Taki Li presents a selection of limited-edition cocktails created for the Symposia cocktail series at Bvlgari Hotel Beijing.[Photo provided to China Daily]

A place with strict standards

At the bar, volume and precision operate simultaneously. The bar fills quickly — often within the first hour- and maintains a steady flow until closing.

"It's a high-volume state," Li says."We have strict standards — drinks must be delivered within 8 to 10 minutes."

Maintaining consistency under pressure requires coordination."Teamwork is very important, guests don't interact with just one person."As bar manager, Li's role is to align the team's rhythm as much as its output.

For Li, technical skill is secondary to interpersonal ability. "Personality is more important than technique," she says. "Technique can be trained. Personality is core."

She distinguishes between competitive bartending and daily service. "Competition is a one-way presentation, daily operation is two-way communication."

There, the experience is structured around this interaction."Guests step into the bar and the drink is the last thing they experience." What precedes it — conversation, guidance, atmosphere — is equally critical.

"We want guests to feel like they have been invited into our Italian home."

The spot's rapid rise has amplified expectations. Asia's No 1 in 2024, followed by World's No 1 in 2025, has placed the bar and its team under sustained global attention.