Experimental, artsy and inclusive. That’s what Edo De Bastiani says he wants his bar to be, as he relaxes beneath the freshly painted Magma sign.
“Usually the bars in Shenzhen are separated. We want a mixed Chinese and foreign crowd,” he says.
Eight years of Beijing smog finally pushed De Bastiani south, but he couldn’t find the kind of watering hole he wanted in Shenzhen. So he opened his own.
Magma is deep in the guts of northern Baishizhou and directly across from Bionic Brew’s latest incarnation. Located in a square surrounded by restaurants, its innards are lit by dimmed LED bulbs that hang over a bar, beer fridge and low stage.
The Italian co-owners stacked the wine list with eight favorites from the motherland: a range of whites, reds, sparkling wines and a rose (RMB35-50/glass). Each is listed with the names of a vineyard we’ve never heard of – but we’re promised they’re good.
Strangely, the price of a bottle of wine (RMB180-260) means it would be cheaper to buy by the glass. Our pour of pinot grigio (RMB45) is small, though the wine hits all the right notes with a mild tang.
Taking an outside seat among the growing crowd, we sip Magma’s old fashioned (RMB40). It isn’t too sweet, with the sugar balancing off the bourbon and bitters. The Italian margarita (RMB40) features Disaronno, giving the drink an almond twist, and the tart mojitos (RMB30) come in a handled jar, topped with mint picked fresh from a plant beside the bar.
Some venues have soft openings, when they quietly unlock the doors and work out the kinks as people wander in. On Magma’s first night – when we visit – it is slammed with more customers than the staff can handle.
The cocktails are prepared meticulously. And slowly. Wait time on a cocktail hits 30 minutes as staff race to finish the overflowing list of orders.
As the crowd peaks, stretching across the white-tiled square to the other bars, the DJ starts playing his own music and a guitarist begins screaming into the microphone, accompanied by tripped-out KTV videos projected on the wall.
For right now, De Bastiani says he will focus on DJs and invite more live music later.
On its first night, Magma strikes a chord with bar-goers in Shenzhen. Now we just need to see if it can keep the drinks flowing.
Price: RMB100 for a healthy buzz
Who’s going: Artsy folk and Bionic Brew wanderers
Good for: Wine and cocktails, creative vibe, meeting people
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