Zhou Zhou

David Zhou has been impressing Melburnians with stylish businesses since the beginning of the century, starting with his eponymous backstreet warehouse restaurant in Prahran, and then with his string of Oriental Tea Houses that helped convince the local populace that dumplings were an essential food group.

A bar has been on Zhou's wishlist for several years, and it has finally been realised in the form of Zhou Zhou, at the top of the grand staircase in the original Oriental Tea House in Chapel Street.

It's a lovely reality. The design by Hecker Guthrie is a modern take on 1930s Shanghai and includes round-backed wicker chairs, dark timber furniture, indoor plants (a current Melbourne design crush), colourfully upholstered ottomans and pixelated posters of vintage Chinese beer poster girls. A relaxed spaciousness adds to the film-noir-era hotel-lounge feeling.

With this sophisticated stage dressing and not a lot of seats (a second room across the landing catches the overflow when it gets busy), it's odd that you have to get up to order drinks and food, especially when the place is well-staffed. It kills a little of the glamour, because a place like this would really suit some tray-toting floor staff.

The cocktails are pretty and fun, sticking to the simple and refreshing end of the spectrum. A Hello Vera (West Winds Cutlass Gin, aloe vera, peach and mint, $18) keeps to the right side of sweet, while the Khe Sahn Shizzle (Tromba tequila, ginger and chilli, $16) is a real pick-me-up, with a lovely hum of background heat.

There is a short, well-annotated sake list, a dumpling and spice-friendly wine list of mostly Australian labels, and a great beer list, with nearly 30 Japanese craft beers, from Kiuchi Brewery's Hitachino Nest range to smaller companies such as Coedo (the Beniaka, $14, is made with sweet potato). It's complemented by pan-Asian beers of a more commercial bent (Tsing Tao, $8.50), a small group of ciders and some Aussie craft beer with thematically correct Asian influence (2 Brothers Kung Foo rice lager, $9.50).

The Oriental Tea House kitchen downstairs provides good snacks. The bar menu leans towards dumplings (classic siu mai, $7.80 for three), plus spring rolls, fried chicken, and spring onion pancakes.

Zhou Zhou blurs the boundaries nicely, cherry-picking good things from here and there. Add dumplings, lots of Japanese beer and a great room and you have to conclude that Zhou's nailed it again.

Drink this Khe Sahn Shizzle, a party-starter combo of ginger, chilli and tequila.

Eat this Chilli wagyu dumplings, the fried chicken ribs or the spring onion cake.

Check this A truly impressive list of Japanese craft beer is guaranteed to make hopheads weak at the knees.