Unless you’re the kind of person who considers a 300 kuai cigar and a similarly priced bowl of shark’s fin soup essential ingredients in any successful meal, Park 16 isn’t going to be your cup of tea.

Both a restaurant and wine club, Park 16 is clearly designed as a comfortable spot for Beijingren of means to pass an evening with friends, or as a place to bring a business associate. Buffed wooden floors and low lighting give the inside an intimate feel, while outdoors a generous patio fronts the small lake separating Solana from Chaoyang Park. If we had the requisite net worth to order from the reams of traditional Chinese delicacies that form the heart of the menu, we could see an summer evening spent out on the patio being quite enjoyable.

But we had to make do with the pastiche of Western and regional Chinese dishes that make up the rest of the menu. Although a small rack of lamb with mint jelly and roasted potatoes (¥108) caught the eye, the oddly cooked meat and under-roasted potatoes ended up disappointing. Sichuan-style braised eggplant (¥48) came without the spicy punch you’d expect from China’s heartland, nor was there much lobster discernible in the hand-pulled lobster noodles (¥38). Although service was generally friendly and efficient, the kitchen was clearly unschooled in proper presentation, sending out the dessert course along with the mains, while saving a pedestrian cream of mushroom and truffle soup (¥68) for last.

Our rating: 2/5 stars

DETAILS

What: Park 16

Where: Shop 16, Solana, 6 Chaoyang Park Road 朝阳公园路6号蓝色港湾左岸街16号

Tel: 5905-6716

City Weekend is the only online magazine in Beijing to review restaurants according to a transparent process vetted by local food & beverage professionals. Check our Restaurant Review Process here.