The Corner

The Corner Bar has its moments – mainly between 2:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m., when its happy hour serves up 10 RMB Tsingtaos (normally 20 RMB) and the cash equivalent off a more-than-decent drinks range. Owners Xiaoxiao and Pearl have done their homework: a surprisingly good range of Japanese and Scottish whiskies, and even a spot of Lemercier absinthe (95 RMB), supplement the usual Belgian hopfest – from Kwak (55 RMB) to Kasteel (45-50 RMB). Just stay away from the cocktails (40-58RMB) – our Mojito (45 RMB) was weaker than a toddler’s forehand.

Unfortunately, The Corner also suffers from a near-fatal case of ‘Lido-it is’. One-half is a slick, wood-furnished sports bar, with a giant TV screen and stools aplenty. It’s got that Cheers vibe – only without any homoerotic tension – the kind of bar that American males of a certain age get moist for, and it’s done well. In an ideal world, The Corner would offer an escape from the suffocating café culture. Instead, it embraces it. Live music is planned for the future.