Protest in Guangzhou: Why would you burn garbage?
Barbie Spa: For the cosmopolitan plastic beauty in you
Obama in China: Long gone, and still headlinin'
Lot o' Hotpot: Three Travellers
Dear Slate, yes there are chocolate bars in China
Since we mentioned the area back in September, the alleyway of bars around 528 Kangding Lu have found their feet, and the distinct Belgian / Spanish and Serbian flavour of each place in the neighbourhood is like a Whistle Stop tour of Europe. With booze.
Recently added to this cosmopolitan mix is Cuvee, a welcome addition to Shanghai's wine bar scene (the name is a French wine term meaning a vat or tank) that also serves coffee, beer, whiskey and (pretty soon) food.
You’re almost certainly here for the wine though, sold at prices ranging from a little under 200RMB, up to the limit of your credit card.
Individual glasses (40-100RMB) are kept behind the bar, but to choose a bottle you walk around the climate-controlled cellar and look around for yourself. Wines are arranged by region and individually priced with reasonable markups.
We plumped for a dark and smooth Malbec which at 280RMB included a bottle of sparkling water to enjoy at the table (for take-outs you get no water and a 25% discount).
Staff are on hand to answer questions, help out with your choices, or just leave you the hell alone if your prefer. This is a grown-up sort of place for people who already know about what they’re drinking, or want to learn in a place that is neither snobby nor packed elbow-to-elbow.
The bar is tucked away at the far end of the Kangding Lu enclave and the styling is similarly protective and cosy- curved brick walls, wood, low candles: if you end up at one of the choice tables by the fireplace you’re going to find it hard to leave- especially when the weather turns sharp.
Cuvee is in its soft opening stage right now (Shanghai-speak for when the paperwork isn’t quite signed off) so the opening hours are a little hard to pin down. If you do go and it’s closed- then you're steps away from three other great places to drink.
Expect to hear solid details about a grand opening in the next couple of weeks.
add to stumble upon
add to reddit
post to facebook
"Cuvée" I think it is... lest you call it "koo-vee" like a Canuck friend recently called it...
Tnx for the tip, James. Just one addition: in that Kangdinglu alleyway, right next to the serbian there is also one Basque restaurant that opened this Summer. As far as I know it is the only one in Shanghai. Recommend all to try the pintxos there.
$40 USD for a malbec? What the heck was ordered?
The Basque place had been written about already by Eric, the food-man, I think.
James is the resident booze radar.