MOON More 7 Bar

Article By Thabo Jaffe

No.331, Xi Da Jie.
西大街331号
(029) 8737 7777
6:00pm-2:00am

Average Price per Person /人均消费: 136RMB

Waiting on a street corner on Xidajie (West Street) for a very late friend, I decide to do some people-watching at the entrance to today’s bar… well, Hotel. The MOON More 7 Bar is located inside the Linow Hotel, one of Xian’s newest luxury hotels. Conveniently situated a short walk from the West Gate, and a longer walk from the Bell Tower, it’s pretty close to everything a visitor would want to see. So, waiting at the red-carpet entrance, I see a slow trickle of very classy, well-dressed people walking out to get taxis and the like. I feel a little underdressed, but then my friend arrives to make me feel better, with his somehow more casual garb..

Heading in, the hotel has a dark, modern, moody theme running through, and this carries on seamlessly through to their modern contemporary bar. The first thing you’ll notice are polished copper-tiled walls throughout, with a mirror ceiling to boot. The sitting area is incredibly spacious, I can’t imagine ever feeling cramped while dining here. All their tables are low marble-tops surrounded by soft comfortable chairs and sometimes couches, giving diners are more relaxed feeling while a mix of old classics and modern hits are pumped out at a low enough level that you can easily speak to someone at the opposite end of your table. It must be mentioned that the whole time we were there, a consistent stream of people were bee-lining to this red spiral staircase right next to us, getting enough photos to easily fill a WeChat post. Finally deciding to investigate, yes, the stairs were gram-worthy, but they actually led to an open rooftop area, complete with a big moon, plenty seating for those wanting to catch some sky, and the same chilled music from downstairs coming out the speakers here. They also have live performances inside, but I can say that it’s definitely of a higher calibre than most are used to hearing in a Xi’an bar – it’s very much a pleasure to see and hear.

Now, this is where I struggle to classify this as a bar or restaurant. We were fortunate to have a train of dishes arriving for us to sample. The starters/snacks included – pumpkin and mushroom soup, potato wedges, succulent chicken strips and drumlets, fried mushrooms, and a salmon salad, all plated beautifully in manageable smaller portions. We tried the mains of amazingly tender sirloin steak and filet mignon cooked perfectly medium rare, as well as a pasta dish. Dessert came in the form of some well-presented cheesecake slices, just as you’d expect. Not the typical bar food I’ve come to expect.

This being a bar and all, we sampled some cocktails. First came ‘Early spring’, a beautiful sour green mix with some froth and a flower on top, followed by ‘Smokers’, a whiskey-based mix with hints of bacon (yes), so smoky that it was presented in a smoke-filled dome that was opened just before drinking. Another drink to note is the ‘No. 311’: based on their location. It’s presented in a pretty little glass with hand-cut ice and an arrangement of tiny petals on top. With fragrant and delicate flavours, it was gone too fast.

I can certainly say that we ate more than we drank, but everything was as great as it claimed to be and more. Come on in if you’re looking for a fancier hangout that makes you feel classy (at a premium price), where you can enjoy good music and comfortable conversation.

Thabo is an avid explorer and less-than-worldly South African, always in search of new experiences. Stopping just short of suicidal, he’s a true Yes Man. You can reach him via email at thabojaffe@gmail.com

If you give this a try, let us know about your experience by messaging us at reviews@xianease.com.