Aperitivo: An old standby in Sanlitun
A quick stop for a drink with The Fish at Aperitivo last week turned into my longest visit ever (he kindly shared his private bottle of Dutch gin). What impresses me most about this place is the facilities, that is, the toilets. They are clean, fairly spacious, and fully stocked with paper, all of which are rarities in the Sanlitun Bar Street area.
Given that Aperitivo is on the verge of celebrating its fifth anniversary, it is hardly surprising that a sizable portion of the crowd has been patronizing the place for years or that it draws a good number of people from the food and beverage industry. It offers a range of wines by the glass, cocktails and beers, appetizers, and plenty of places to chill out, with the deck being particularly nice this past year when the street in front of Tongli was closed to traffic.
And on my last visit, I also learned a bit of history about the place:
- Apertivo once consisted of only that initial room, which would have made it nearly as small as 12SQM.
- The bar, which seems to take up too much space, is a holdover from the early days, when the space behind it not only served as a spot to make and serve drinks, but also to cook food.
- The building that houses the place used to be a school.
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This is my favourite at Sanlitun.