China Coffeeshops

Café Lavande, Central, Hong Kong

Central and Sheung Wan

• Cafe Lavande *** 4 Princes Terrace (near mid-levels escalator), Central. This is a small and cozy place on a side street with no traffic, with decent coffee and some nice looking pastries which I didn't have a chance to try. There are only a few tables so it might be hard to find a spot. Spots can usually be found inside, outside is a bit difficult. Their cappuccino and viennese coffee are very good for European-style coffee. 1/2008 (updated 10/2008)
• Simplylife IFC *** Level 1, IFC mall, Central. This branch of Simplylife is nicely decorated; choose between the bar overlooking Victoria Harbor or lounge in comfortable sofas in a bright, airy alcove of the IFC mall. The coffee is strong and comes in nice cups. The baked goods do not disappoint either. But if you are in a festive mood forget about it all and go for a glass of Hoegaarden on tap. 10/2009
• Fuel espresso **½ Level 3, IFC mall, Central. This place boasts of being one of "the world's best coffee boutiques". Yes, the coffee is quite good, and you get to take your coffee in the atrium of a super-fancy mall. Nice for a change if you get bored of Simply Life. 10/2009
• Barista Jam ***½ 126-128 Jervois St, Sheung Wan. Fresh, aromatic, potent coffee. A small place with funky atmosphere, great service, and no attitude. Well on its way to iconic four-star status. 10/2010
• Cafe Little **½ 105 Wing Lok St, Sheung Wan. This little store on a narrow street advertises home-brewed coffee. The coffee is quite good, but most of the customers (not many) seem to be there for the snacks. Cafe Little has the feel of a family-run place, and the bistro-like setup makes it a good place for activity watching outside. 9/2008

Wan Chai and Causeway Bay

• Cafe Zambra *** 239 Jaffe Rd, Wan Chai. Zambra takes pride in the quality and freshness of their coffee, and rightfully so. They import quality beans from around the world and roast them on site. This is the place to get the best coffee in town. The space is nice and bright, with floor to ceiling windows and a loft-style upstairs seating area. 4/2009
• Caffe Kenon *** 39 Sharp St East, Causeway Bay. Tucked in a back street of Causeway Bay, but within a stone's throw of Times Square, Caffe Kenon does not disappoint with its macchiatos and americanos. The decor is stylish but the unpretentious, friendly service makes this a great place to hang out. 10/2009
• Pumpernickel Cafe *** Victoria Court, 1 Lau Li St, Tin Hau. Nice atmosphere, a great steak sandwich, tasty desserts, and good lattes. The place is on one of the quieter Tin Hau streets. There is a piano inside but I don't know if it is ever used. 4/2010

Kowloon and New Territories

• Initial Cafe *** 48 Cameron Road, Tsim Sha Tsui. Probably the most eclectic coffeeshop in the city, Initial Cafe occupies the front part of a boutique of the same name. This is where the fashionistas go to spend their hard-earned bucks. A bit too hip for my taste, but certainly well decorated and pleasant. If the crowd could pretend to be a bit less self-conscious, it would be hard to believe you are not in Seattle. The coffee and the sweets are excellent. But if you only have enough time for one coffee in Kowloon, head to Pacific Coffee on the Tsim Sha Tsui promenade instead, which despite the lack of stylishness offers some of the most stunning views in the world. 5/2009
• Simplylife Kowloon Tong *** Festival Walk 8/F, Kowloon Tong. A very pleasant place for an afternoon coffee, especially on a sunny day. Arrive around 4pm, before the crowds get there, order yourself a chocolate croissant, a cappuccino, and choose a nice table on the veranda, with stunning views of the surrounding mountains. 5/2009
• The sandwich place **½ Student Center, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin. This is a decent place to get coffee on campus. They have a little seating area with IKEA chairs and free newspapers. The coffee often comes out too weak but at HKD 12 for an espresso, you sure can't beat the price. 10/2009
• CEO Cafe **½ United College Canteen, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin. After desperately seeking a decent place to have an americano on campus, I was finally taken to this nice coffeeshop. The unfortunately named CEO Cafe is set in the beautiful campus of United College, which looks a bit like Berkeley's own Graduate Theological Union, but with its own waterfall. A pretty spectacular place to enjoy an americano (once you tell them how to make it). The coffee is weak, but grind the beans to order and the prices are low. 3/2009

