Techno collective Acupuncture has made their reputation from parties thrown in other people’s venues. Now they have a club they can call home (perhaps literally – in addition to its nocturnal function, Lantern will serve as Acupuncture’s daytime studio and workshop).

With only four tables and a sushi counter of untreated wood, Midorikawa uses its petite size to advantage, offering an intimate escape from the world beyond its latticed windows. As diners exchange confidences over a bossa nova soundtrack, sushi chefs with sharp outfits and sharper knives slice pricey, pedigreed seafood airlifted from Tokyo's Tsukiji market.

Until now, Beijing’s Australian bars have tended to be smaller, down-to-earth places for having a beer and a laugh with your mates, or whoever’s around. The Astral’s five-star location (complete with 15 percent service charge) suits sipping cocktails (RMB 68) rather than Coopers, but there’s a distinct Australian theme.

Settled in wood and wicker booths overlooking a warren of hutongs, diners straddle the border between Beijing and Bangkok at this refined Thai restaurant. With decorations, key ingredients (like galanga and lemongrass) and a chef imported from Thailand, Patara is rigorously authentic.

It’s been an age coming, but the CBD’s luxury Fairmont hotel is up and running. Lunar 8 is one of its food outlets – a large, pan-Asian a la carte restaurant in the vein of IFW and Made in China.