(That's Beijing)
Updated: 2008-02-15 14:23

For a true Haruki Murakami experience, enter Song Music Bar & Kitchen through the south alley of The Place. An elevator attendant in a cargo lift takes you down to the basement level of another place altogether, one that barely hints at its shopping mall surroundings. Follow the jazzy pulse of the music just around the corner and step into the organic interior of Song, crafted in low-lights and natural materials.

The club’s ergonomic touches and skillfully placed acoustics give it the buzz and comfort of a hive. Designed for creative industry types to socialize, network, and host events, Song offers an unprecedented gathering niche. In the afternoon, wireless Internet is available – as well as enough baristas lined up behind a bar to put Starbucks to shame. The Western fusion kitchen is open for lunch, dinner, and late-night snacks. As much as the club denies any note of pretension, the house special 42 Below Martini (RMB 68) is the epitome of sophistication and class.

Song is the collaborative result of sculptor Zhong Song (famous for his “Sundial” in Shanghai’s Pudong District), Hong Kong nightlife pioneer and PR exec Paul Wang, and local party scene herald Nee Bing. Their objective of creating a “living art” space is to attract creative patrons by providing the right space and atmosphere for minds to meet. “The idea really goes back to the fundamental origins of what a club is supposed to be,” said Wang. Indeed, all past, present and future ingredients of what a nightclub really should be are sprinkled into Song.

Song Music Bar & Kitchen
Daily 11am-late.
B108 The Place, 9 Guanghua Lu, Chaoyang District
6587 1311