Sandwiches and Sensibility: Austen Cafe Charms in Nanluogu Xiang

You might be forgiven for assuming that Sisi Gong, the proprietor of Austen Cafe, plucked the name out of her high school English lit syllabus. The fact is that she lives, breathes and dreams literature. And although it may not be a truth universally acknowledged that people who like books make good hosts, Sisi is as warm and welcoming as her shoebox-sized cafe.

Nestled between a tattoo parlor and a pile of rubble off Nanluogu Xiang, Austen Cafe has been done up to look like the inside of an English cottage with quaint little floral lamps which would be the envy of my nan, dark wooden furniture with check pillows, and a thatched ceiling. Thankfully, its tasteful olive walls and minimalist crockery stop things from getting too grandma-chic.

If Jane Austen had made paninis, they'd probably have been as nice as the ones served here, where your choice of imported meats (parma ham, beef capriccio, spicy sausage, smoked bacon, black pepper salami) and cheeses (cheddar, mozzarella, parmesan) tops homebaked bread (RMB 45). Vegetarian options (mushrooms, grilled vegetables) go for RMB 28. And if Jane had moonlighted as a barista, I'm sure her cappuccinos (RMB 35) would have been as well-brewed. Although I'm not quite sure how she'd have felt about “Scarborough Fair” being played on repeat in the background. And I certainly doubt she'd have approved of the calorific chocolate cake (RMB 40) on offer, being in want of a man and all.

Austen Cafe 奥斯汀. Daily 1-10pm. 65 Xiao Ju'er Hutong, Nanluogu Xiang, Dongcheng District (6405 3409, 136 8360 6887) 东城区南锣鼓巷小菊儿胡同65

By subway: 800m north of Nanluogu Xiang station (Line 6)

Photo: Weibo user natasia