Latte Bar
拿铁酒吧 |    Based on 6 Reviews | | Categories: Bars Night Clubs | | 朝阳区工人体育场内西北角的23台对面 | | Cháo Yáng Qū Gōng Rén Tǐ Yù Chǎng Nèi Xī Běi Jiǎo De 23 Tái Duì Miàn | | GongTi | | Near: Gongti Beimen |
+86 10 6551 8881/8885 |
Tags: club(2) /(1) a(1) but(1) claustrophobe's(1) decent(1) Gongti(1) late(1) |
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| 6 Reviews |
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Elvis may have been sighted eating a doughnut in Graceland, Michael Jackson in the clouds of NYC, but I saw Willy Wonka (and his entire chocolate factory) at the north gate of Gongti stadium yesterday. The Beijing branch of Willy Wonka’s Chocolate factory is called Latte.
From a distance the outdoor deck looks like a quaint place to enjoy a cup o joe but as I walked closer to the entrance the first taste of what I could expect was served up a la copper pipes, spinning fans, and faux work signs. At almost every stage, wait staff wearing ear pieces greet and process guests. Up through the elevator, through the metal detector, and finally to the cavernous room replete with huge chandeliers, TV walls, ceilings of flashing lights, videos, and a crushing sound system. Here too, small spinning fans, copper pipes, over arching steel booms, and dancing staff dressed in Willy Wonka suspended trousers dominate. The attempt seems to be an old factory done over to be a multi million dollar club.
As an aside, it’s this type of establishment that restores my faith in Beijing’s nouveau riche, their incredible excess, and Beijing’s general reputation for wasteful behavior. I can honestly say that taking the elevator up, walking through the metal detector, being greeted by gaggle after gaggle of Willy Wonka wait staff made my night. Except for Las Vegas, where else could such a ridiculous bar exist? Honestly, this bar is so over the top that there is a universe of hyperbole stored in the gold lined basement.
How I wish they would have permitted me to take photos but even the photos could not convey the experience of walking into this club for the first time. Neither inside nor out was I allowed so the best I could do is snap a shot from Gongti’s front gate – far out of eye shot of the kind but assertive bouncers hovering outside.
I will add more details to this review later today but for now I will offer up 5 stars for the the smile walking into this club put on my face. I leave you with Latte’s tagline:
Tagline: “Life in latte, Love in Sicilian”
Subtext: “Café lover& milk dear – Recollect the pleasant flavor of latte”
LAN & Chocolate, you now have one more ridiculous competitor.
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| I have actually been to this place and even went with friends who knew the manager. Well, about an hour into being at this place we were told by the 'manager' that we had to leave this place because we were 'foreigners.' I am also a white American who works here teaching Kindergarten for those who wish to classify me. Will not even try to spend money at another club with racist attitudes. |
| Tag: Racist Club |
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Perhaps I was left with a good impression because the club was refreshingly different. Oh ya, and I wasn't paying since it was my friend's birthday. The place is like a giant cyclone, with bannisters along the edges and the cylindrical bar at its heart... and pipes and fans. Stick to alcohol, as anything hallucinogenic might turn bad, fast. Especially when you realize that if you don't have a seat you'll be swimming against the current in a human river no matter which way you choose to go.
