Aye by Meeting Someone

From the exterior, you might get a hint of how “alien” Aye by Meeting Someone is; the bricks are arranged like waves in a lake and the spherical black door that sits in the center is made of glass and metal, giving it an otherworldly feel. Inside is surprisingly large, with the restaurant spread out 600sqm over two floors – a speakeasy retro-style bar sits on the left of the entrance, an open kitchen on the right, and three private rooms decked out in velvet on the second floor.

The menu here focuses on Italian and Spanish cuisine with a creative twist. We especially enjoyed the stewed Florentine tripe (RMB 118), the grilled Australian rib-eye steak (RMB 288 for 250g), and the pastries. The bar is stocked with a large selection of whiskeys, taking inspiration from the owner's love of The Great Gatsby. Thankfully, you don’t have to be Jay Gatsby or Daisy Buchanan to qualify for a decent drink here, with 19 special cocktails (RMB 85) and a dozen classic cocktails, as well as 10 aperitifs (RMB 50 a glass) to choose from courtesy of the head bartender who used to work at Equis in the Four Seasons. There's also an entire book dedicated to wine (RMB 60-70 per glass, RMB 280-2,680 per bottle).