Capital Caff: New Openings, Ralph's Coffee Truck
Don't talk to me until I've read Capital Caff: Your guide to the latest in coffee happenings around Beijing.
Beijingers must have a caffeine
addiction, because every week there’s a new café popping up on Dianping
or Meituan just begging to be tried. This isn’t a bad thing, of course,
as it gives us all the more reason to avoid going to big brand coffee
shops and instead opt for quality cups of joe on the regular – often in
wildly different environs to boot.
Take the following recent openings as examples.
The Guomao branch of M Stand
We
start with . Less of a stand than it is an upscale mall coffee
shop, this establishment, which has three locations (two in Chaoyang and
one in Fengtai) is gunning to cement itself as the next wanghong hot
spot.
Case in point: along with a sleek Instagrammable interior,
it's got a few menu items that are more for photos than for their taste
alone, including things like a "cookie latte" (a latte served in a
cup-shaped cookie), gray-tinged cheese cake, and "fresh coconut iced
coffee" – which pretty much looks like coffee served up in a coconut
shell.
Mellow vibes can be found at self coffee
Next up
there's , located a few meters south of Beixinqiao subway
station's Exit D. Unlike the sleek and sterile interiors of M Stand,
self is keeping things decidedly minimalist. Think white walls with
light wood paneling and tables, and a simple counter from which all
things originate.
They also have the option of pour overs to share, which makes for a fun trip with a group of fellow caffeine addicts.
Like a coffee-themed family tray
Finally,
there's . The name "old world" immediately conjures up images
of a massive study or library covered with dark wood paneling and filled
with all sorts of celestial instruments, devices, and globes from
bygone eras – but if you're looking for that in this café, find it you
will not.
Instead, from the look of things, "old world" here seems
to be dolls, toys, and trinkets from the 1950s onwards, all stuffed
into a homely abode hidden behind the doors of an old courtyard house
that's not all that far away from self coffee.
Coffee by Old World and pie by Hutong'er
What
brings these two together besides proximity of location? They both
offer up pies from Hutong'er – so you can imbibe your caffeinated
beverage of choice and enjoy some quality Beijing-made pie while you're
at it.
If the gimmick of Ralph Lauren opening a coffee shop wasn’t enough, now the fashion brand has a coffee truck as well.
Say hello to coffee from a truck driven by a giant teddy bear
The
dark green Citroën delivery truck is the latest attempt by Ralph's –
how long did it take to come up with that name, I wonder? – to court the
capital's wanghong masses. Basically, this truck has everything you'll
find at their normal locations (plus soft serve ice cream) except in a
stationary truck to make those Instagram and WeChat Moments photos
really stand out.
This truck also serves soft serve
The truck will be in Wangfujing until Mar 13, so if you're curious to see what it's all about, go check it out before it's gone.
Ralph's Coffee (WF Central Store)
269 Wangfujing Avenue, Dongcheng District
东城区王府井大街269号
Hours: 11am-7pm
READ MORE
Capital Caff: A Slew of New Cafes to Check Out for Autumn
Images: Dianping, Eat Too Much Team
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