The arrival of brands such as Jakarta's Face Bar went some way to affirming Beijing's status as an international city, but it's taken until now for the capital to bestow a similar offering to the rest of the world. Lan is set to remedy this. "We wanted something unique," says owner Daniel Wang. "I was born in Beijing, it is my city and will be the face of China, yet it has been devoid of good lounge bars."

Spanning 6,000 square meters, Lan doesn't simply sell itself on size alone. Wang's collaboration with Philippe Starck, whose meticulous and elaborate interior design adorns the entirety of the space, ensures Lan is one of the most distinctive venues not just in Beijing, but in the world. "Philippe has a very personal style, which is unmistakably his own," adds Wang. Starck's input results in an aesthetic overload, conveying global themes by contrasting the sensuous and the surreal-a mural of luchador figurines in one room, an Italian black-crystal chandelier in the next-a rich tapestry of everyday objects and opulence.

This attention to detail continues behind the bar, which is stocked with a vast array of European and New World wines (starting at RMB 68 per glass) and cocktails (martinis RMB 60) from across the globe. The bar staff is still undergoing extensive training, something overlooked by most of Beijing's "high end" offerings, while in-house DJs are set to be plucked from institutions as prestigious as Cafe del Mar. Wang shows obvious distaste for Beijing's predilection for big name DJs. "We don't need Tiesto or Sasha, we want people to come for Lan... this is not an exclusive members club; we want to share this with everyone." Everyone, that is, who can afford it.

Lan
Open time: 11am-late.
Location: 4/F, LG Twin Towers, 12B Jianguomen Waidajie, Chaoyang District
Tel: 010-51096012/13