Translated as "The Eye on the Lake,"this spot is a comfortable place to relax with friends or that special someone.

In catering to an upscale, pan-continental market, Guan Tang offers a cozy bar area, three private rooms and an outdoor courtyard terrace.All the spaces are immaculately designed with a blend of lao Beijing and Western-style luxury. The couches are deep and inviting, the cushions are plentiful, and the atmosphere is tranquil.

The proprietor is intent on a return to the quiet Houhai of yesteryear, yet still caters for the more raucous crowd by providing a patented flaming shooter, the F117. Served up for RMB 30, the drink is a motley mix of citron vodka, grenadine, kahlua, Cointreau, Get 27 and Bols Blue Curacao. Sounds weird? Well, there's always the Longjing tea for RMB 40, a Ugandan espresso for RMB 35, or a bottle of Erdinger Weissbier for RMB 40. Now that's real pan-continentalism.

Location: No. 13, Dongming Hutong, Houhai, Xicheng District
Opening time: Daily 2pm-2am.