Do food and music really mix?

Live music can be the kiss of death for a restaurant. This may be a personal prejudice, but I tend to believe it’s a bad sign when a restaurant relies on something other than the quality of the food to attract customers. While I can almost understand a quiet piano player unobtrusive in a dark corner, someone who walks around serenading you is not okay. Another pet peeve are restaurants where the staff sing “Happy Birthday.” I may be a misery-guts but such places are only suitable for people who aren’t sure how old they are—the very young and those suffering from Alzheimer’s. But there are plenty of people who disagree, and if you are into combining aural and oral pleasures, Beijing is the place to do it.

Xinjiang food and live music go together like kebabs and cumin. From dancing on the tables at Afunti, to the daily shows at the Grape Restaurant on Nuren Jie, you’re guaranteed a lively if noisy time. But, girls, be wary if any new guy wants to take you to the Red Rose just off Gongti Beilu. As a male friend who, unsurprisingly, wishes to remain anonymous puts it: “I always take my first dates to the Red Rose. If it’s all going well, the music adds to the fun; if it’s not, the music is loud enough to drown out awkward silences and I can perve on the beautiful belly dancers.”

If you’re in for something more upmarket, fusion restaurant Zone de Confort holds a jazz gourmet evening every Friday. For ¥170 per person, enjoy a four-course tasting menu accompanied by a Brazilian DJ, Chinese guitarist and Australian saxophonist, playing, in their words, “natural improvisations of jazz with smooth electronic rhythms and grooves.” Owner Warren Kwok says, “I think our trio adds a lot to the ambience of our dining experience. People come here because it’s a romantic venue, and the music is a great accompaniment to our food.” If you like the sound of the cosmopolitan trio at Zone de Confort, you can also catch them around the corner at Alameda on Sunday afternoons. Manager Gabi says they’ve just started the weekly event to celebrate the arrival of spring. Other options for upmarket dining and crooning include new swank Italian joint Capone’s, and A-Che on Friday and Saturday nights. Also, The Tree has live music which won’t put you off your capricciosa. So, I admit that sometimes music adds something to the ambience. But restaurateurs beware: If anyone starts serenading me as I’m trying to eat my dinner, I’m getting the check.