The Best Breakfasts and Brunches in Sanlitun, Beijing
Sanlitun in Beijing is famous for its robust nightlife, but it’s a pity to leave the area before dawn—especially as this stylish neighborhood is filled with some of the best breakfast and brunch spots in town.
1. Taoyuan Juancun
Restaurant, Chinese
This Taiwanese snack-bar caused a sensation when its first store opened in Sanlitun. Here you can try Taiwan-style soya milk and deep-fried dough sticks, as well as the specially made meat-floss rice rolls, that you can hardly find anywhere else. Though the soya milk is served in quite a large bowl, you’ll be rewarded for finishing the whole thing with a verse beautifully written on the bottom of the bowl.
2. Baker & Spice
Bakery, Healthy
Baker & Spice is a bakery that foodies in Beijing love to praise, for both its bread and coffee. The croissants here are baked to fluffy perfection, and together with the latte make for a delicious start to the day. The only downside is that the bakery is highly popular—making it sometimes difficult to get a seat during rush hour.
3. Tiens Tiens
Patisserie, Restaurant, French
This patisserie has every element necessary to become an Instagram celebrity—tasty desserts with beautiful colors, minimal, off-white furniture, and a two-storey building with French windows and a rooftop dining area. The patisserie’s name, Tiens Tiens, is impossibly cute, but still not as cute as the owner Gu Leike’s belief: “People grow teeth to eat desserts.”
5. Home Grounds
Restaurant, Healthy
This family brunch restaurant is a favorite among nearby residents who like to sweat it out at the gym. Other than the healthy and tasty pancakes, the restaurant also offers classic English breakfast at a very reasonable price, and British delicacy fish and chips.
6. The Bookworm
Cafe, Restaurant, Bar, Food Court, Bistro, American
Those who are familiar with The Bookworm all know that the best part about this store is not its food, but the walls of original English books, talk shows and lectures. The noisiness of The Bookworm is quite random, depending on the activities of the day, but at least the quite environment for reading can be guaranteed at brunch time.
7. Cup One
Restaurant, Healthy
Aside for the minimal décor that reminds people of Colette, the famous water bar in Paris, the healthy menus also gives customers that warm, Sunday-morning feeling—as if they’ve just woken up in Paris. The avocado-chicken rolls and vegetarian salad are a must-try, and taste even better with a carrot juice or flat white.
8. Queen’s Café
Bakery, Patisserie, Chinese
Right next to Taoyuan Juancun, Queen’s Café is the Beijing branch of the famous Hong Kong bakery brand. This café is highly praised for its range of both delicious and good-looking cakes—the best part is the authentic Hong Kong milk tea that you won’t find easily in other cafés in Beijing.
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