S Bar

S Bar – or Satan Bar – does more than pay lip service to its theme. Decked out with blood-red walls, skulls, pentagrams and meat hooks hanging from the ceiling, this bar crams a lot of the satanic into its small space. Mostly though, it’s reminiscent of a Hammer horror movie in tone and isn’t too nefarious – those of a nervous disposition needn’t worry.

Patrons of The V (vampire themed) and The A (angel themed) should know what to expect: S Bar is under the same ownership. The seating isn’t hellishly uncomfortable – that feature is presumably being kept back for when they open ‘Purgatory’ – and the little mezzanine nook is actually quite cosy. Sit back and have fun with the menu: a decent selection of beers and cocktails is overshadowed by the novelty concoctions that take pride of place at the front of the menu. We had the whiskey and Baileys (45RMB) which, as with all the specialty drinks, comes in a skull-shaped glass. Just as V Bar has its coffin cake, so S Bar has its own devilish delicacy: a crème br?lée in a crucifix mould (35RMB). As if the dessert couldn’t get any more bizarre, it’s also topped with brandy and set on fire.

The saccharine background music of noughties pop hits is where the theme unravels, unless your idea of Hell is to have your ears molested by such rubbish for eternity. Either way, it’s a remarkable juxtaposition. We enjoyed our dance with the devil, but mostly based on the novelty value. S Bar is a lot of fun, but we can’t imagine it having many returning customers; the only thing we’re scared of is that S Bar may disappear in a puff of smoke before too long.