Two Cafés to Check Out: One Weird, One With Beer

We’d be willing to bet with all of the coffee shops in Beijing, you could (probably) enjoy a different cup from a different place each day until the end of the year. Today, we’ve got two to add to your list of places worth trying… and one of them serves beer.

CLOSER  

This place pops out like some sort of movie theater along Andingmen Neidajie, and if the entrance doesn’t get you inside, the menu just might. For coffee, they’ve got everything from Americano (RMB 28) to Espresso con Panna (RMB 20) to a nice looking Affogato (RMB 42) we missed on our previous list.

Not just content with coffee, CLOSER has C早A晚  -- C Zǎo A Wǎn, aka morning coffee evening alcohol -- covered with brews on tap. They've got a number of breweries on tap from across China and beyond, making it a nice morning and afternoon spot, depending on your poison of choice.

CLOSER Café & Taproom
233 Andingmen Neidajie, Dongcheng District
东城区安定门内大街233号
Hours: Mon-Thurs, 10-1am; Fri-Sun, 10-2am
Contact: 185 0018 2860; 176 1015 8680

Qinghuachi Coffee

Taking its name from the time-honored brand bathhouse that now operates as a spa, Qinghuachi might be more about the gimmick than the coffee, but it’s weird so we dig it.

Everything from the interior to the cakes are bathhouse themed – they even have cakes shaped like Soap (香皂慕斯蛋糕 xiāngzào mùsī dàngāo, RMB 19) which is thankfully filled with mousse and not actual soap. The drinks take their names from bath-related stuff as well, like the Shower Gel (沐浴露 mùyùlù, RMB 32), a violet-flavored latte, and the very popular Shower Water (洗澡水 xǐzǎoshuǐ, RMB 19), a citrus sparkling water with a bit of blue coloring and some gummy goldfish thrown in.

We’re not sure how long this place will be around considering the way wanghong things go; could be around for a while, could be around for a month or two. We’d say it's worth checking out for the fun of it, so go see what it's about while it's still around.

Qinghuachi Coffee 清华池咖啡
B2, Wangfujing Dept Store Bldg, 255 Wangfujing Dajie, Dongcheng District
东城区王府井大街255号王府井百货大楼地下2层（下扶梯左拐胡同内）
Hours: Daily, 10am-9.30pm
Contact: 156 5233 9297

READ: Four Un-ffogato-ble Spots for Affogato in Beijing

Images: Uni You, Dianping