Xuxian Lou 许仙楼

In the modern courtyard, a statue of Xuxian himself stands in the jade pool. The interior is modern as well, with celadon porcelain, fish pond, and natural light. The menu has an list of Hangzhou specialties, but thrown into the mix are non-sequiturs like baked seafood with pastis cream, “musli,” and a puzzling hefty block of white bread served with ice cream. West Lake smoked fish (xihu xunyu, RMB 42) was tough, chewy and lacking smokiness. Much more pleasing was the sticky rice cakes (RMB 68) with sweet red-braised pork ribs served in meaty but dainty segments. It also serves as a lounge, with a long list of sweets and beverages that don’t quite deliver. Strawberry sorbeto and Prosecco floats (RMB 38) turned out to be a chunk of ice cream floating in sparkling water. After 9.30pm, the rooftop garden becomes a pleasant bar.