Café del Volcán

A little cafe at 80 Yongkang Road. It's a very small space but makes up for it with very friendly staff and great speciality coffee.

They were very happy to share with us about the different coffee options available and teach us about the variety of styles and processes that they offer. They also have a 'coffee of the week' that is worth asking about and maybe taking a bag home with you.

Seesaw Coffee

A minimalist coffee shop tucked away in the Jing'an Design Center. A beautifully clean and modern space with plenty of indoor seating and a large courtyard if you're looking for a bit more natural light. We arrived a little before closing hours so pretty much had the place to ourselves, though I hear it can be super busy during the day.

They serve a great flat white and some nice pour overs. Definitely worth a visit if you can find it!

Peet’s Coffee

At 9 Donghu Lu is China's first outlet belonging to West Coast coffee chain Peet's. It's a little different from the US look and feel, with a bright and modern design. It has a large patio space and window seating. 12 coffees are available at any time, all brewed within 28 days of roasting at their semi-circular bar.

They have a great retail section with a variety of different products for baristas and home brewers. They also have something called a 'discovery bar', where tasting flights, courses and custom cups are led by the shop's baristas and roasters. A full coffee experience. The only downside is the busyness. We struggled to find a seat inside for around 20 minutes. It's worth the wait though.

Roaster Cafe

In a tiny space at 4 Yuyuan Lu, just around the corner from Cafe Del Volcan, you'll find Roasters Cafe. It's perfect for a take-away, as there's no seating! Plus a number of flavoured lattes that you can order hot or cold. It's also well known for it's in house roasting.

As we waited for our order, we watched as they hand selected the green coffee beans, removing defects in preparation for roasting, right in the front of the shop. It was amazing to see the care put into each cup of coffee. Worth dropping by to grab something on your way around.