Snack and swill

Snack and swill
(City weekend)Updated: 2007-04-09 09:09

For those in the Jianwai area, this new Italian restaurant and wine bar may be the savior you've been looking for.

Sapori adds some much needed refinement and diversity to the strip of restos long dominated by Grandma's Kitchen and Steak & Eggs. Sapori is a mere strip of a restaurant, tastefully and moderately decked in dark woods, with exposed brick and empty wine bottles lining the walls.

A distinctively provincial and homely feeling pervades the place. For starters, the Italian staple bruschetta (RMB15) was a fine mix of diced cherry tomatoes and olive oil on plump un-toasted bread, a perfect compliment to begin sipping one's wine (bottles of Italian wines sell from RMB100-800). For a more substantial appetizer try the degustazione di formaggi (RMB70), a scrumptious platter of artisans cheese accompanied by honey and jams. It's a little unusual for mainstay western palates, but worth a walk on the wild side: It's divine. If snacking with your wine is not enough, try the penne del padrino (RMB60), short pasta served with tomato sauce, eggplant and mozzarella cheese: It's particularly sublime. From here contemplate a stroll around Ritan park to clear your head and savour your brief sojourn to Italy.

Perfect For: sipping vino with friends Address: No.11 Xiushui Nanlu