Flanked by bamboo and closed off with a glass roof, this cheerful cafe, decorated in white and yellow, is hidden deep inside a quiet neighborhood behind a wooden gate. Co-owned by three native Shanghainese ladies with experience overseas, the goal of @rt Fuxing is to be a tranquil meeting place where people come to exercise, learn or just relax.
Sharing a space with the cafe is an airy, wooden-floored dance studio where light-hearted yoga, jazz or belly dance classes take place almost every night, populated by a (mostly female) smattering of Western and Chinese clientele. There are oil painting and, in the basement, Peking opera societies that meet from time to time. For a yearly membership of RMB2,800 you can take part in as many of these classes as your heart desires, as well as the movie nights they hold every Friday. There is also the option of trying a couple of classes out for free (or just watch) if you’re not willing to commit right out of the gate.
After your moments of movement and awakening, relax at one of the cafe's six tables with an espresso (RMB22), tea (RMB28) or thick, sweet banana milkshake (RMB30). Simple, homemade sandwiches are also available, with options like cucumber, cheese and ham (RMB30) or tuna, olive and cucumber (RMB30). A bookshelf stretches to the ceiling and is filled with magazines, DVDs and CDs for diners to browse. The wall sports movie posters and an mp3 player shaped like a gramophone. It’s effortlessly cute and comfortable. Even if you don’t have a membership to the club, this cafe is still a good place to hang out and catch your breath.
See listing here.
