Camera Stylo Goes to Shanghai: A Peek Inside the Movie Themed Cafe's Location Down South

Cinephiles and lovers of all things old school down in Shanghai rejoice – Camera Stylo, Beijing’s movie-themed café and bar/unofficial lit geek hangout, has landed in the big city down south.

The opening has been a year in the making, according to Camera Stylo owner Yao. “I like Shanghai and was getting a bit tired of Beijing, so I traveled back and forth to Shanghai a lot last year to get a feel for the city. Every time I was on the street I’d be bumping into people who were CS regulars back in Beijing. It seemed like everyone was moving here, so I decided to move here as well.”

Yao moved officially eight months ago, and after finding the perfect spot for their Shanghai location not far from Jing’an Temple, Camera Stylo Shanghai opened its doors to the public on Sep 10.

When I visited the spot on Sep 11 I was pleasantly surprised. Unlike the Beijing location, the café has no proper doors, just a fully open entryway on the street with ample seating in the front and back separated by a bar on the middle left hand side.

Upon arriving I head to the bar and order from their opening menu, which consists of coffees and movie-themed cocktails, a handful of which they’ve taken from Beijing. I opt for the Coke Americano (RMB 20) and head for a seat in the back which has an open wall for film screenings in the corner. A nice little spot for reading.

It’s much smaller than the café’s Beijing location, but for Yao, this makes things much easier. “My business partner and I were actually look for a much bigger venue before the lockdown but we’re glad we didn’t find one” he says. The location might be random, but the smaller space means lower costs and less hassle.

As for events, those will be taking place soon, with Yao explaining that events at the Shanghai venue will be similar to those in Beijing – think book talks, film screenings, and other interesting meet ups.

For now, though, Camera Stylo Shanghai makes for a nice little spot to relax while enjoying a coffee or cocktail, taking in the fitting old Shanghai feel, and enjoying that book you put off reading for way too long.

Camera Stylo (Shanghai Branch)
344 Yanping Lu, Jing'an District
静安区延平路344号
Hours: Daily, 10.30am-2am

READ: Camera Stylo, the Hutong Bar Shaping Our Beijing Lives

Images: Vincent R. Vinci, courtesy of Camera Stylo