You can always count on Coco Park to provide entertainment in all of its legal forms. Whether it’s an old Irish bar that has soaked in the memories and travel stories of all its regular visitors or a new non-committal pizza and overpriced beer joint that will keep your midnight escapades a well-hidden secret – here, you can find it all.
Circle Bar is the latest addition to the versatile mix and takes up an interesting niche among throngs of international bars, clubs and party spots. You see, Circle Bar is authentically local. Inside there are no intricate decorations, sports memorabilia or avant-garde art; instead, you are greeted by a Chinese sign with an inspirational, yet highly unlikely, statement – literal translation: I can’t forget you by drinking alcohol.
Circle Bar celebrated its soft opening just a few months ago and has since become a popular spot for live Chinese folk music. With three bands performing every day from 10pm to midnight, it’s one of the few places in Coco Park where you probably won’t be hearing any of the top 10 international hits.
Head over to the bar for a drink and to chat with Allen Chen, a man of many words and even more cocktail recipes. Addict (RMB50) is a mix of rum and cranberry. Bright ruby in color and served in a clear crystal glass, the drink is an absolute stunner both visually and taste-wise.
For those who prefer a more aerial sort of relaxation, the bar also offers a large selection of shishas with fruitful flavors, so that you can huff and puff to your heart’s content.
If the night catches you hungry, snacks are also to be found here – and with Chinese flavor as well. Spicy lotus root (RMB30) is light, crunchy and comes with quite a set of medicinal qualities that seem to be mildly unexpected in a bar setting – yet not at all unwelcome. Spicy rabbit (RMB35), a typically Hunan dish, is said to pair perfectly with heavier drinks and is quite filling for a bar snack.
Circle Bar may not be your typical after-work hangout spot, but it’s real, with something new to offer. In Coco Park, that’s always welcome.
Price: RMB200
Who’s going: Chinese folk music appreciators, Coco Park party-goers
Good for: Spicy snacks, authentic local bar culture, guanxi
> See listing for Circle Bar.
[Photos by Daniel MH Chun.]
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