Mo bar

Mo bar is perched on the fifth floor of the Mandarin Oriental Hotel. This stylish contemporary bar offers inventive cocktails and a spacious outdoor terrace with views of the Forbidden City.

The rich wood paneling and warm lighting decorated with leather seats make the perfect setting to enjoy their cocktails. There is even a flavor map that outlines each cocktail’s flavor profile.

Certain seating areas on the terrace require a minimum food consumption of RMB 2000 ($308). It gets busy on the weekends, so either go early or make a reservation.

It was a last-minute decision to go to the bar. We were lucky to get a seat on the terrace. The view was nice, but we could only see the rooftops of the historical buildings.

Service was slow, drinks came out slow, and the waiters’ attitude was not up to par for a high-class bar at a five-star hotel. Instead, they were casual, inattentive.

Original sin (RMB 128)

Peach, apricot, toasted oats, Michter bourbon, milk, lemon

Sweet and tangy with a hint of bitterness

Mogroni (RMB 98)

Seedlip spice 94, Seedlip grove 42, Campari syrup, Mancino vermouth Rosso

Beautiful presentation – bold and bitter

Mo Bar

Website: https://www.mandarinoriental.com/beijing/wangfujing/fine-dining/bars/mo-bar

Telephone: +86 (10) 8509 8850

Opening hours: 4:00 p.m. – midnight (Mon, Tues, Sun)
4:00 p.m. – 1:00 a.m. (Wed, Sat )

Address: No. 269 Wangfujing Street, Beijing, China, 100006

Ralph’s coffee

The latest addition to Beijing’s coffee scene is Ralph’s coffee by fashion mogul Ralph Lauren. Located in the heart of Taikoo Li Sanlitun shopping village inside the Ralph Lauren retail store, this café serves coffees, teas, hot chocolate, and desserts. The establishment is relatively small, with six tables inside and four tables outside.

The chic retro green and white color schemed interior with marbled countertops and jazz music playing in the background reminisce of a cafe in New York. I love the relaxing vibe and smartly dressed baristas and waiters.

Coffee beans are available for purchase along with merchandise such as mugs, tote bags, and t-shirts.

The dessert menu is small, but the cakes and cookies come in a generous size. Your cake options are carrot cake, chocolate cake, brownies, new york cheesecake, and honey cranberry loaf cake. For cookies, you have chocolate chip cookies, peanut butter, jelly cookies, red velvet sandwich cookies, and oatmeal raisin cookies.

I ordered a chocolate cake (RMB 65) and an 85% dark chocolate drink (RMB 48), and my friend got a carrot cake (RMB58) and an Uji matcha latte (RMB 42).

The hot chocolate wasn’t as good as I hoped it would be. I like mine thick and creamy, and this was the opposite. However, the chocolate cake is the chocolate cake I have been waiting for; it is decadent, moist with the right balance of sweetness. In my opinion, the best chocolate cake in town. This is now my go-to place if I have a hankering for chocolate cake.

The carrot cake had a good balance of sweetness and spice with a velvety cream cheese frosting. The Uji matcha latte was bold and creamy. My friend is a matcha fan, and she absolutely loved it.

I will definitely be making another visit to try their coffee and cookies.

Ralph’s cafe

Website: https://www.facebook.com/RalphsCoffeeSanlitun/

Telephone: +86 10-64155600

Opening hours: 10:00 a.m. – 10:00 p.m. daily

Address: Unit S6-10a on First Floor, Taikoo Li Sanlitun South, No.19 Sanlitun Road, Chaoyang District 100027 Beijing

Four Seasons Hotel

The five-day labor day holiday was just around the corner, and I thought, what better way to spend it than a staycation at the Four Seasons Hotel.

The Four Seasons Hotel is located in the embassy district, with restaurants and a shopping mall within walking distance.

As one of the more expensive hotels in Beijing, I had high expectations for it.

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When I entered the lobby, the first thing I noticed was the size; it was smaller than most hotels. A beautiful display of various flower arrangements adorns the entrance. The check-in procedure was quick and smooth. The receptionist was friendly and spoke proficient English. I was upgraded to a premier room which is located on the 21st floor.

All rooms overlook a 20 story inner atrium with a wall decorated with 400 stainless-steel butterflies designed by Australian artist Jayne Dyer.

The hotel boasts two 1 Michelin star restaurants; Cai Xi Yuan, an upscale Cantonese restaurant, and Mio, a contemporary Italian restaurant.

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The room is spacious with standard five-star hotel amenities such as a Nespresso machine and a minibar. The bed was firm but comfortable; the armchair and ottoman next to it was the perfect place to wind down and watch TV. But, disappointingly, the TV was somewhat small with limited channels.

The cleanliness of the room could be improved; there was dust on the countertops and a handprint on the window. Most hotels I have been to equip the rooms with a Bose Bluetooth speaker; the room had a Panasonic iPod dock with poor sound quality.

The tub is one of the highlights for me. It does not only have a great view, It is spacious and comfortable, allowing you to have a nice deep soak. A bath pillow is provided too. The toiletries are by Atelier Cologne. Unfortunately, due to covid, the hotel does not provide toothbrushes and shavers in the room but are available at the guest’s request.

There is a turndown service and a variety of pillow options to choose from based on your preference. You can also have your newspaper of choice delivered to you at a specified time in the morning.

I did not want to leave the room, so I ordered room service for the whole duration of my stay. For dinner, I ordered a nasi goreng (fried rice) with chicken satay (RMB 178 / $27) accompanied by a mango sago pudding (RMB 78/ $12). For breakfast, I got the french toast (RMB 118 / $12) with a cappuccino (RMB 68/ $10).

The food did not justify the price. It was good but average. I could get better food from the restaurants across the street.

Overall, I am not impressed; it was not a memorable stay for me. However, there were aspects that I liked, such as the tub, the views, and the friendly staff.

Four Season Hotel

Website: https://www.fourseasons.com/beijing/

Telephone: 86-10-5695-8888

Address: 48 Liang Ma Qiao Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing 100125