It’s not often a space opens that we find it hard to tear ourselves away from, but FNJI is just such a gem. Located half way down the city’s leafy Guozijian Street (by the Confucius Temple), this furniture and lifestyle boutique also houses one of Beijing’s best-kept secrets – an ultra stylish café with a fancy drip coffee machine and a serene courtyard.
So beautifully decked out is the space that if it weren’t problematic we’d attempt to move in tomorrow.
The boutique showcases designers from both China and Japan – and pleasingly, it’s difficult to tell which is which. Handmade beds, armchairs, bureaus, dining tables, desks and bookshelves are all crafted from American Black Walnut or Ash and all encapsulate a contemporary zen aesthetic – simple, chic and innately Asian. It’s a Monocle reader’s dream.
But, as we alluded to at the beginning of this article, it’s FNJI’s gorgeous café that draws us back again and again. The coffee (imported from Kenya, Panama and elsewhere) is expensive (50RMB a cup), but that price tag does then buy you several hours of reading time. Whether you sit in the sunken woodchip courtyard under a giant canopy alongside others – or take up a chair inside the café with its huge, blonde wood beam ceilings – it’s the café’s quiet air of reverence and the faint smell of books, lilies and coffee that make it a winner every time. In our eyes anyway.
FNJI is already a stop on Bespoke’s Hidden Beijing Boutiques shopping experience, which is always tailored to you. For more information or to book a tour with Bespoke (that includes a stop at FNJI), visit our site.