Needless to say, Chic ("bar, club, lounge"-as all new openings purport to be these days) is anything but chic, and instead invests in the surefire formula pioneered by Babyface: neon, surly doormen, neon, dice, Chivas (complemented by a number of imaginative mixers), neon and a bunch of other stuff we've come to expect when a big-money club opens.

As easy as it is to poke fun at the place, there must be a method in the madness of Chic-hip hop booms as you're given the once over with a metal detector at the door (immediately making you feel badass) and on entering, you can't help but adopt the pimp roll as you sidle up to the bar and order a bourbon (RMB 40).

Veritable hunnies drape themselves over sofas in the raised seating area, while curiously manicured gents in oversized lettermen jackets shoot dice in this new gangster's paradise. What's more, this was all on a Monday night.

Chic
Open time: 8pm-late.
Location: Jiahui International Center, 14 Jiqingli, Chaoyang District
Tel: 010-65527519