Mare is an excellent spot to sit down and share tapas. The unpretentious surroundings – the simple arched doorways, the decent lighting, the white walls dotted with a few pieces of colorful art – make it a nice spot for a business meeting, getting together with friends, or chilling out with coworkers. Mare also does a great job at catering as I discovered when the place supplied tapas for a Whiskey tasting last year.
The Cellar Rat and I decided last week to give Mare a spin as a bar. Mare offers a substantial wine list. The list features 55 different bottles, starting at RMB200, with Cambridge Cellars Sauvignon Semillon at RMB208 and Stump Jump Grenache Shiraz Mourvedre at RMB 255. There are nine wines by the glass – one sparkling, four red and four white – with the entry level costing RMB35. Spirits start at RMB38 and cocktails at RMB45. In other words, the place has a lot to offer. The only downside is the bar itself is not very cozy. The layout is too tight, the stools a bit uncomfortable. So, if you go and plan to drink, it’s best to skip a strictly liquid meal and instead sit down to grab some eats.
Just learned a new word yesterday: tapafication. This is the trend of restaurants to reduce portion sizes. I kid you not!
I would argue that in many cases, portions sizes in western countries need to be reduced.
@ CLB,
Can it be used for non-food purposes, like super-size now is? Like the tapafication of my paycheck, the tapafication of my IQ every time I drink baijiu or the tapification of pours at certain bars?
@ ZNH,
You mean take away the two-pound bag of potato chips!
Cheers, Boyce