Restaurants and caf¨¦s

South Silk Road (51-8 Di¡¯anmen Xidajie; 86-10/6615-5515; dinner for two US$25) is the latest creation of artist Fang Lijun, whose first Yunnan (South China) restaurant was a huge hit at Soho, the previously trendy East Beijing district. The menu features spicy southwestern Chinese cuisine with a modern twist (rice rolls, pickled pork or sausage in a kind of omelet). The decor is stunning: Diners sit on high-backed chairs facing wall-to-ceiling windows. Water flows under glass stairs. Private rooms upstairs feature lake views and a personal chef at your own bar and grill.

Yue Lu (51-10 Di¡¯anmen Xidajie; 6617-2599; dinner for two US$20) Fang Lijun is also partners in this nearby restaurant, featuring the home-style cooking of Hunan, Mao¡¯s home province. Try the rice in bamboo with taro sauce and stir-fried mutton in coriander and chili.
Han Cing (Di¡¯anmen Daije, just north of Di¡¯anmen Xidajie; 86-10/6404-2259; dinner for two US$15), directly across the lake from Lotus Lane, is a popular Qianhai restaurant serving Hakka specialties like foil-wrapped fish, rock salt¨Ccoated shrimp on sticks, and an amazing variety of mushroom dishes.

Nuage (22 Qianhai Lake East Bank; 86-10/6401-9581; dinner for two US$35). Besides his trend-setting No Name bar, Bai Feng opened this neighboring Vietnamese restaurant on the northeast part of the lake. It sports spring rolls, good salads and nibbles (the beef in lotus leaves is yummy), plus a smattering of Thai dishes. The decor is simple but smart, with Vietnamese lacquer and linen on wooden tables upstairs (book ahead for lake-view tables), with seating inside Vietnamese-style rickshaws downstairs. Be sure to visit the bathrooms, if only for a glance at the twisted dragon spiral staircase in back.

Kosmo (15 Lotus Lane; 6611-0214). Even with Starbucks practically next door, Kosmo is the place for a caffeine jolt, energy drink, or snack. With three floors of bright, zippy seating, a variety of juice blends (pear, celery, cucumber, pineapple), wraps (coriander and spicy duck), cakes (poppy-seed) and free wireless Internet, this snappy new Hong Kong chain has concocted Houhai¡¯s hippest new hangout.

Bars No Name (86-10/6402-1663) has no address either, although it¡¯s easy to find Houhai¡¯s original Cathedral of Cool: just look for the vine-covered wooden hut south of the charmingly arched Yinding Bridge. Bai Feng conceived the place as a kind of backyard clubhouse, and three years on, its wicker chairs, funky decor, and a wide range of teas and drinks, from juices to margaritas, still draw in Beijing¡¯s A-list.
The Left Bank (11 Qianhai Beiyan; 86-10/6612-9300) ¨C There evolved two styles of Houhai bar: the ramshackle student sprawl of No Name and Buddha, or the cool chilling centers, complete with couches. The Left Bank (for its location, on the west, or left side of the lake, and its model, Paris¡¯ Left Bank) goes for the latter, with the look and comfort of a large den. A nice place to plot, or merely cuddle.

Sex and da City (15 Tianhefang; 86-10/6612-5046) draws crowds on Lotus Lane with its stylish design, particularly upstairs, where a trio of curtained areas offer suite-like seating with stunning lake views. The downstairs bar is lined with lilies, which inexplicably works, unlike the two-story tall mural of Marilyn Monroe.

Lotus (29 Yandai Xiejie; 86-10/6407-7807) Not to be confused with Lotus Lane, this bar with separate restaurant in the winding alley leading to the Drum Tower (Gu Lou) remains one of the area¡¯s original zen centers, with tranquil design by Wang Hui. The two-story tower bar has a good collection of crafts on display downstairs, pillow and couch seating upstairs with a nice atrium. Smells of incense and one of the best drinks menus on the lake (try a shot of cr¨¨me de mint in a cup of hot coconut milk).

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