(Beijing Weekend)
Updated: 2006-06-01 09:12

Fish usually have pretty dull lives but at Mima Cafe they have plenty to gawp at.

Their home is the glass roof of a toilet, which is encased in a steel box and stands in the middle of the courtyard. It should come as no surprise that this is the handy work of Chinese architect Wang Hui, who believes "design creates a new lifestyle."

The bar interior is whiter than Michael Jackson with the staff's outfits matching the walls. It looks like the place that would have Pure Moods: Best of Ambient Beats Part 4 on the stereo and it does or a title to that effect. The bar itself is made out of hundreds of books which look like they were nicked from school science labs in the 60s. Jenga experts can try and remove one to read - Extraordinary Chemistry of Ordinary Things looks a good one.

The tabletops are mirrors with cracks down the middle. Given this is an arty venue, I have no doubt the cracks are in line with the laws of refraction to make full use of the sunlight that streams through the wall of windows.

With bored-looking staff shuffling their feet in such a self-conscious environment it is quite hard to relax inside. But the courtyard out in the sun is a different story although you have to share with the bar's six cats. Given its location, tucked away near the east gate of Yuanmingyuan Park (the Old Summer Palace), it's not a place you can just pop in while passing. But then once you are reclining in the courtyard, you feel compelled to stay for hours.

Drinks are cheaper than expected. That reliable barometer Tsingtao is 15 yuan (US$1.9), and cocktails hover around the 30 yuan (US$3.8) mark. Pizzas are available at 60 yuan (US$7.5) and salads at 25 yuan (US$3.1). Another addition to the bar is the One Way Street Library a similar building tucked away behind a bamboo screen with one long shelf of mainly Chinese books.

Mima Cafe
Location: North of the parking area, East gate of Yuanmingyuan Park, Haidian District.
Opening time: 10am-12pm
Tel: 010-82688003/6263-3106
Website: www.mima.cn.