Ah, Café Zarah. Long has she reigned as Beijing’s best spot to while away a weekend on artfully crowned cappuccinos, German-inspired brunches and the sort of affable chatter that doesn’t start revolutions. But there were drawbacks. Limited outside space, basic food offerings beyond brunch, too many MacBooks. So, after six long months of renovation, a new Frau has arisen like an over-caffinated phoenix from the ashes. And we like her. A lot.
Actually she’s still a lot like the Zarah of old, but she’s so… big! OK, enough with the female personification. It’s a cafe, not a ship. Also, a ship is a ship, not a woman. Sailors, eh? Anyway, they’ve knocked through next door and the hutongs behind (the Zarah owners, not the sailors) to carve a sleek warehouse-y space with many extra square-meters of outside courtyard, sunny balcony seating, massive roof terrace AND a much larger main room. Enough space to comfortably seat around 150 hipsters provided you can get them to take off their headphones and share tables.
For the uninitiated, the Gulou hipster is a unique subspecies of hipster with no natural predator. Think about Brooklyn, or Oakland, or Shoreditch in London’s East End. Traditionally the street toughs in these neighbourhoods kept the hipster populations in check. And with their meagre freelance incomes, hipsters were too poor to frequent nice places. Not so in the ‘jing. Perhaps we need to admit the Gulou hipster is becoming a serious social problem.
Another thing about Cafe Zarah that makes it so special? It’s got a cool Chinese manager and lovely laid-back staff. But there’s this barely tangible strand of Germania linking the whole (including a German owner) that keeps it humming along like a well-oiled machine. And they serve salty pretzels, German waffles, and cheese with the breakfasts.
On to the food, the menu is in soft launch mode. The set breakfasts are still there, starring those delicious multi-seed brown bread rolls, flaky croissant and overlapping Emmental slices on long white plates. Pasta dishes and sandwiches too. And boiled eggs. There are a few glimpses of the future, like an omelette with feta cheese, snow peas and fresh basil salad. But more is promised in the coming weeks.
The staff are as nice as ever, with luscious hairstyles and winning smiles. Excellent HR department. And the coffee remains some of the best in the city. But we sense Z might be moving in a different direction. The owner is a keen DJ, the bar menu promises more drinks choices than before and some serious-looking speakers hang from the rafters. A new nightspot? Time (and the wrath of hutong neighbours) will tell. One final note – at present Cafe Zarah doesn’t take cards, only cash. You have been warned.
Cafe Zarah can be found here: 42 Gulou Dongdajie, Dongcheng District, 010 8403 9807. Sign-up for our newsletter for regular updates on the best spots in town to get your caffeine on, go sightseeing, eat, drink and generally have a ruddy good time in Beijing.
About the author: Tom O’Malley is Propaganda Secretary at Bespoke Beijing. A lifestyle journalist, guidebook author, glutton and bon vivant, Tom is a tireless crusader for fine food, hospitality and tourist experiences in China’s capital.