Beijing's Shique Xiao Wu Café Puts What in Their Coffee?

There are so many new cafes in the hutongs that it can be hard to keep track of them all. Every month, we stare down a list of all the new ones, our eyes glazing over. Why even bother? Aren’t they all the same?

Well, Shique Xiao Wu Café does things a little differently.

“Have you ever had soda water in your coffee?” asks one of the owners when we ask for a recommendation. No, no we have not. The recipe is simple (and at first glance, stomach-turning): a freshly-made americano, with soda water to top it off.

It’s delightful. The added fizz generates a Guinness-like head atop the coffee, and the taste is surprisingly flavorful. We feel like we’re being hydrated and caffeinated at the same time.

If experimental coffee isn’t your thing, though – no worries. Shique Xiao Wu provides the third-wave coffee Beijingers have come to love (RMB25-37).

(And if you really dig it, you can stay in the AirBnb upstairs.)

See a listing for Shique Xiao Wu Café and read more Beijing Restaurant Reviews