Capital Caff: The Newest Shops @ Sanlitun, Wangjing, and Jianwai
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Don't talk to me until I've read Capital Caff: Your guide to the latest in coffee happenings around Beijing.
Climb up for a cozy read
But most attractive of all, especially for the cat-like humans who tend to frequent this sort of store, is the wall of nooks – a creatively set up area with booths for chatting below a pair of privacy cubbies, which, adorably, can be reached by little ladders. Go ahead and climb up into a reading wonderland.
Serving coffee and pecan pie by day and organic wines by night, Housetop No. 9 Bar is another example of aesthetics being the main draw. Located in Jianwai Soho, the bar and coffee shop is defined by its modern, bright white décor that lights up as the sun shines through large windows. But after sunset, the rooms adopt the colors of the orange and red lighting – and the same goes for the subtle mural of a deep, winding passageway that makes the main room feel even larger than it already is.
An illusion, but an effective one
The real attraction, however, is the location’s beautiful spiral staircase that leads to the upstairs seating. Even if you’re not headed up there, it’s worth a gaze skyward from below.
The stairs, on the other hand, are the real deal
Belray Coffee launches its breakfast-driven stores in Beijing
Perhaps not the worst breakfast if you happen to be passing by
Finally, we move on to a product-focused opening. Belray is a chain of coffee shops that are new to Beijing and are opening new locations like wildfire in Chaoyangmen Wai, Wangjing, and Olympic Park, perhaps aiming to fill the hole left by the outgoing Costa Coffee that continues to shut down its China-based shops. As far as coffee goes, you can expect a similar product to that chain, but Belray places the stoplight on its “toastie” breakfast sandwiches, packed with cheese, eggs, bacon, and even avocado. These pre-prepared, fast food munchies are no match for the likes of The Daily Bagel, but it’s a far step up from a McMuffin.
Qing Coffee's eggy cup
A crack concoction
Opening in Sanlitun Soho, Qing Coffee features an intriguing interior – bi-colored flat stone flooring, seating in sunken walls, and a (sometimes) rotating light fixture above the bar. The menu, topped by yet another "dirty" latte, is largely been-there-done-that, but one item did catch our eye, and that's the poached egg coffee. Complete with the likeness of a cracked egg on its surface, this cup is both chocolatey and salty. With a little bit of protein too boot, it's not a bad option for those hungover mornings.
Images: Dianping
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