Service was a bit slow, girls were so-so, 99% Chinese crowd, heavy on techno. If you're out to flash some bling, it's not that prestigious, as the seating arrangement doesn't have the exclusivity afforded to mix/vics. But the energy was bumping. I'd go again if I'm with a large group to diffuse the cost of a table. |
| Tag: a claustrophobe's nightmare, but otherwise decent |
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| Had a good time the previous day and spent nearly $1000 USD in drinks (6500 RMB) for 5 ppl. The next day our group decided to party elsewhere, but wanted to return to Latte to chill and make it the last stop of the night. Called their VIP Host at 3am asking for a table for 6. Arrived around 315-330am, they will not let us sit down unless we commit to a minimum 3000 RMB tab. The only thing we drink is Grey Goose or Belvedere and we cant drink another 5 bottles. I told them come on it's almost closing just let me buy 3 (2000 RMB) and i'll come back tomorrow. They said no, you have to spend 3000rmb, why dont you order a more expensive bottle? WTF? It's 330AM! and the club is clearing out, these people are very greedy. STAY AWAY. |
| Tag: Terrible Sales Tactics / Upselling |
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Ahh the gongti experience- all mirrors, marble & mad(e) men on the door. Then there is the bottle service thing, the drunk rich kids and the derivative music. Mixvix is busy 7 nights a week till 5 am so it is a formula that works for many ‘serious money flashers’ and ‘p-diddy wannabees’. It has its place in Beijing nightlife and if that’s not your scene there are always other options, including inside Gongti itself now.
I don’t understand why it’s called Latte, maybe it’s the name of the owners dog. Maybe it’s late “mis-spelt”? Anyway it’s not as lame as Bling. Mai story begins on the way home from a business dinner and decided to check latte out on a mid week night- first thing is there’s an airport style metal detector when you go in- Being a big baller I always pack serious ice, bling & AK’s in case I get stepped to by a gang of circus midgets. It didn’t go off so I guess its just for show. I also got a pat down latte-r to check for RPG’s.
Latey have crammed the low ceilinged interior with low hanging chandeliers which creates a (pleasingly) claustrophobic space resembling a big old dark saloon. It’s a bit random and eccentric but also a refreshing change from the typical gongti ‘nightclub’ style as mentioned above. It was about 1am and the place was rammed and even had people dancing on the raised stage in the middle (!) Not often you see that here. I took a seat at the bar in the middle and found myself next to a young chap that was completely down for the count. I mean he would wake up, take a swig from his wine bottle, try to generously to tip some into my mixed drink, have a smoke and then pass out again. This happened like 7 or 8 times in an hour.
The music was techno with hip hop not hip hop with techno i.e the usual crap. Most big global cities have a predominant club sound, sadly Beijing has this Top 40 auto tune medley of shite to offer you. Usually this kind of thing is found in Southern California, Socal ballerz don’t like proper house music, think ace of base is ‘techno’ don’t want to dance to anything they haven’t heard 20 times already and cant dance to anything over 100 bpms. There I said it.
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| Tag: club late |
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Latte is the most ridiculous club I have ever had the misfortune of being thrown out of. That’s right; I was thrown out because I refused to purchase a bottle and thus, a VIP table. My girlfriend and I decided we wanted to walk around and check things out a bit. After 2 minutes of walking around I took a picture (because honestly, who would believe there is a bar as over-the-top as this one outside of Disney land) and that is when the fun began. A menacing bouncer flew over and gave me the wave off. I apologized and put the camera in my pocket. When I walked toward my table the manager confronted us with the no photo policy this time in English. We talked at the stand up table for about five minutes before one of the waiters came over with a bottle of Chivas. He opened it without asking. The manager seemed to be in on the act although I cannot be certain. Next thing I know the waiter was asking for us to pay. I looked at the manager who then said something in Chinese to the waiter. After a few minutes of confusion the manager asked if I ordered the bottle. Then he asked my girlfriend. After another few minutes of confusion the manager took the bottle away and walked away. A different person who acted in charge approached us and said, verbatim, “if you’re not going to order anything you leave now.” I tried to say that we would like to see the VIP room but before I could get out the whole sentence he said, “leave now.”
I’m not dumb. The man was twice my size and looked like he was going to use that acre of bicep on my head. We readily complied.
At first I was angry but in retrospect I think it is just stupid. I mean, who gives a shit about the décor? Like anyone is going to copy it! If one needs to buy an expensive bottle of low-end whiskey to be welcome, do we really want to welcome? I don’t.
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