First Glance: Starbucks' Huge New China Flagship Reserve (and Bar) in Qianmen
China’s biggest flagship Starbucks is now in the capital, located in the famous Qianmen area. Opened on Jun 29, the three-story café occupies 1040 square meters and is home to a Starbucks Reserve, Teavana, and a bar – the chain's first store in Beijing to sell alcoholic drinks.
True to its Qianmen location, this new store gives off a strong old Beijing vibe. The entire first floor is a Starbucks Reserve, serving every caffeinated beverage imaginable. The symmetrical bar station sits smack in the middle with a massive copper ceiling above it. It is aesthetically pleasing, but there is more to it than meets the eye. Its copper material harkens back to the brass hotpots commonly enjoyed in Beijing, while the square boxes on level two's ceiling evoke the capital's siheyuan (Beijing's traditional courtyard houses).
As for the coffee, we highly recommend ordering a siphon even if it is twice the price of a regular brew. The process of making one is theatrical and caught the eye of plenty of onlookers when the barista was making ours. We tried a Rwanda Sholi siphon (RMB 59) with a piece of Neuhaus chocolate (RMB 25). Both were fruity in flavor and made for a harmonious pairing. Once you get your coffee, we recommend grabbing a seat facing the first floor's coffee bean artwork. The Forbidden City rooftop picture is made out of beans, its lighter shades coming courtesy of unroasted beans, while roasted beans make up the darker sections, giving off an artistic feel.
Not a coffee connoisseur? Then head upstairs to Teavana, a tea room that draws on the rich Chinese tea drinking culture that dates back to the Tang Dynasty. Long wooden benches line the room, offering an ideal space to work on the go. We went with the matcha tea, and it was a winner. After your first sip, the heavy matcha aftertaste lingers in your mouth, something that matcha shops in Beijing should try to replicate.
The third floor houses alcoholic beverages with caffeinated twists. The extensive menu features craft beer and wines infused with coffee. Pastries are served on each floor, while the ground floor offers Starbucks’ typical salads, yogurt, sandwiches, and some salads. The first floor also has a massive merchandise area, where you can find anything with a Starbucks logo including bags, cups, mugs, and beans — a Starbucks lover’s dream.
However, even if you're not a Starbucks diehard you're sure to be impressed by this new shop's decorative nods to Beijing's history, along with the wide range of coffees and boozy drinks on offer. Yes, just when we thought Beijing's recent wave of new independent cafés had rendered massive chains like Starbucks moot on the creative front, this new Qianmen shop has arrived to shake up our notions of what the world's biggest coffee chain has up its sleeve.
Starbucks Beijing Flagship Store
Daily, 8am-11pm. Bldg 3, Langfang Toutiao, 13 Meishi Jie, Xicheng District (6315 6703)
煤市街廊房头条13号院3号楼
Photos: Laura Zheng, courtesy of Starbucks
