Yolanda's Secret: My Baby Has a Secret Wine Bar

No, Yolanda’s Secret isn’t some forgotten 90s R&B record or knock-off underwear shop peddling thigh-highs. Instead, it’s a new and rather excellent wine bar in Sanlitun. They’re currently still in soft opening phase and ironing out the menu and wine list, but they are providing a nice swanky atmosphere in which to guzzle some awesome wines, at a decent price.

As for that secret: we did learn that they serve up organic small-batch wines from vineyards around the world and have some decent food to match. Wines range from about RMB 110 per bottle up into the thousands for more luxurious selections. We tried some of the lower level Hunting Hill Chardonnay and were satisfied. Make sure to check out their happy hour, where they serve four glasses of their selected house wines for RMB 100.

The food options consist of salads, sandwiches, and snacks like their meat or cheese plates. We had the BLT sandwich, and it came with a small pile of truffle fries. It was a hearty plate for the price, with quality ingredients and delicious bread baked with chunks of potato. They used prosciutto in lieu of bacon, so maybe they should consider calling it the PLT, but that risks sounding a little like a hallucinatory chemical.

The space is decked out in art and antiques, including old comic cutouts from The New Yorker, along with vintage looking luggage and porcelain wares, some of which are for sale. All in all, they provide a comfortable, chic atmosphere to drink wine at a reasonable price – imagine Cheers, though a tad more expensive and with a Sohoesque flair. Beijing is surprisingly lacking in this type of bar, so we welcome it and are thoroughly pleased to not have to review another place specializing in Belgian Beer.

Yolanda's Secret
Tue 2pm-late, closed Mondays. 1-101, 38 Sanlitun Nan, Chaoyang District (131 4653 0019)
朝阳区三里屯南38号楼1-101
600m west of Tuanjiehu (Line 10)

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Email: danielkippwhittaker@thebeijinger.com
 

Photo: Uni