Table Top: Shanghai's Mesa & Manifesto Restaurant and Bar Combo Comes North

They say that Mesa & Manifesto was quite the spot on the Shanghai scene until they closed up shop last year. Shanghai's loss has ended up being Beijing's gain, as the restaurant-bar duo have just opened up in the Sanlitun Village North.

Mesa & Manifesto, which is in a soft-opening phase for roughly the next month, is located above Theory, but it took me a few minutes to find the place last night. One has to use the outdoor escalators to get up to the third floor and find the entrance.

Similar to the setup in Shanghai, Mesa is the downstairs restaurant, while Manifesto is an upstairs bar and lounge. Based on the one cocktail I tried (a bramble, with gin, lemon and blackberry liqueur), these guys know what they're doing on the drinks end.

For dinner, I started with a mixed tidbits platter (RMB 98). It comes with two small sliders, a few chicken satay skewers, fried sesame prawns and hummus. It's an ingenious melange of international cuisines, but each component was good. The sesame prawns in particular caught my attention, as I'd never eaten them prepared that way.

A crisp pigeon over a salad (RMB 88) didn't come together for me. I'm usually okay with the gamey flavors of the bird, but for some reason, this one had a liver-like texture that I wasn't fond of. The accompanying salad felt flat.

Seared sea bass with a seafood risotto (RMB 168) was a highlight, especially with its crackling skin. The risotto didn't manage the creamy softness that I'm used to, but it did its job of undergirding the fish.

I also tried an aged Australian beef tenderloin (RMB 228). The meat was a beautifully crimson medium-rare and a side of cheese polenta was delightful.

Dessert was a small slice of flourless cake (RMB 58) that was rich in flavor, accompanied by butterscotch cream and a mixed berry compote.

Overall, I had a great meal at Mesa, despite some quibbles which may be attributed to soft-opening hiccups. I'm interested to see how their pricing will fare with Beijing's diners, especially with formidable competition in the form of their Nali Patio neighbors (Mosto, Niajo, Agua, Migas, etc.). Then again, with their top-notch drinks and a chic space destined for events and parties, it shouldn't have much trouble attracting the "see and be seen" crowd.

Mesa & Manifesto
Tue-Sun 4.30-8pm (happy hour), 6-11pm (dinner). N3-32 and N3-33, 3F, Bldg 3, Sanlitun Village North, Chaoyang District
(137 1851 7917) 朝阳区三里屯Village北区三号楼3层N3-32, N3-33

Photos: Josh Ong