Scarlet Blue 兰佳人音乐餐厅

Scarlet (not to be confused with Hotel G’s Scarlett) is a Nanjing nightclub. Blue Marlin is a south China-based Western restaurant chain. They’re both run by the same group, and together these provincial big hitters make Scarlet Blue that rare beast: the party restaurant.

With a name like a ’70s adult movie actress, it’s no surprise this restaurant has had some work done to enhance its charms. Clearly, buckets of cash have changed hands over the design and furnishing. Scarlet Blue is vast, classically lit – think Radio City Music Hall – with quality furniture, a Cheers-style bar under a glam chandelier and some very impressive water closets. Nightly (except Mondays) a Xiu-type band pumps out live tunes, and from about 10pm, ex-China Doll DJs take the reins until late.

The restaurant offers several European-influenced set menus (RMB 88-588). The cheapest appears a particularly good deal, featuring Caesar salad, a soup, a pasta dish, daily dessert and a glass of Shiraz. The chef, a veteran of the Shanghai luxury hotel circuit, is a little too generous with the salt and pepper, but rightly proud of his accomplished bresola appetizer (on the RMB 298 set menu).

The pizzas (from RMB 48) and cheeseburgers (RMB 70 with fries) are about mid-table in the Beijing rankings. In time, a large-scale nightclub will open upstairs, and they have some 800sqm of outdoor space to play with. There’s no lack of ambition here, and with slick service and free nightly entertainment, Scarlet Blue could be a hit with Chaoyang revelers.

Standout dishes: Pumpkin and coconut soup, bresola appetizer

Also try: Chocolate, ROOMbeijing

Scarlet Blue 兰佳人音乐餐厅
Daily 10am-late. Bldg 17, Solana, 6 Chaoyang Gongyuan Lu, Chaoyang District (5905 1909
朝阳区朝阳公园路6号蓝色港湾17号楼

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