I was stuck in Hangzhou over the past few days.
Although a very large city, it has a pretty small expat community...... and NO decent bars. It has a few bars, but no particularly good ones. (I "did the tour" when my pal The Chairman was working down there last year.)
The biggest bar disappointment is 'Casablanca'.
It's right by the famous Xihu (West Lake). But it doesn't have a view of the lake.
The sign above the door actually says:
Casablanca - Country Pub.
Incongruous? Just a little.
It is emphatically not a 'country pub'. Nor does it have anything about it even vaguely suggestive of the great Hollywood film, or of the legendary Rick's Café Americain where it was set. Not even a few stills or posters or a map of Africa on the wall.
In fact, it's a fairly typical American-style bar: large and rambling, with lots of nooks and corners, bare floorboards and simple wooden furniture. Not unpromising, but.... completely characterless. And it suffers from all the typical Chinese vices: duff draft beer, high prices, concussed-bee service, and really loud, bad 'background' music - which they refuse to turn down even when you are the only customer in the place.
Guys, you are getting a lot of people through the door because of the name, and your location. But none of them are staying. Do you think you might be doing something wrong??
3 comments:
When are you actually going to get round and run your own damned bar?
Or is this blog the closest you're going to manage? Some regulars, some passers-by and the occasional violent drunk wandering in and out, trying the mouldy pork pies and discussing sweet nothings with the I-should-really-be-doing-something-else barman?
Meanwhile, I'm off to deface the virtual bog walls...
Yes, I suppose this is becoming a 'virtual bar'.
And my beer is "formaldehyde-free".
But if you don't leave the loos in nice condition, you could find yourself barred.
oh, i like that. good one johna.
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