We sure do love us some coffee, as you might have guessed from our last listicle about cool new cafes in Shanghai. Here's the latest batch of freshly ground openings (with one exception) to get your fix from. 

DOE

Located a few minutes from Jing’an Temple, DOE is a concept store selling everything from flossy sneakers, dope streetwear, to Stüssy mugs. It also houses a kick-ass coffee shop in the back with surprisingly comfortable seating.  

Though our cappuccino unfortunately came in a latte sized cup, the fresh espresso was above par compared to most coffee shops in Shanghai. Price-wise, Single espresso is sold at 24RMB and single origin drip at 38RMB, with other offerings such as cookies and ice cream at 30RMB and under. 

If you have any friends who care more about their sneakers than their friends, this is the place. Though spacious and well-designed, having business meetings here is ill-advised, unless your boss or colleague is hypebeast with a pension for the Wknd.

> See a listing for DOE. 

Cafe on Air

Cafe on Air is a quiet retreat from the busy Huahai Lu. The Muji-esque minimal design creates a zen atmosphere perfect for friendly catch-ups, business meetings, or an afternoon of journaling. Plus, there are plenty of charging outlets conveniently placed near the tables making it a most suitable working space. 

Enough about the ambience though, this place serves some serious coffee. Clear evidence are the bags of Blue Bottle Beans sitting on the counter, a most exciting a rare sight for any coffee lover in Shanghai. The cappuccino was as dark and smooth as the jazz playing in the background. 

Drinks are priced at RMB25 for an Americano, RMB28 for a mocha, and RMB38 for single origin drip. If you’re not a coffee drinker, there are always delectable pies warmed to order, coconut water, and tea infusions. 

> See a listing for Cafe on Air.

Paras Coffee

Paras is a trendy space perfect for the brunch enthusiast in all of us who have no quabble of paying 40RMB plus to snap a photo of some eggs and bread against a backdrop of kaleidoscopic tiles. Though in our books, there is no shame in the 'gram game (shameless plug: follow us at @thatsshanghai!)

Smoked salmon eggs benedict (RMB55) was smooth and satisfying – a delicate duo of poached eggs perched on two thick bricks of white bread with slivers of smoked salmon and creamy hollandaise.

More importantly, serious coffee lovers will be glad to find excellent single-origin brews dripped via Chemex (RMB38) and dark, unctuous espresso shots pulled by well-trained baristas. A pink LED sign reading “Hello Good Day” decorates a wall behind the bar, but slightly gimmicky and unnecessary because any day consisting of quality brew is a good day in our books. 

> See a listing for Paras.

Seesaw Cafe

We could not do a Shanghai coffee-round without mentioning Seesaw Coffee, which opened in 2011 and now has four locations. Since most of those happen to be in malls, we think we'll stick with the original Central POD shop, located in a sleek and architecturally stimulating coworking space, with a huge tiled quad and open-window ceiling. 

The layout of the cafe endorses an intimate catch-up with friends, or alternatively, take a spot at the communal table and strike a conversation with a stranger about the gorgeous banana leaves and winding staircase. For dark and brooding types, there are several charging outlets, decent wifi, and enough space to find your own corner to be an anti-social recluse.

Pour-overs are smooth and bright but will cost you RMB35-48. So if you’re not the type to make a fuss about fair trade or locally-sourced, a cappucino here is consistently delicious and priced at RMB28 (less than a Starbucks nátiě!).

> See a listing for Seesaw Cafe.

DNA Cafe

Like a lot of new restaurants popping up in Shanghai, DNA Cafe might be more bark than bite, but aesthetically, its setting is show stopping. Spacious and open, the gorgeous space lets in an abundance of natural light to sun feed the flowers that populate throughout.

Coffee is ever so slightly pricey (RMB40 for a cappucino), but if you're coming to DNA Cafe, you're probably not just here for the caffeine. In addition to being a cafe, DNA also hopes to establish itself as an exhibition hall, pop-up design space and bookshop... now, if only they could get their hands on some actual books. 

All this is overlookable if you're looking for a beautiful space to meet, hangout, read or study, DNA's strength lies in its beautiful environment. 

> See a listing for DNA Cafe.

> See more on Shanghai's best cafes.