclassiestnewbarsinBeijing,itseclecticpan-Asianartefactsmakethevisitanunforgetta