Nina Crew Brings Cozy Down-to-Earth Wine Bar Pinó to the Hutongs
advertisement
For those indulging into a glass of Aperol spritz or a serving of deep-fried Cartoccio, the glowing Pinó neon sign behind the bar may look awfully familiar. Indeed, the team behind hutong-favorite restaurant Nina have now expanded their game from Beiluoguxiang into neighboring Jiaodaokou with a spacious new wine bar.
advertisement
"The name comes from Pinot Noir. And of course, the four letters also make it look similar to Nina," explains co-owner Wang Kai. The place is run by Mattia Beradi, whose curls are easily recognizable from behind Nina's bar; Andrea Amadio, who until recently worked in the Danish restaurant The Georg; Wang; and Lao Yan, who was the previous owner of the former import store Nanshan store, which previously occupied the Pinó space.
The open wine shelf is perfect for those who choose wine according to label design
Pinó is huge compared to Nina's cozy one-room spot and stretches through three different spaces which are divided into different concepts. The largest room is dedicated to wine, as the huge wooden bottle-laden shelf. "I had a vision for exactly what it should look like. I even designed this shelf, bought lights, all the details," says Wang.
If you've previously felt put-off by wine bars, which make you feel like you don't know enough, or have enough money to spend, then Pinó is the safe space you've been looking for. The wines here vary from around RMB 200 to RMB 700 per bottle, and represent practically the entire wine-producing globe, with bottles from Italy, France, Germany, Australia, as well as even closer to home – take note of the Ningxia Chardonnay, which should change your mind if you still think Chinese wine means a bottle of RMB 40 Great Wall.
Wang admits they don't quite yet know what their customers will like, so chose to stock a variety of wines, and once the trends are clearer, they will adjust the menu according. Instead of waxing lyrical about the notes and aromas of each wine, Pinó has chosen three adjectives to describe every bottle on the menu, because according to Wang, "It makes it easier to choose, everyone's taste is different. Maybe I can taste cherries but someone else doesn't." Once in full swing, they will hold a "RMB 38 per glass" wine deal for a selected bottle every month.
The second, smaller room is dedicated to artisanal European hotdogs from 18cm Champion Mountain and Jing-A brews, while the third space, nestled in the very back, is ideal for intimate dates and a few cocktails. Pinó is also working on opening a tropical garden space that should be completed in around a month.
Foie gras with homemade mango-cumin jam (RMB 98)
Loaded hotdogs aren't the only thing on the menu. Pinó have a simple, but high-quality menu to compliment their wine. All standard cheese plates go for RMB 48 and are served with a few slices of fresh bread, and they also serve goat pecorino from Tuscany and Sardinia (order it with grapes for RMB 48), and a delightfuly simple dish of bresaola carpaccio with fresh rucola (RMB 68).
San Daniele ham platter with melon (RMB 48)
If you're craving something fried, the Prosecco vegetable tempura (RMB 45) made from cauliflowers, carrots, and other sliced veggies should do the trick, although we found the oily taste slightly overpowered, rather than complemented, the sparkling rose in our glasses.
With their nice range of beverages, small plates, and unpretentious presentation, Pinó is well positioning to please the cheeky-glass-of-wine-before-going-out crowd, and while catering to everybody's needs (with wine, cocktails, hot dogs, beer, and tapas, and rumors already swirling that the bar may open for brunch in summer) could risk diluting the atmosphere at a lesser venue, we are confident that the team behind perennial favorite Nina will be able to hold firm to their vision and maintain the high quality of the offerings currently on show.
Head to the official grand opening of Pinó on the evening of June 8 to savor the wines yourself.
Pinó
1 Shoubi Hutong, Jiaodaokou Nan Dajie
交道口南大街寿比胡同1号
Images: courtesy of Pinó
advertisement
Want to know what awesome events are happening in town? Scan/Extract the QR code above to get the list of our Editors' Picks.
Got something to sell? Looking for a job? Or an apartment? Then scan/extract the QR code above to visit our Classified Ads.
Do you have what it takes to be a True Runner?
Scan/Extract the QR code above to check out our current job openings.
The Beijinger
Always something fresh
Scan/Extract this QR code to follow us!