Manhattan, Fairmont, Chengdu

Injecting the glamour and flair of New York City into the capital of China’s Sichuan province, Manhattan sits on the 43^rd floor of Fairmont Chengdu, with an appealing offering built around its opulent setting, high-quality F&B and spectacular city views. The concept, beautifully realised by interior design studio INdulge, draws inspiration from the lavishness of the 1920s Art Deco era in the US and the grandiose parties detailed in F. Scott Fitzgerald’s famous novel The Great Gatsby. Divided into four separate spaces, the complex comprises The Platform, a cocktail bar; Atelier, a speakeasy; The Broadway Room, a private event space; and Miku, a restaurant.

Enclosing a seven-metre-long bar embellished with brass pipes and metal trusses, The Platform is a sociable room serving classic cocktails with modern twists, such as Seaweed & Scotch – a reinterpretation of the Japanese Highball; and Sakura Me – a homemade sakura cordial blended with sake. There is also an internal wall resembling a bellboy’s trolley packed with vintage leather cases; however, when visitors push the trolley’s brass handle, they will discover the hidden whisky and cigar bar Atelier, occupying a space characterised by edgier interiors, brick walls, neon lights and metal mesh cages. Its back bar, fashioned from small valises, looks ideally suited to making a rapid getaway – a nod to the Prohibition era in which drinkers would quickly make a run for it when police raided the speakeasies.

Meanwhile, the Broadway Room private function space teams high ceilings with oversized mirrors, gilded mouldings and rich blue timber panels, giving it a regal status. A curved Tiffany-blue glass staircase leads guests to the mezzanine where Miku sits – the first Nikkei restaurant in Chengdu, serving Japanese-Peruvian cuisine. Champagne-coloured draping screens – inspired by the signature pearl necklaces of the 1920s – hang above azure leather booths, while two additional private dining sections are decorated with navy leather wall panels, offset by emerald green seating – all overlooking the breathtaking views across Chengdu.

IN A BITE
Covers: 302
Architecture: Hassell
Interior Design: INDulge
Owner: Chengdu Palm Springs Real Estate Development Co.
Operator: Fairmont
Lighting: R&R Lighting Design
Bar Consultant: The Compound Collective
www.fairmont.com

CREDITS
Words: Donna Salek
Photography: © Icy Du YueDan
Magazine: Supper 18