Central Park's Entourage: Inspiration, Not Inebriation

“Oh, the place with the art.”

It was the same thing that three other people said when I mentioned I was going to be stopping by for a look-see. I started to think Entourage might not be the place to end a week-long abstention from beer. All I wanted was a belly-full of ale and to get a bit rowdy. But it’s a fair and accurate wrap for the Central Park newbie.

The art is what you remember most. It’s high-concept, but it’s one we’ve seen before – an art gallery/lounge bar in a neat neighborhood, designed around the express intention to exhibit art work in an innovative but relaxed way. It recently hosted a collection of SURGE artwork, in each of its three “spaces” – the “Light Fall Room,” the “Mirror Room” and the Dada Room.”

It’s all very attractive, but feels like it edges more towards the art gallery than it does the lounge bar. Not many bars concern themselves with “an orchestrate disposition of embedded mirrors and paintings” as Entourage does.

That’s not to suggest they’ve wholly disregarded the basic tenets of a good lounge bar. Aside from the art, it’s what you’d expect of an elegant Central Park bar. Tight, strong cocktails – in lieu of a beer, the Old Fashioned (RMB 60) was a delight, while the ‘Entourage Inspiration’ menu will run you RMB 80 a sample, but delivers. Fresh, tasty appetizers feature on the snack menu, try the Messe Plate (RMB 55) – and a handsome bar bill awaits on exit.

It was a pleasant visit, but my self-imposed beer ban would have to continue; it’s too vulgar to be drunk in an art gallery.

Entourage
Daily 5pm-1am. 102, Bldg 14, Central Park, 6 Chaowai Dajie, Chaoyang District (6597 0544)
朝阳区朝外大街6号新城国际公寓14号楼底商102

Also try: Janes and Hooch, Crossover Club

Photos: Sui

Read about other bars that have recently hit Beijing in the December issue of the Beijinger magazine.