Flashy Flop In Wangjing: The V Bar

This review is brought to you by the letter “V.” “V” is the Roman numeral for five, and coincidentally, The V Bar is the latest in a series of bars (The V, V Plus, V Bar, or VA Bar) to be heralded by the worn-out letter. Note that it isn’t just any V bar – apparently it is The V bar, so we took a look to determine just how deserving it is of that definitive article.

V is for vacant. Aside from a couple of late-night diners and the staff, the place was completely empty at midnight on a Friday. Nevertheless, Suzie Wong alumni took our orders, and even though we caught them looking up the ingredients, the cocktails were mixed at an acceptable standard. As it turned out, The V Bar can deliver a refreshingly proper shochu cocktail. We settled on the Oolong High (RMB 42). The earthy bitterness of the black tea overpowered the subtle bite of the shochu, a reprieve from a stinging mojito (RMB 58).

V is for varnish, or the lack thereof – the décor is drab, inappropriate, and could only be redeemed by its former karaoke stage. We probably won’t V back.

The V Bar
Mon-Sat noon-1am. Bldg 5, B/1, Baoxing Huating (near Wangjing Soho), Wangjingfu Anxi Lu and Futong Xi Dajie Intersection, Chaoyang District (6413 9335)
朝阳区望京阜安西路和阜通西大街交叉口,宝星华庭 5号楼底商(近望京Soho)
650m southeast of Wangjing station (Line 15)

Also try: V Bar, Rock and Roll

Photos: Ken