Hutong Hunter: Talking Aperitivo with Umberto Cevenini of Nina
Take a deep dive into the places, people, shindigs and more to be found in the hutongs of Dongcheng, Xicheng and Qianmen with the Hutong Hunter.
The hutongs of Beijing are a labyrinth of hidden gems and oddities waiting to be found or, if you’ve stumbled upon them once before, eagerly revisited.
One such place for me is aperitivo bar Nina. Located on the main drag of Beiluoguxiang, it’s one of those places where if you blink you’ll miss it. Look for a circular window and you'll spot a red neon sign spelling out NINA. And behind the bar, preparing for the evening ahead, you'll find Umberto Cevenini, the venue’s head bartender.
Born in the Year of the Snake in Bologna, Umberto worked as a chef for most of his life in Italy and Australia before moving to China to look for adventure in the world’s East, as he puts it. It was here, in Beijing, where he fell in love with cocktails and bartending. Namely its ability to allow one to professionally and personally connect with people, and in turn give people a chance to connect with one another and socialize over a good drink.
Nina itself was a product of the Bricking Up of the hutongs a few years back. The three founders of the restaurant bar were each running a bar called Jiao and a kitchen space called Cartoccio in Fangjia Hutong. One delivered the first Spritzes in the area, while the other delivered the best of Italian street food in the form of arancini, croquettes, mini calzone and more.
The Bricking Up was a catalyst that pushed them together. As they all had naturally matching concepts, they decided to join forces. And out of this, Nina was born.
Today, Nina boasts a vast array of Spritzes and Negronis, and some of the best Italian food in the capital – it reminds me of what my family would cook at home growing up.
But to find out more about Nina and where it is today, I decided to speak with the man himself.
Tell us a little about aperitivo, what makes it special and what separates it from, say, the American concept of happy hour?
Aperitivo, needless to say, is quite a big deal in Italy. Unlike other concepts like the happy hour, it focuses less on discounts and deals, and more on socializing....and food!
It’s a moment, after a long day of work, when you can sip on a Spritz or some wine at your favorite neighborhood bar, meet up with your friends, catch up with them. All of this while munching on some nice snacks, sometimes simple like cold cuts and cheese, olives or pickles (try our homemade ones!), and sometimes something more filling like pizza or fritters.
It can last a quick half an hour, or it can turn into a dinner, or again it can last till very late turning into quite a surprising party! Much of it depends on how many of those Campari Spritzes you downed.
Your Negroni and Spritz menus are quite possibly the most extensive I’ve seen north of Shanghai. Why the love for these two drinks and what are your favorite options from both menus?
Spritzes are light, fresh, easy to drink and yet flavorful. Negronis… well that's one of those drinks that can turn what started as an innocent 6pm get together into an all night party!
Their differences are why we like them so much. Another reason is they’re such classics; well known for a reason. And playing with the classics is a fun thing, swapping this liqueur for that, using an amaro instead of vermouth… It really changes the flavor profile of the drink each time.
Our favorites would be the Nina Spritz, which has the right amount of bitter and sweet, and the Artichoke Negroni. Both use Cynar, an Italian liqueur which boasts subtle hints of artichoke. Another favorite of mine, though, would have to be the Boulevardier, a Negroni riff which sees whiskey in place of gin. It’s very, very tasty.
What’s the inspiration behind the food, especially the pasta dishes, at Nina?
I think our inspiration for food is about what we’d like to eat and what we miss from home. Plus, we try to focus on dishes that pair well with our drinks, so that’s why we bet on arancini, croquettes, mini pizzas and platter: one bit follows one sip easily. And if you want something more filling, the pastas on the menu are a good bet. We also have some vegetarian options as well.
You’ve been partnering with a lot of other hutong-located haunts – BBB, Side Street and Café Zarah come to mind – why is this? How do you intend to continue this initiative into the year ahead?
We’ve been partnering with these neighborhood bars for two reasons: first, we want to keep the Gulou area alive. We love the hutongs, we can’t stay away from them for too long, so we want to give people an excuse to come by and enjoy the Gulou vibes and crowd with us!
Second, we’re all friends! It’s fun to collaborate with ththese bars, coming up with ideas, letting our regulars and their regulars know one another. It's an enjoyable experience that strengthens the sense of family that hanging out in the hutongs can fill you with.
For the coming year we already have a couple of cool events planned for you to venture into the Year of the Tiger in style. First is a trip to Sanlitun for a pop-up with our amigos at La Social, at which we’ll be serving up a Mezcal Negroni and other Mexican-inspired specials.
Shortly after this, we’ll be back in the hutongs, this time at our friends FuRongJi by The Orchid. This one will be a Canton-themed party with a Cantonese inspired cocktail menu, dim sum bites, and Cantonese disco (be sure to dress accordingly!)
So maybe this is a non-Italian thing, but aperitivo is generally celebrated as an affair for springtime and summer. How can it be best enjoyed in colder months?
Surely sipping on an ice cold glass of bubbles at the height of a Beijing summer while chatting with your friends and admiring the evocative alleys of the hutongs feels great. But if friends are there it’s gonna feel awesome in winter too! Nina offers winter specials as well, just check out our backboard!
What else can we expect from Nina moving into the new year?
As I said, more pop ups and parties are coming. We love to do it. We did one in a bar called TasteRoom in Hangzhou and it was a lot of fun. I also never stop looking around for inspiration and new ideas in order to provide the Nina family with fresh cocktail specials and wines. So come and ask me, the guy behind the bar!
READ: Q&A With the Capital's Ambassador of Agave Spirits, Ray Heng of Pebbles Courtyard
Images courtesy of Umberto Cevenini, Nina
