New bar, same story. You’ve heard it all before.

Same decor (sleek yet intimate!), same proprietors (or is that impresarios?), same crowd (one word: midriff).

Actually, no. Mountain Bar, Chinatown’s newest nightspot, is really, truly different. The first tip-off: It’s owned by an artist (Jorge Pardo), a gallerist (Steve Hanson), and an architect (Mark McManus): three guys who, swear to god, have never done this before. The interior, courtesy of Jorge and Mark, is more of an art installation than a trendy scheme: tomato-red walls, hand-printed curtains, triangular floor tiles, and huge, sculptural light fixtures. The idea? The owners hope it’ll be a “place for artists and open minds to hang out,” which is a far cry from the flesh-heavy nightlife you find in Hollywood.

See? New bar, new story. Who knew?

Mountain Bar is open Wed.-Sun., 473 Gin Ling Way, between Broadway and Hill Street (213-625-7500).