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Shanghai’s Café Culture

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Farine café offers luxurious French pastries to pair with your coffee. Photo by Jane Amanda See.

Farine café offers luxurious French pastries to pair with your coffee. Photo by Jane Amanda See.

Take advantage of Shanghai’s growing café culture when you’re in town. Aside from caffeinated creations to indulge in and delicious local drinks to discover, many cafés in Shanghai offer free Wi-Fi, so stop by for a drink or snack, and to keep in touch with your friends and family while traveling.

Coffeeshops and Specialty Roasters

It wasn’t too long ago when coffee culture was a foreign idea for locals in Shanghai, but nowadays locals are jumping onto the coffee bandwagon. Though it’s easy to grab a cup of joe from the many Starbucks, Costa Coffee and Pacific Coffee chains, there are many other cafés you might try.

Coffee has now become the city’s latest obsession, and the growing number of aficionados has led to specialty coffee cafés popping up all over the city. This is most apparent in the Former French Concession, with premium roasters like Rumors Coffee leading the pour-over craze. Rumors’s coffees aren’t for those who prefer espresso drinks, though; the menu is an extensive list of different brews featuring beans from around the world. Note: There is no Wi-Fi at Rumors Coffee.

Farine, located nearby in the popular Ferguson Lane shopping and dining enclave, is known not only for delicious coffees, but also for its luxurious French pastries, made from flour and other ingredients shipped in directly from France.

Located just a few blocks away, tucked inside a residential lane, is the vintage-style Aroom. The old lanehouse space is filled with collectible finds and knick-knacks, keeping patrons snap-happy during their visit. While coffees here are delicious (drinks are served in mismatched glassware and cute wooden trays), you should also try a matcha green tea latte for a change, or even a refreshing iced tea. Keep an eye out for beloved resident pug Hemingway, who likes to keep watch over the space from the comforts of his cushion.

Café de Volcan may be small, and not really suitable for a long sit-down visit, but it is known to coffee lovers for serving some of the best coffee in Shanghai. Nestled among bars and eateries on Yongkang Road, this roaster sources from prime international bean growers, including China’s own coffee producer, the Yunnan province.

Over in the Jing’an district, the casual Sumerian Specialty Coffee is perfect for a mid-day break. When the weather warms up, the café’s windows fall wide open and colorful bar stools line the outside of the shop. Pair your seat with a strong, chocolatey Kyoto cold brew for a relaxing afternoon.

Also in Jing’an, SeeSaw’s main location inside a creative office building means it attracts designers and writers. It’s very possible you’ll stumble upon fellow customers holding a creative meeting over coffees. SeeSaw also offers coffee art and barista lessons to the public.

On Anfu Road, head upstairs at Amokka for its airy yet cozy atmosphere. You’ll be sure to chance upon freelancers typing away at their laptops while sipping on a cappuccino. Should you get hungry, there is a full menu that includes pizza and risotto. A couple of doors down from Amokka is Baker & Spice. Pair your latte with a pain au chocolat to keep you fueled during your exploration of Shanghai.

Those looking for a different kind of kick can head to Whisk Choco Café for its decadent hot chocolate. Desserts like crème brûlée and gelato will keep your sweet tooth further satisfied.

Local Flavors

Shanghai’s café culture doesn’t only apply to coffee. Bubble tea (milk tea with tapioca pearls) has been growing in popularity around the world, but if you’ve only ever had the classic flavor, Shanghai offers you plenty of chances to try out other mixes with plenty of bubble tea kiosks and shops around town. Happy Lemon is known for refreshing drinks like grapefruit green tea, or creative drinks like milk tea with pudding chunks. Gong Cha is a Taiwanese chain known for its “milk capped tea,” a whipped milk concoction topping strong milk tea. CoCo is another affordable roadside shop where you can grab a milk tea for around US$2.

At these takeaway tea counters, you can choose to add other ingredients to your drinks aside from the typical “boba” pearls, such as nata de coco, sago and aloe vera pieces to add another dimension of texture and flavor. Bonus: As energizing as cold bubble teas are in the summer, order a hot one during the winter for an instant handwarmer as you stroll the streets of Shanghai.

Hong Kong-style milk tea, made with stronger tea brews and evaporated milk, can be found at Tsui Wah on Fumin Road. Don’t forget to pair your drink with a fresh-out-of-the-oven egg tart.

While in Shanghai, you must stop at a traditional teahouse for a cultural experience – and some fresh tea, of course. Make a stop at the Mid-Lake Pavilion Teahouse during your visit at Yuyuan Garden. Sitting atop the artificial lake in the center of the gardens, the Pavilion was built in the 1700s and later became a teahouse in 1855, and is the oldest teahouse in the city. If that’s not enough, this small group tea ceremony tour will teach you even more about tea.

If you love green tea, however, you should plan a trip to the source of the finest Longjing green tea, Hangzhou. This day trip from Shanghai to Hangzhou will take you to the famous Meijiawu tea plantation for a memorable traditional tea ceremony.

- Contributed by Emily Chu

Shanghai’s Café Culture from Shanghai Things to Do


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