Coffee / Cafes

I read somewhere that Shanghai has more coffee shops than any other place on earth. I don't know if that is true, but it would not surprise me at all. They are everywhere in this city from chains like Starbucks, Luckin Coffee, % Arabica, Peet's Coffee, Manner Coffee, Costa Coffee and Tim Hortons to the plethora of independent and mostly fantastic coffee shops. It is incredible to think that just a couple of decades ago, coffee drinking was far less popular here and Starbucks probably had a lot to do with the growth of coffee culture - at least at the beginning.

Starbucks Roastery

When it opened in December 2017, this was the largest Starbucks in the world at 30,000 square feet. There are 3 coffee bars, a Teavana tea bar, a cocktail bar and pastries by their Italian partner, Princi Café. Well worth a visit, located at Taikoo Hui mall. Well worth stopping by as it is a very impressive concept, even though I don’t particularly like Starbucks.

Address:
789 Nanjing Road West
南京西路 789 号

RAC Coffee

Great French style café with crepes (Galettes), salads, breakfast sets, coffee and wine. Long lines at weekends but worth waiting a while for a seat or try to go earlier for breakfast. Their savoury ham and cheese Galettes are highly recommended.

Address:
322 Anfu Road, Xuhui District
上海市徐汇区安福路 322 号

Manner Coffee

There are branches everywhere in Shanghai. Very good local coffee, far better than Starbucks and much cheaper (a Flat White is 15 RMB compared to around 38 ¥ in Starbucks). 5 RMB discount if you bring your own cup!