Like its local rival Spark, Haze is located in an area that isn’t a traditional nightlife hotspot. But the same could have been said of the venue that made the Haze crew’s name, the original White Rabbit on Lucky Street. If the crowd comes (and the taxis come to take them home), this stylish, minimalist basement will undoubtedly become one of Beijing’s few decent electronic clubs.

So The House, fun while it lasted, didn’t transform Beijing nightlife. Part of the problem was that we believed it could. So let’s avoid making similarly outlandish claims for Lantern – what matters is that Beijing has one more decent electronic music venue.

Some longtime Beijingers may wax nostalgic about Song Music Bar & Kitchen, the artful electronic venue that formerly occupied the basement space of The Place. Wait until they meet its shiny new replacement. Since opening day, Spark has been teeming with Beijing’s better-looking twentysomethings.

Throngs of students cram Mango’s entrance and snaking stairwells, which open up to a giant pool hall/bar. The expansive space is a mishmash of various types of fun: alcohol, pool tables and even – ahem – computers.

Just when you thought the opening of 1F heralded a new generation of quality bars on Sanlitun Houjie, Red Club is here to lead the dive bar counterrevolution.