Coffee Talk: Beijing's Best Cafes

A daily caffeine dose is a necessity for most of us. But finding a café to unwind in with your friends or your laptop (aka your best friend) can be a challenge. To help you out, we’ll take a closer look at the winners of the 2013 Reader Restaurant Awards Best Cafes.

Winner: Maan Coffee

For a time, I found myself unable to stop watching the Korean drama Coffee Prince. It’s about a young café owner and his inability to deal with his love for a female employee he thinks is a boy. I was enchanted by the café in the series and thought I would never find a place like it in the real world. And then I went to Maan Coffee. The coffee does the trick, but reviewers also love their waffles and other menu items.

“I recently made the mistake of discovering how delicious the chocolate shake is. If you have poor self-control, I suggest staying far away from it.”

“We tried the bulgogi burger and the Ham/Cheese toasties, along with a completely unnecessary waffle. Everything was very tasty, portions decent and the prices for the food quite reasonable.”

Outstanding: Wagas

This healthy Shanghai chain has filled the sandwich and salad void for countless Beijingers and will soon be opening a new branch in Kerry Center. Wagas serves Baker and Spice coffee (a Wagas subsidiary) within three weeks of being roasted. This freshness, along with their focus on health, is what sets them apart from the rest.

“No oil in pasta! Have you seen that anywhere else in Beijing? I haven't. Four types of breads for sandwiches, which makes it a brand new sandwich each time you switch breads.”

“Beijing needs more healthy fast food options... Wagas is a great addition.”

Wagas also won Best New Restaurant (Non-Chinese) and was voted Outstanding in the categories of Best Sandwich and Best Salad

Outstanding: Comptoirs de France

Comptoirs de France received high marks for their ability to satisfy your sweet tooth with your café au lait. Their prices aren't cheap, but if you pretend you’ve booked a morning holiday in Paris it’ll seem like a steal.

“Comptoirs de France knows the baking business. The consistently good quality of its pastries, breads, sandwiches and quiches explains its consistently ever-growing crowd of customers.”

“With so many Chinese restaurants around , its good to sit at this kind of a place, order some bread stuff and coffee and may be some cookies too…it feels good to visit this place.”

Comptoirs de France also won the Best Bakery category.

What do you think? Leave your comments below and tell us about the best cafes we missed.

Photos: comptoirsdefrance.com and english.sina.com