BAR 249 24, JingCheng 5th Street (04) 2320-1230 Hours: 9 pm -5 pm

       Upscale exclusivity is the main theme behind this swanky bar, located in an attractive house on a quiet lane in the heart of Little Europe area of Taichung. The management has created a private, safe place targeted at the cool, classy and, preferably, well-dressed. Walk through the steel gate and glass entrance inside and you'll see a minimalist black-and-white, low-lit atmosphere, complemented by a trance and lounge music and a well-stocked bar, stocked and manned to meet any eclectic request. For those desiring even more privacy, there is a 12-to-16-person VIP room in the back (NT$5,000 minimum charge) and a few seven-person VIP sitting lounges (NT$2,000 minimum) in the balcony area upstairs, all equipped with nice leather sofas. On Friday and Saturday nights, there is a yakitori barbecue for guests in a small courtyard area, plus other special DJ and food and drink parties at other times. The name, incidentally, comes from the street address, combined with "9", which sounds like "liquor" in Chinese. Memberships in the bar are available for NT$500/person.--By Douglas Habecker