LISTINGS - The Rough Guide to Beijing - page 215

crowd, largely on account of its excellent book selection and regular literary events and lec-
tures. Check the website for details. Daily 9am-2am.
CaféZarah 飒哈 , sàhā 42 Gulou Dongdajie 010 84039807, cafezarah.com ; Beixinqiao
(line 5) or Nanluoguxiang subway (line 6); map . This is Beijing's prime spot for expats up-
dating their blog/writing a book/thinking of making a film about life in China. Not much
talking goes on: it's a sea of Apple logos. They're here for a reason, though: a cosy, attract-
ively converted courtyard house, serving good continental breakfasts (from ￥ 45) and plenty
of snacks, including tasty home-made ice cream and a few cakes plonked, rather unfairly, on
the counter. Daily except Tues 10am-midnight.
Confucius Café 秀冠 , xiùguān 25 Guozijian Lu 010 64052047; Yonghegong Lama
Temple subway (line 5); map . Just down the road from the Confucius Temple, this café has
employed similar themes in its design - a bold move, but it works. Good coffee, too. Daily
9am-8pm.
Dareen's 达林咖啡 , dálín kāfēi Sanlitun Lu 010 64150557; Agricultural Exhibition
Center subway (line 10); map . The Sanlitun area is full of cafés, and though this Palestinian-
run one has one of the least attractive interiors, from springtime to autumn its outdoor area
is hugely popular - tuck into some great Arabic coffee ( ￥ 20), made with cardamom seeds,
under an umbrella-like canopy of trees. Daily 11am-6pm.
Starbucks 星巴克 , xīngbākè 1 Qianmen Dajie 010 63010108; Qianmen subway (line 2)
starbucks.com.cn ; map . Branches of Starbucks are all over the city - you know exactly
what to expect - but their Qianmen branch stands out. As with the rest of the street, it's been
decorated in a mock-dynastic style, and views from the upper levels are very pleasant indeed.
Daily 9am-10pm.
Vineyard Café 葡萄院儿 , pútáoyuàn'er 31 Wudaoying Hutong 010 64027961,
vineyardcafe.cn ; Yonghegong Lama Temple subway (lines 2 & 5); map . Good Western wine
and food, including pizza, makes this bright, cheery place popular with the local expats.
Serves good brunches too (from ￥ 75), making it a good target before or after a trip to
Yonghe Gong. Tues-Sun 11.30am-midnight.
Wen Yu 文宇奶酪店 , wényŭ năilàodiàn 49 Nanluogu Xiang; Nanluoguxiang subway (line
6); map . Take a walk down Nanluogu Xiang, and before long you'll spy people bearing blue-
and-white plastic pots. They've all been to Wen Yu , a yoghurt café so popular that they've
long thrown away the tables - better to accommodate a queue that regularly spills way out
into the road. ￥ 10-15 per pot; cold coffee ￥ 5. Daily noon-6pm.
Xiaoxin's 小新的店 , xiǎoxīn de diàn 103 Nanluogu Xiang 010 64036956; Nanluoguxiang
subway (line 6); map . This cosy courtyard hideaway is one of the better Nanluogu Xiang