Mike Lawrence (more shenzhen) After wandering around the galleries, high-end furniture stores and artsy attractions of OCT Lofts – or before the wandering, for the particularly thirsty – Cheers Wine Cellar is a wonderful place to take a break and sip fine wine in a leafy, relaxing setting. The establishment also is a Taiwanese restaurant offering an array of dishes showcasing that cuisine.
Founder Michael Chen retired from the electronics industry to enjoy the good life, but he’s still working hard — Cheers Wine Cellar offers 500 labels directly imported from 13 countries and bills itself as a “wine restaurant, wine clubhouse and wine pro shop.” Cheers often hosts wine lectures and promotional events, enacting its mission to be “a magnificent wine ambassador in China.”
Chen embodies that mission. He knows his wines intimately – given a taste preference and price range, the friendly, easygoing oenophile can select the perfect bottle within seconds from Cheers’ on-site wine room. Watching Chen peruse that room is like watching a painter lovingly select colors from a palette.
Given the breadth of offerings and variety of customers’ tastes, wine recommendations would be foolhardy here – follow your taste buds, enjoy the selection process and choose with confidence in Chen’s expertise.
And there’s plenty to accompany your bottle or glass. Cheers offers cigars – Cohiba 2 for 128RMB, Cohiba 4 and Robusto for 198RMB – along with a selection of coffees and desserts. An espresso Americano, for example, costs 30RMB and the tiramisu costs 38RMB.
The Taiwanese menu features plates including the 58RMB stir-fried beef short ribs with basil.
In Nanshan’s OCT Loft area, Cheers Wine Cellar is steps from Starbucks and I Du Tang restaurant and bar.
Founded in 2007, Cheers also has locations in Hong Kong and Shanghai.
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