Rosewood Beijing's long-anticipated bar, MEI, officially opened this week. Although it takes up the entire fifth floor of the hotel, MEI doesn't feel like a hotel bar, a feeling compounded by its separate annex on the side of the hotel, meaning you don't need to access it through the hotel lobby.

The space is cavernous, with three separate bar areas - a wine bar, cocktail bar, and whisky bar - and an outside verandah with a view of the CCTV tower. Decor (which you may just be able to make out from my very dark photos) is slick yet cozy and, like the rest of the hotel, incorporates Chinese design elements here and there.

There was a limited drinks menu at the opening party, but the cocktails we did try, including a Town Branch old fashioned, were expertly rendered, even though all three bars were incredibly busy.

Safe to say first impressions of MEI are great - expect it to become a destination for Beijing's bold and beautiful.

Tel: 86 10 6597 8888

Add: 5/F, Rosewood Beijing, Jing Guang Centre, Hujialou, Chaoyang District

Source: Beijinger