Fantizi Café
Fans of traditional Chinese culture should not miss Fantizi Café because there is simply nowhere in Beijing like it. Here, you can study and practice traditional Chinese characters while enjoying a nice cup of coffee. The café’s Taiwanese owner is devoted to promoting the old language, which is still used frequently in Taiwan and Hong Kong, but not so much in mainland China. She even offers a 10% discount to anyone who completes a Chinese calligraphy paper.
Cafe Flo
When you set your foot in Café Flo you will see right away that this is something different from anything you have seen in a while. Vast space of this Beijing café is filled with broad wooden tables and comfortable chairs. An old looking floor just adds to the domestic experience of this café. The chandeliers that are hanging from the ceiling are looking rustic, but they stand in a perfect unison with the whole interior. Their cappuccino is what we are looking forward to, with its rich taste and unforgettable latte art.
If you are just up for the plain coffee, then the espresso is a right thing for you, given that its rich taste gives you back the energy and your “batteries” will be full and ready to endure the rest of the day.
Barista Coffee Roasters
Barista Coffee Roasters was one of the first new-wave cafés on the coffee scene in Beijing. Despite its unassuming hutong location, this stylish café in Wudaoying Hutong whips up some of the best brews in town with its in-house roasted beans. It does not offer any fancy coffee concoctions, but it is known for its unique Soda Iced Americano, which has become a summer essential for Beijingers.
Najian Café
When you arrive at the gate to Najian Café, you might mistake it for a farmhouse in the countryside. Rest assured, the naturalistic place is indeed a coffee house. It is said that the interior accessories have been accumulated by its owner, a keen traveler, from all over the globe. Reflective of this, the food menu reads like a world map of fusion cuisine. Do not forget to order its speciality, a Najian Coffee.
Bridge Café
This coffee shop is extremely popular among students, especially because they offer the completely American menu that differs from every coffee shop around. This coffee shop, with its wide wooden coffee tables is without a doubt the perfect place to have a coffee while you are collecting your thoughts or making plans about your next step. And people around, most of all students, will give you proof for that, especially given that they are mostly studying here.
The coffee selection is broad and perfect for any coffee lover. The service in the Bridge café is very nice and well-mannered, but you should have in mind that this coffee shop is extremely crowded and to reserve your seat on time.
Penghao Theater Café
Enjoy a coffee in the café on the first floor of the Penghao Theater and feel free to immerse yourself in the theatrical atmosphere. As a famous theater that promotes independent plays in Beijing, Penghao is hidden in a hutong next to the Central Academy of Drama. It is not easy to find the door, but the reward is worthwhile.