I spent a Saturday cafe-hopping in Shanghai's French Concession. I visited 6 in 4 hours.
My friend from Belgium is a coffee snob. She moved to Shanghai and discovered the French Concession (法租界) is a coffee paradise.She spent one Saturday visiting as many as possible.
The route:
1. % Arabica (武康路)
• Minimalist Japanese chain
• Famous for latte art
• ¥35 for a latte
• The line is always 10+ people deep
• Worth it? Yes. The coffee is exceptional.
2. Manner Coffee (永康路)
• Shanghai-born chain
• ¥15 for a latte (cheapest quality coffee in the city)
• No seating. Stand at the counter. Drink. Leave.
• Locals love it. Foreigners discover it and never go back to Starbucks.
3. The Orange (富民路)
• Independent. Hidden in a lane house.
• The owner roasts his own beans
• ¥40 for a pour-over
• Feels like a secret club
4. Seesaw Coffee (淮海路)
• Shanghai specialty chain
• ¥30-45 for drinks
• Good for working — plenty of outlets and WiFi
• The cold brew is excellent
5. Cafe del Volcan (永嘉路)
• Tiny. Seats 8 people.
• The owner is a coffee competition judge
• ¥50 for a pour-over (expensive but justified)
• Best Ethiopian beans she's had in China
6. Starbucks Reserve Roastery (南京西路)
• Not in the French Concession but nearby
• The largest Starbucks in the world (or second largest, depending on who you ask)
• It's a tourist attraction. Coffee theater.
• ¥45-80 for drinks
• Worth seeing once.
The comparison:
CafePriceQualityAtmosphereBest For
% Arabica¥35ExcellentMinimalistInstagram photos
Manner¥15GoodGrab-and-goDaily caffeine
The Orange¥40ExceptionalHidden gemQuiet conversation
Seesaw¥35Very goodModernWorking remotely
Cafe del Volcan¥50Best in classIntimate
Starbucks Reserve¥60Good
The French Concession vibe:
• Plane trees (法国梧桐) lining the streets
• 1920s lane houses (弄堂) converted into cafes
• Boutique shops next to noodle stalls
• Old Shanghainese grandmas walking poodles
• Foreigners on laptops in every window
My Belgian friend: "In Brussels, I'd pay €4 for mediocre coffee. In Shanghai, I paid ¥15 for excellent coffee on Yongkang Road. The French Concession isn't just a neighborhood. It's a lifestyle. And it runs on caffeine."
Anyone else cafe-hopped in Shanghai? What's your favorite?
Page:
[1]