Cantina - Wine & Chat

Cantina - Wine & Chat is a wine bar at 9 Hongshan East Road, in the Backstreet Block, building 11-1, in Kunming, Yunnan province, China. The Backstreet Block is a small cluster of converted buildings and lanes off Hongshan East Road in the north of the city centre, an area that has attracted cafes, boutiques and bars catering to younger professionals and creative workers. As a wine bar, Cantina positions itself as a quieter alternative to the beer-led and club-led venues elsewhere in Kunming. The crowd generally includes couples, small groups of friends, expatriates and local wine drinkers, most in their late twenties to forties. Dress is casual to smart casual, and no strict door policy is published. The atmosphere is intimate and conversational, as the name suggests, with soft background music rather than a DJ or band. The drinks programme is built around wine by the glass and by the bottle, likely with imported labels given the limited local production in the region, along with some beer and spirits, but the specific list and any signature pours are not published in the sources consulted. Prices are in the mid-range for Kunming, though imported wine is generally dearer in China than in many Western countries. Opening hours are not published, so visitors should check locally; wine bars in the city typically open in the late afternoon or evening and close around midnight, with Friday and Saturday the busiest. No cover charge is published and none is expected. Reservations are advisable for groups of four or more, particularly on weekends, since a small bar fills quickly. Bottle service in the nightclub sense does not apply, but buying wine by the bottle is the normal way for groups to order. Taxis and ride-hailing cars can reach Hongshan East Road, and the surrounding block has cafes and restaurants for a pre-drink meal.