Cinker Pictures: The Prettiest Girl at the Sanlitun Party
By Noelle Mateer
It’s tempting to say we fell for Cinker Pictures hook, line and sinker. But we really just fell for it hook, and maybe line.
Let us explain. Cinker is Sanlitun’s most buzzworthy new spot. Over Spring Festival, our WeChat Moments exploded with photos of Beijing’s wining-and-dining set sipping negronis and slurping oysters at this trendy Taikoo Li spot. Indeed, we can hardly think of a better way to show you’re in-the-know than a trip to Cinker, whose marble tiles and leather couches scream good taste, and whose patrons’ attire suggests they just finished shopping at Givenchy downstairs. The decor is swag, and sure to elicit an “oh wow, cool!” from whomever walks in.
Here’s the real reason Cinker is cool: It doubles as a movie theater. By the entrance, a vintage movie sign advertises the titles playing in classic stick-on letters. But this is no grubby neighborhood cinema. It’s a sleek space screening critically acclaimed pictures in picture-perfect surrounds.
Indeed, Cinker Pictures is so pretty that it’s become a bit like the head cheerleader in an American high school film – the one who’s so aware of her own beauty that she refuses to speak with anyone uglier than herself. By this we mean: The service could be improved. The staff’s coldness sees Cinker fall into that stereotype of fine-dining that sends hipsters across the globe into paroxysms of “I totally hate expensive restaurants, I just can’t chill there!”
All dishes are tasty and hearty – but they lack the complexity you’d expect to accompany their price tag. We kick things off with eggs – in this case a fried one in a cute pan, topped with sprouts and too little bacon jam. For our mains, we order shareables, and the pork skin crackles and delights, while the beef and waffle comes with an egg on it. (Never thought we’d say this, but eggs are in). All in all, the dishes are good, but not quite worth their RMB500 price tag (yet, anyway – we visit during soft opening, and Cinker certainly stands chance to improve).
This is why we like the movie theater portion of this venture best. Sip on craft cocktails or order a bottle of wine, and you can booze your way through the film. And there’s no plastic seating here – the leather couches are so comfy, they remind us of times we watched movies with friends at our parents’ house growing up. Except instead of Mom busting in to yell at you for making out with your high school boyfriend, a waiter comes in with a drink. All in all, a welcome trade.
After all, flaws in food and service don’t change the following: that Cinker is, without a doubt, the hottest place to catch a flick right now.
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