Check this for your nearest Starbucks

Whether Double Star will be one to last, who knows? The place has got to be well-funded; Euro-American Centre rents cannot be pretty, and the decor, if well a little non-Mainland-Chinese Chinese, is bright and airy and comfortable. There is a large round bar on the way in with somebody looking very busy doing something, bit early for cocktails. Seating spreads down both sides of the plate glass walls. Lots of light.

The place is right under my gym and on the way to CC Cafe but that Hong Kong look always spelt uhoh. An trusted Hangzhouvian said it was pretty good, so there I went.

Despite being late for lunch, the place was quite full with a small buzz on. People promptly came with menus and water, good quiet efficiency. Several menus – for coffee, tea, wine and food. They say that you have to give prospective buyers lots of things to touch and hold, but that isn’t necessary in a restaurant, you have already decided to buy when you walk in. Anyhow, some oven-baked broccoli with mash and cheese, butter-fried mushrooms, some salmon fried rice for my friend and the mixed grill over this side. The side dishes were pretty good, cant go wrong with anything with mash and cheese, but the mains, while pretty tasty were not overly awesome: there was a tiny lump of probably not cooked just now salmon on her plate, and my mixed grill arrived with a thick floury gravy all over it… That’s a nono. That said, the chicken, pork and sirloin were all excellent and came in American size.

Coffee was delicious.

Will definitely go back. Walk in behind the EAC from either north or south entrances and you cant miss it.

JZ Bar is busy. And Bellevue isnt, really, which is a great pity. It sometimes gets a good buzz on, but on the whole it is the sort of place to kick back in huge leather sofas and drink your 3oz Martini with a large cigar. The inside is opulent and designed with thick carpet, black, granite. Sofas and tables are low, and loads of room between tables. Three sides of the room are plate glass with views out over Hubin Road and a bit of West Lake. The main entrance of the hotel is just below so there is always the chance of having a good laugh at somebody who really can’t drive parking his Ferrari.

Many of you might think, hey no way am I going to hang out in a hotel bar. The sentiment is understandable. But 5 star hotels do have their advantages too. The cocktails here are really worth the effort, and the price tag. 65Y a drink on average seems like a lot, especially for Hangzhou, but the drinks come quick, and they are good. Cosmpolitans, Mai Tais, Caipirinhas, James Bond Martinis. All good. And they are large too – a couple of those Dry Martini’s fix all of the world’s most intractable problems. Another great advantage of a 5 star is the kitchen. Few places in Hangzhou offer anything but the most rudimentary snacks, and they are usually of the spicy duck neck variety. Hyatt has a menu full of all sorts of real food.

Afternoons are pretty good too – although check what time they open, perhaps earlier over the weekends. This bar has wickedly quick wifi – I go there for my Mac OS updates. What would 2 days at home to download, the Hyatt handles quicker than you slurp a cappuccino.