Glam girls in high, white boots twirl around twin poles on the bar as behind them, Fashion TV plays on a big screen.

Sex and Da City, on beautiful Houhai lake, avoids sleaze but does sass well.

Beyond its narrow but neon-lit entrance, this cocktail lounge is shaped as a square around a central bar. It is fairly small but intimate, with two levels and a friendly, English-speaking staff.

With a view to die for and exotic cocktails, it is not hard to see why this place is packed on a Sunday night as others nearby struggle to pull customers.

The crowd is a lively bunch of locals and foreigners, both male and female. A group of young women seated on high stools at the bar sip wine as across from them, older men seem engrossed in a game of rolling die.

Sex and Da City's real gem is its upper floor, partly made of Perspex and arranged as a balcony with candle-lit tables overlooking the bar below. On each side are plush private rooms with comfy couches and gauze curtains, which can be drawn for greater privacy. The front booths here offer stunning views across Houhai Lake to the rainbow lights on the opposite shore. There is no dance floor, but a DJ spins hip-hop beats. While nothing original, his tunes give the pole dancers something to work with and seem to keep the punters happy.

The club is dark but clean and the dcor classy and contemporary - save for the kitsch of a Marilyn Monroe mural adorning the top floor wall.

Spirits start from 30 yuan, or 40 yuan if you choose from the ample cocktail menu, which includes all kinds of creations made with Absolut vodka in all its flavors. Our reviewers sample the Vanilla Sunrise and Mandarin Sour - both leave us thirsty for a second round.

With a low-key sexy vibe, Sex and da City is a top spot to sit back and soak in the din of Beijing by night.

Sex and da City is open nightly to 3am

Address: Lotus Lane, ShiChaHai, next to Houhai Lake.
Tel: 010-66125046