Cambulac

Sip Italian wine in a courtyard setting

If you can get over the urge to stand and gawk at Ma Yansong’s metallic orb sculpture when you enter Cambulac, you’ll discover that there are more gems within.

The enoteca, spread over two rooms in a small courtyard, focuses on Italian wines, mostly from small wineries. One of the partners of the venture, Gary Price, says he’s hoping that Cambulac will allow people to see that Italian wines have strong regional identities and differ vastly from place to place.

The store’s wine is picked by a sommelier based in Italy, and there are currently 50 labels, with an average price of 250RMB. Price plans to import more when the business takes off. While he says that Cambulac is meant to be a ‘functional place to get what you need’, its tasteful décor, antique furniture (all of which is for sale) and rooftop drinking area make it a great escape from the bustle of Nanluoguxiang.

Cambulac. 38 Bei Bingmasi Hutong, Dongcheng district (6402 5301; www.cambulac.cn). Open 11am-11pm Mon-Fri; 10am-midnight Sat-Sun. 北兵马司胡同38号

Kenneth Tan