A New York Wine Bar in Beijing

Bar Veloce

In New York’s achingly hip neighbourhoods of Chelsea and the East Village, two wine bars have stood the test of time, a rare feat in the city that never sleeps – open since 2000 and 2002 respectively, they are both outposts of Bar Veloce, an Italian bar-café staple, known for its shareable plates of antipasti and its excellent selection of wines. Following its steady Stateside success, the bar has opened its first venture outside New York to unsurprising acclaim. What is surprising however, is the fact that the new address is halfway around the world, within Beijing’s ultra-chic 1949 Hidden City complex.

With its hip Sanlitun location and proximity to popular Peking duck-focused Duck de Chine, the bar (no pun intended) is set high, but Veloce Beijing wisely follows its tried and trusted NYC formula, hitting the ground running with an expertly curated selection of wines by the bottle, glass, or even by the half-glass, alongside an Italian café menu of house-marinated olives, cheeses, bruschettas and paninis. The décor is reminiscent of the New York outposts, with brick walls, a wraparound wooden bar, hundreds of wines on display, high ceilings and ambient lighting that’s as flattering for romantic têtes-à-têtes as for pre- or post- prandial drinks. Get there, rapidamente!