Beijing

Hot drinks, nibbles

Mei at the Rosewood Beijing hotel is a sophisticated new lounge with a choice of three bars: one specializes in whiskey, a cocktail bar serves as the main bar, and a small wine bar offers an impeccable list from both the Old and New worlds. The carefully curated wine list includes Dom Perignon P3 1971, which the hotel says can't be found elsewhere in Beijing, and opening promotions include two bottles of Veuve Clicquot Yellow Label for 1,300 yuan ($210), and three for 1,800 yuan, plus many fine wines served by the glass. The whiskey bar with gentlemen's club-style atmosphere serves a long list of single malts and blends, including the single malt Talisker 30 Years as well as Town Branch Bourbon. Stylish cocktails include the Pisco Punch and the Mango Hemingway Daiquiri. Live jazz, blues, big-room electric dance music and a menu of Asian and Mediterranean tapas are included.

Jing Guang Center, Hujialou, Chaoyang district. 010-6536-0083.

Tapas on tap

Evenings just got a little happier in Vinotheque at Kerry Hotel, Beijing: Customers can enjoy an array of complementary tapas for free to pair with wines from 5 to 8 pm daily. The hotel also offers a summer afternoon tea set in its stylish Centro bar starting at 198 yuan per person from noon to 6 pm. A variety of fancy bites are served in a classic three-tier stand with three beverage choices; an upgraded version includes a glass of Perrier-Jouet Champagne.

1 Guanghua Road, Chaoyang district. Call Vinotheque at 010-8565-2949 and Centro at 010-8565-2398.

Shanghai

Oldies but goodies

As red-tied waitresses peddle red-bean lollipops amid black-and-white TV sets and rusty biscuit tins, Yi Cafe at Pudong Shangri-La is recreating traditional dishes from 1970s and '80s Shanghai, a cherished time when life was rather simple and carefree. The dishes have been disappearing from local tables. Bean curd tossed with straw mushrooms, known locally as kaofu, together with sweet and sour pork ribs, make a good combination for appetizers. The freshly made fried radish and salty vegetable cake matches well with the sticky rice cake sauced with osmanthus jelly, the perfect summer combination loved by every Shanghainese. The Old Shanghai themed buffet, available daily through the end of August, is 188 yuan ($30) for lunch and 318 yuan for dinner, plus 15-percent service charge.

2/F, Grand Tower, Pudong Shangri-La, 33 Fucheng Road, Shanghai. 021-2828-6888.