There are few areas of the city we love more than 798 – indeed, even the December wind’s frosty bite won’t keep us from its colourful attractions. But hard-bitten winter warriors (grrr!) like the Time Out gang do sometimes need to be bolstered by the warm glow of a glass of vino. At which point, Cave Café is more than a safe bet.
Nestled down a little street around the corner from 798 Square (you know – the open, statue-filled area just down the road from UCCA), the entrance to Cave Café opens onto a snug, dimly lit dining/drinking area. Unfortunately the cold breezes brought in with each opening of the door combined with the noise of the staff calling through to the kitchen mean that it’s better to push on through to the ‘cave’ itself, a high-ceilinged, airy room in which arty punters chatter quietly over pleasing jazz and blues music.
A glance at the wine menu (rather scruffily hand-altered in blue biro) reveals two decent, if unspectacular, wines available by the glass: a Chilean merlot and a sauvignon blanc, both from Vina Casablanca and both priced at 40RMB. Happily, the wines-by-the-bottle selection is more expansive, offering around 20 bottles from Australia, France, South Africa and beyond, with reds costing 188-468RMB and white wines from 168-358RMB. There are also bottles of sparkling wine available (138-688RMB) if you’re celebrating, and a food menu to ensure that you don’t get too tipsy – 798 being a confusing enough place to be when sober. James Wilkinson