The Place
In Shenzhen it’s common to read about a new neighborhood tap house opening on a weekly basis. With an oversaturated market, all boasting their so-called ‘craft beer,’ it takes some persuasion to make a visit. Tap&Co had been popping up in our WeChat groups for a while, and we knew we had to finally check it out. From the folks at Yitang Tap Room, comes its bougie cousin, Tap&Co located at One Avenue’s mega food complex in the Futian CBD.
Upon arrival, we were immediately impressed by the minimalistic swankiness of the interior. There’s a nice outdoor space, for those who want to kick back with a smoke and pint, and a quieter indoor area for those late-night Tinder dates. Along the wall runs a mixture of 28 well-kept local and import taps.
The Food & Drink
The owner, Tony, greeted us with a huge smile and insisted we get started with some brews. A glorious flight appeared in front of us with six 150-milliliter pours for just RMB125. For someone who is new to the craft beer scene, or simply wanting to branch out from the comforts of their boring pilsner, this is a great option. We were given two delightfully hoppy IPAs, a cloudy wheat beer, the award-winning NBeer Beijing Gose, a too sweet for our taste strawberry beer and, our personal favorite, the Steep Drop Nitro Stout. Now we know a glass of roasted coffee-flavored goodness isn’t everyone’s cup of tea (we’re looking at you, IPA hipsters), but with the impressive beer, craft gin and wine selection, Tap&Co offers up a solid selection in addition to some beer geek fan favorites like Jing-A’s Coco Sago IPA and Belching Beaver’s Peanut Butter Milk Stout. Best of all, everyday between 2-6pm, the draft beers are buy one, get one free. Need we say more?
Images via That’s
We also sampled a wide variety of Western fare, from appetizers, like prosciutto and melon, to pizza and pasta. We’d recommend the burrata with parma ham pizza (RMB98), if you’re a fan of cheese – the soft, gooey burrata makes up for the lack of tomato sauce on the pie.
The salty prosciutto pairs well with the light burrata. Image via That’s
We wanted to sample the gnocchi, but sadly it was unavailable that day, so we opted for the homemade spaghetti with beef ragu (RMB68) instead – the noodles were very soft, much past al dente. The food is casual bar fare at a fair price, with most dishes falling in the RMB60-80 range.
The Vibe
Image via That’s
Easily accessible by metro, this spot is great for afterwork drinks. It’s dark, sexy and and outfitted with plenty of communal benches. The open concept design offers a great vantage point for people watching, and during the day, coffee is served if you don’t feel like getting a buzz on.
Price: RMB125 for one
Who’s going: beerheads, corporate crowd
Good for: dinner with the dudes, date night, midweek libations
Nearest metro: Gangxia (Exit B), 3 minutes’ walk
Open daily 11am-2am. See listing for Tap&Co.
[Cover image via That’s]
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