Bottega Opens New Vesuvio Wine and DIY Negroni Bar

Bottega, recently recognized as Beijing's best pizza by you, our loyal readers, has opened a new bar on the top floor of their establishment: Vesuvio. The atmospherically-lit bar is small and cozy, with a stairwell and curtains seperating the two establishments.

The focus at Vesuvio is on wines, with a menu sporting bottles from all over the world in a range of price categories (buy by the bottle or by the glass; more options for by-the-bottle purchases), and negronis. Said negronis are build-your-own, so you can choose your gin, your vermouth, and your bitters, for the perfect combination. To make the whole experience even more exclusive. there are some special vermouth's available, such as Del Professore, hailing from Rome and only available in China at Vesuvio.

Prices for negronis range from RMB 75 to RMB 125 depending on what you add. I opted for Gin Mare (a gin with rosemary flavors from Spain), Del Professore, and Campari (the popular Italian bitter), which was smokey, bitter, but still a little bit fruity. Although this combination comes to RMB 115, I would happily treat myself once in a while to this well put-together drink.

Vesuvio also has a snack menu, featuring antipasti like bruschetta, polenta fries, and pane parmigiano, and we sampled the tartara di manzo: red wine button mushrooms, topped with marinated beef tartare (RMB 78). These small bites (served in a portion of four) retain the initial chewy bite of the mushroom casing before being engulfed by the crisp onion and smooth beef tartare middle. 

While bargain hunters most certainly need not come here, Vesuvio is a great addition to the city: warm and cozy, with high-quality stiff drinks all set right above the city's best pizza joint. We will most certainly be back.

More stories by this author here.

Email: margauxschreurs@truerun.com
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Photos: Uni You, Margaux Schreurs