South of Front Gate: Darkroom Café and Other Qianmen Gems
Going south from Qianmen, aka Zhengyangmen – or north up to the gate if you’re strolling along the Central Axis – you’ll stumble across a few artery-like alleyways that fan out from Meishi Jie and Qianmen Donglu. Those to the east feed into the touristy Dashilar area, but those to the west lead to more quiet hutongs, with a great many hidden gems worth stumbling upon.
Darkroom may be small but it's filled to the brim with all things film photography
Chief among these lanes is Yangmeizhu Byway. Once home to the literati elite in the late imperial and early Republican eras, the somewhat sophisticated air has remained, albeit with a more modern touch. Beijing Postcards calls this lane home, along with the Qianmen branch of Soloist and other cafés.
If you’re looking for an Americano or pour-over with a bit of a backbone, Soloist is the place to go. They’ve got whiskey-washed coffee beans on offer, which, even though they’re a bit on the pricey side for coffee, are worth the drinking experience.
Soloist may be one of Beijing's best coffee brands
Further along, still in the realm of coffee, there’s Darkroom Café (lead image). Part coffee shop and part shrine to everything to do with film photography, Darkroom allows you to have a nice cup of joe while browsing their collection of photo books and old school film cameras. It's a must-visit if you’re a photography enthusiast.
Besides these two shops and Beijing Postcards, there’s plenty to be found if you wander Yangmeizhu and the surrounding lanes, from specialty shops selling cut out maps of Beijing and other world cities, to hidden drinking dens, and even a few Michelin-recognized restaurants.
Soloist Coffee 独奏公司 (Yangmeizhu branch)
39 Yangmeizhu Byway, Xicheng District
西城区杨梅竹斜街39号
Hours: Mon-Fri, 9am-8pm; Sat-Sun, 9am-9pm
Contact: 010 5711 1717
Darkroom Café
21 Sanjing Hutong, Xicheng District
西城区三井胡同21号
Hours: Tues-Sun, noon-8pm
Beijing Postcards 北京长片
97 Yangmeizhu Byway, Xicheng District
西城区杨梅竹斜街97号
Contact: 130 1107 8680
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