Titanium

This Sanlitun Soho bar is as much a showroom for the design talents of the owner and his pals as a place for drinking. There’s a tinfoil-effect wall, leg-shaped stools, and a train carriage with a chessboard (bring your own pieces). The top floor looks like an Aldous Huxley-designed canteen, complete with egg-shaped booths. Neither design flourishes nor friendly service disguise the sense that the mixed drinks need more work, or at least a dash more liquor. But you should pop your head in the door at least once – play it safe and order a Tsingtao. Titanium also offers Chinese food throughout the day, with set meals at lunch.