Initial Cafe, Tsim Sha Tsui, Hong Kong

Beijing

• Sculpting in Time (Wudaokou) *** West of Wudaokou subway stop, Haidian. (Walk straight through the clothing store.) Coffee is a luxury item in Beijing, and some places that serve it feel like enclaves of expats with no connection to the real world. Sculpting in Time isn't; it is a very cozy and nicely decorated space, populated with students from the nearby colleges, that serves very good coffeeshop fare. Unfortunately, my favorite everyday drink – the americano – is not their best selection, so I usually opt for the smooth, European style latte. 12/2007
• Sculpting in Time (Haidian West) *** 7 Weigongcun Lu (south gate of Beijing Institute of Technology), Haidian. Fairly similar to the Wudaokou branch, this location offers the same thrills for a different crowd. This one is a bit sleepier, and the view outside is somewhat more calming, with some trees instead of the hustle and bustle of the Beijing subway. Unfortunately, since the shop is smaller, separation between smokers and non-smokers is not enforced here. 5/2009
• The Bridge **½ West of Wudaokou subway stop, Haidian. When Sculpting in Time moved to its new location next door, this place simply changed its name to Bridge Cafe. The two still look almost indistinguishable. This one is bigger, a bit too big for my taste so I prefer the other one. 12/2007
• The Bridge 2 **½ Wenjin Hotel, 1 E Zhongguancun Rd (at Chengfu Lu), Haidian. This new edition of The Bridge goes to great length to resemble the original, up to the small blue tiles at the counter. The new Bridge is generally less crowded than other shops in the area, but it might still be difficult to find a table on weekends. The space is pleasant enough to sit in, and this is a decent alternative if you don't feel like doing the 10 minute walk to Wudaokou. 10/2008
• Paradiso at Tsinghua *** School of Economics and Management (near East gate), Tsinghua University Campus. After moving out of Beijing I was finally told of this remarkable little coffeeshop a mere 5 minute walk from my former office! There is no going back in time, so be wise and stop by for a little refreshment at Paradiso every day if you have a chance. At 3 yuan for an espresso (yes, 3 yuan, even though the board says 4) and 5 for an americano, you won't break the bank. The place seems to be usually empty, and you can choose between cozy little tables inside, an old couch in the building that houses the coffeeshop, or — if it is nice and sunny — alfresco coffee on the Tsinghua main quad. 10/2008
• Paradiso at Peking University *** Theater building, Peking University Campus. The Peking University version of Paradiso is bigger and more lively than its Tsinghua counterpart. Here, the coffee is served in real mugs, and finding a spot among the studious and fashionable Peking University types is not always easy. But you will be rewarded if you wait. Just avoid the bathroom whose last cleaning dates from the years of the cultural revolution. 3/2009
• O2 Sun Bookstore Cafe **½ 1 Huaqing Jiayuan at Chengfu Lu (West of Wudaokou subway stop), Haidian. One of the rooms inside this popular bookstore is a very pleasant coffeeshop. Everyone in there quietly reads a book or types on a computer. If the chatty, smoky atmosphere of Sculpting in Time becomes too much, this is a great alternative. I find their coffee is better too, and sometimes they give away free cookies. 12/2007

Sculpting in Time, Wudaokou, Beijing

China

• Sakura*do Cafe **½ 142 Xinle Lu, Shanghai. This Japanese coffeeshop is set in the ground floor of a nice, pleasant old building in a fashionable neighborhood that attracts mainly foreigners. The drinks are outrageously expensive but quite good — the cappuccino (sometimes) comes with a pastry and a little chocolate. The service is sometimes too slow, but if you have some time to waste it is a good place to hang out for a bit. Keep in mind that they open only around noontime. 2/2008
• Uma Cafe ** 3rd floor, Yinzuo Plaza, Beijing Lu, Guangzhou. On a weekend, Beijing Lu might be one of the busiest streets in the world; it looks like the whole town of Guangzhou, and more, is out there shopping. So finding this half empty coffeeshop tucked away on the upper floor of a little shopping arcade was a welcome respite. Other than that, it is nothing special: it is pretty dark in there, the drinks are expensive, and the coffee is just okay. 1/2008
• Take Five Café *** Pátio de San Lázaro, Macau. Finding this place in the narrow, crooked streets of Macau was a true delight. It is tucked away from the busy part of town, in a peaceful neighborhood of small houses, greenery, and flowers. The espresso, at 10 patacas, is as cheap as you will find anywhere in China and it tastes good. 3/2008

Take Five Café, Macau