Stopped in here last week on a rainy day as I'd heard good things.
First off: prices are not cheap.
You can get standard coffee drinks here (espressos, lattes, Americanos) but their coffee bar is what really shines. They have several different seasonal single region coffees to choose from as well as a few different milk and sugar coffee creations that are all made right in front of you while explaining what they're doing while they're doing it. We were told that the milk they use is organic Wonder Milk brand. At 40-50 for most of the drinks, this isn't an every day coffee solution unless you're on a budget far larger than mine, but it's a nice treat every once and a while. This format really parallels getting a cocktail at a bar much more so than a grab-and-go latte from Starbucks, so if you think about it like that, the prices become a lot more reasonable.
The beans and roasts they have here are on a whole different level from any place else I've ever seen in China. Everything is roasted on-site. It was a slow day when we visited and one of the owners took pleasure in showing us around the facilities, letting us see the green unroasted beans, and explaining how they process their coffee and their philosophy towards roasting and brewing. He's really passionate about the business and it shows.
If you want to bring some beans home, they offer a discount card where if you put a 300 kuai deposit on it, you'll get a 10% discount on any purchases (not just beans, but also drinks and food.)
The food leaves a little to be desired. The salad was oddly salty. The sandwich was better but a bit on the greasy side. The coffee's what you come here for, and if you're really serious about this humble little bean, or even just looking for an occasional step up from the over-roasted burnt tasting coffee that predominates all over Beijing, you'll really have to check this place out.
- 418 reads
- 0 comments