By Viva Goldner (Beijing Weekend)
Updated: 2008-01-21 09:47

 

Were Alice a Roman gentleman with a penchant for purple velvet, a journey through the Looking Glass may have landed him in Beijing's LAN Club.

The venue, opened just over a year ago in the capital's Twin Towers, is a neo-Baroque playground of gilded mirrors and crystal chandeliers. The lavish work of contemporary French designer Philippe Starck, this bar and restaurant is a 6000 sq meter space fitted out for a last supper in fantasy land.

This is destination dining, and certainly not a place for fans of minimalism in design. LAN is opulence bordering on gauche, with candelabras throwing romantic light onto frescos of Botticelli angels and framed oil paintings arranged at jaunty angles over the ceilings.

In formal dining areas that are part boardroom, part bordello, long tables are flanked by stools plated in gold and upholstered in green, while plush armchairs in contrasting jewel tones complete the scene.

There are 45 private VIP rooms, each a different take on the designer's off-beat style, as well as an oyster bar and cigar room, cocktail lounge, restaurant and lounge featuring live jazz and DJs most nights.

A wide range of imported wines and creative cocktails are available, priced from about 60 yuan.

LAN is part of the South Beauty brand, with a fusion menu influenced by the Sichuan flavors for which the successful restaurant empire is known.

Picks of the high-priced menu include poached Australian beef tenderloin in a pool of spice-infused oil and crisp tofu skin stuffed with ground pork and drizzled with chili sauce.

The club's spectacular individual bathrooms rate special mention. Each rivals a small apartment for size, with a silver Rococco lounge accompanying the other throne in a completely mirrored room.

LAN Club
Location: 4/F Twin Towers B-12, Jiangguomenwai Avenue, Chaoyang District Beijing
Tel: 010-5109-6012