Vineyard Cafe
Building and opening the restaurant I started in a Beijing hutong in 2006, with Will and Xuduan. 24 posts.
2009 – 2026 · no posts
2008 1 post
Vineyard Cafe: Go, Films, Gypsy Jazz and Live Music
Once we were up and running, the café's back room and courtyard hosted all sorts of evenings. These are the ones the blog kept.
2007 4 posts
Vineyard Cafe: Introducing Vineyard Cinema
Many months ago we purchased a projector for our back room with great plans for its use. However, apart from one event here and the occasional use for an…
Vineyard Cafe: Globalisation in Action (Brunch at the Vineyard, Apparently!)
The other week the Independent newspaper in the UK ran an article about British business in China, in which we were featured. My friend Gavin in the UK was…
Vineyard Cafe: “You like me, you really like me!”
So said Sally Field in her 1984 Oscar acceptance speech. While we are unlikely to be quite as gushing as her, we would like to thank everyone who voted for…
Vineyard Cafe on Beijing Television
Several weeks back we were visited by the makers of a food programme on Beijing Television so that they could interview us about the restaurant. We finally…
2006 19 posts
Vineyard Cafe in the Press
The magazines and newspapers around the city are now beginning to publish their reviews of us. The first came from the Beijing Morning Post on 22nd…
Vineyard Cafe: Photographed by the Beijing Photo Club
The other day we had a guy from a Beijing Photography Club in the restaurant who took lots of photos. When he was done he kindly gave us copies so we have…
Vineyard Cafe: Final Additions and Repairs
Over the last week, we have had the builders back in sporadically to add some new features and fix a few small problems. We have now knocked down the…
Vineyard Cafe: We are Open!
After weeks of battling builders, suppliers, government departments, neighbours, landlords and each other, we are at last finally open. Delicious pizzas,…
Vineyard Cafe: Nathalie & Christel's Interone Leaving Party
On saturday, Nathalie & Christel from Interone Beijing kindly asked us to host their leaving party from Beijing. Almost the entire office from Interone came…
Vineyard Cafe: Our First Customers
After the chaos of my 30th birthday party on Saturday (when unfortunately I was too busy to pick up my camera, so no pics :( ), we had a calmer few days…
Vineyard Cafe: Vine Planting Ceremony
Back in April, after choosing our name and coming up with the concept for Vineyard Cafe, Will & Xuduan went off on an adventure to a vineyard in the…
Building Vineyard Cafe, Week 12: Chef Training Begins
After firing our builders for finally making more mistakes than we would tolerate, we had a few days to begin training our staff, before their replacements…
Building Vineyard Cafe, Week 11: Spraying the Floor
This week the lights were finished, the floor was sprayed and the improved extractor system, requested by health and safety was fitted. Not long now...
Building Vineyard Cafe, Week 10: Floors and Lights
This week things began to take shape as the lights were built and they began to lay the floor in the front room. They also dug the hole where we will be…
Building Vineyard Cafe, Week 9: Interior Woodwork
This week, while the bar and wine rack took shape inside, demolition of the buildings to our north commenced outside.
Building Vineyard Cafe, Week 8: Painting the Walls
This week the windows and frames were painted, work began on the bar and the frame for the front door was built.
Building Vineyard Cafe, Week 7: Boxing the Beams
This week the beams were boxed in and painted, the floors were covered with concrete and the base coats were painted.
Building Vineyard Cafe, Weeks 5 & 6: Building the New Walls
After a two week hiatus when we feared we were going to be demolished as part of the Olympics refurbishments, we were finally able to get back to work with…
By the Skin of our Teeth
Well we have the official word - we are safe (at least for now). They have posted signs around the area stating the building numbers they are going to…
Balancing on the Razor's Edge
As many people now know I recently left my job to, among other things, open a restaurant here in Beijing. Things have been progressing in a more or less…
Building Vineyard Cafe, Week 2: Plumbing in the Kitchen
Things progressed as ditches were dug for all the plumbing and the windows were taken out.
Building Vineyard Cafe, Week 1: Stripping the Roof
Construction kicked off with a mighty blow (or is that several not so mighty ones? ;) ) swung from Will's hammer. For your enjoyment we even videoed it.
Vineyard Cafe: The Original Restaurant
In 2006 I left my job to open a restaurant in Beijing with Will and Xuduan: Vineyard Cafe, a western restaurant and bar in an old courtyard building on Wu…
