The Shanghai Coffeeshop Guide

SHANGHAI – in a city long accustomed to drinking tea, coffeeshops are thriving as a new third space. While the specialty coffee scene is still relatively nascent, it’s characterized – like many things in Shanghai – by a voracious hunger for growth. I haven’t tried every single coffeeshop in the city (yet), but I have tried a lot. This is a shortlist of my personal favorites; a curated guide of where to go and what to get.

This list is updated as of January 2019; as coffeeshops seemingly pop up out of nowhere and close just as quickly, there may be changes or more recommendations since then. Hopefully, as consumer knowledge of and appreciation for coffee grows, there will be more and more cafes I can add to the list.

NONAGON

Tl;dr: My favorite coffeeshop in the city. Order the oat milk flat white.

Nonagon is my go-to coffeeshop in Shanghai for their consistency across branches and excellent price-value ratio and  – double espressos are only RMB9. For espresso-based drinks, their floral blend is well-balanced with a mellow sweetness and light acidity. While many coffeeshops in Shanghai offer a flat white, few do it well, and even fewer get it right every time. Nonagon’s flat white – a potent double shot buoyed by velvety microfoamed oat milk –  is an exceedingly smooth and decadent drink. Depending on availability, they may have a delicately sweet and complex Gesha “Lot 79” with notes of apple and oolong. 

Wifi: yes
Oat milk: yes
Location: 259 Xiangyang South Road; 549-7 Shaanxi North Road; 27 Huqiu Rd, 1st floor | 襄阳南路259号兴顺东里旁, 陕西北路549-7号, 虎丘路27号1楼

ONIRII

Tl;dr: Probably the best place for high-end specialty coffee in Shanghai

Onirii has espresso (the best I’ve tried in Shanghai), “black”, or “white” coffee from a rotating list of SOE beans, and a few pourover options. The Costa Rica espresso was complex, heavier than usual due to a medium-dark roast, resulting in a sugar-browning taste while still retaining fruity apricot notes. While small, this coffeeshop seems to be regarded as a destination for coffee enthusiasts and connoisseurs, judging from the snippets of conversation I overheard. Enjoy your coffee with an edition of Standart magazine. If you speak Mandarin, the owner will happily chat with you about beans and flavor profiles. 

Wifi: no
Oat milk: no
Location: 204 Jinxian Rd | 进贤路204号 

IKARUGA

Tl;dr: They do have coffee, but get matcha. Nitro matcha.

It’s probably easier to characterize the ideal matcha latte by first defining what it’s not. It’s not powdery or granular. It is not lumpy, nor pasty, nor exceedingly thin. The matcha is not overwhelmed by the milk. It is smooth and well-whisked, made with high-quality tea, and viscous enough to linger on the palate. The nitro matcha at Ikaruga is all of these things, amplified by nitrogen dispersed throughout the drink. Light, creamy, and silky – I’d drink this every day if I could. Especially if I weren’t lactose intolerant.

Wifi: yes
Oat milk: no
Location: : 121 Changle Rd | 长乐路121号 

COFFEE M

Tl;dr: Like going to a friend’s house for an interesting drink.

This is not your typical café. There is no menu; the proprietor serves whatever seasonal beverage he created for the day, with small customizations if requested. The drink I had was a sweet and crisp, more like a tea than a coffee - a cold brew with Ethiopian Yirgacheffe, osmanthus and chrysanthemum teas, and dried flowers. A place to check out if you’re looking for a well-crafted, unexpected drink. 

Wifi: yes
Oat milk: no
Location: Within the compound of 506 Jianguo West Road | 建国西路506弄懿园内

CAFE ON AIR (Xuhui Location)

Tl;dr: A bit pricey but the space makes it worth it; stay and read a while.

Their espresso-based drinks are made with rotating beans from Copenhagen’s April Coffee Roasters or London’s Square Mile Roasters. I tried the April Coffee Roaster’s El Salvador Juan Bosco milk espresso, which had notes of tropical fruit and grape. This spacious-yet-warm Nordic-esque café is suitable for anything that pairs well with coffee – chatting with a friend, reading a book or magazine, getting work done, or slowly enjoying a drink while letting your mind wander. 

Wifi: yes
Oat milk: no
Location: Lane 650 Huaihai Middle Rd, no. 634 | 淮海中路650弄634号

SUMERIAN SPECIALTY COFFEE

Tl;dr: Good coffee, many options, nice workspace. 

Sumerian manages to maintain quality standards despite having a rather extensive menu. Go for brewed coffees or pourovers over the espresso. The Papua New Guinea Cold Brew is refreshingly crisp with a floral sweetness. It’s perfectly acceptable to stay a while and get work done – the outlets are there for a reason.

Wifi: yes
Oat milk: yes
Location: 415 North Shaanxi Rd | 陕西北路415号

UNIBROWN (Xuhui location)

Tl;dr: For specialty coffee lovers who want try different variations of the same bean.

They have good espresso, but what makes Unibrown stand out is how they serve it – order a double it comes as two single shots, one hot, one iced, so you can compare how the flavor varies depending on temperature. For the Guatemala SOE, the chocolatey notes were more prominent in the hot espresso, and floral notes more noticeable in the iced. 

Wifi: yes
Oat milk: no
Location: YongPingLi Complex, 570 Yongjia Rd, no. 412 | 永嘉路570号永嘉庭412单元

BONUSES:

C’est Patisserie. Technically a pastry shop, but they serve a delicious espresso (Colombia and Papua New Guinea blend – rich and fragrant with a bright acidity and thick crema, powerful but not bitter). Do not leave without trying at least two desserts – I’m partial to the lemon pastry and the litchi with saké pastry.

Wifi: no
Oat milk: no
Location: 79 Changshu Rd | 常熟路79号

Coffee Is. Get the matcha latte. I ask for it extra strong with oat milk, and it’s good every time. Also a decent workspace. As the proprietor is friends with the salad-and-bowl store owner next door, you can also get healthy food sent to your table.

Wifi: yes
Oat milk: yes
Location: 391 Xiangyang South Road | 襄阳南路391号