Read all about it! Read all about it! Nanjing East Road area in decent café shocker! It’s a bit of an odd part of town, this, isn’t it? The long stretch between the Bund and People’s Square has plenty of gorgeous heritage architecture but, where they haven’t been ripped down to create malls, most of the buildings here seem to remain occupied by obscure government departments determined to let them crumble into obscurity.
New café The Press, then, is rather a breath of fresh air in what we’ve often described as a ‘culinary wasteland’. Sitting pretty on the corner of Hankou Lu and Shandong Lu, the smiley staff serve a decent selection of coffee and western food. But we’d be lying if we claimed it was all about the food, folks, it’s the space here that makes the headlines. Huge windows and a high ceiling giving an airy feel rarely found in Shanghai. In fact, it’s the gorgeous curved and ornately plastered ceiling that provides the incredibly grand look.
The building is historically significant too: this was the headquarters of colonial-era Shanghai newspaper Shun Pao, hence the name and theme. Shun Pao was one of Shanghai’s most successful newspapers from 1872 right through to the Communist takeover in 1949 when it was finally closed. Founded by a Brit, Ernest Major, but published in Chinese for a local readership it was said to be one of the most influential of its day and circulation reached a peak of 150,000 in the 1930s. The venue pays homage to its heritage with a display of photos of the good old days as well as a menu styled as a newspaper.
Whilst its culinary offerings may not be the most exciting, The Press is a great for a casual afternoon coffee stop and a chance to live out those 1930s fantasies without all the trappings of the Bund.
The Press is at 309 Hankou Lu near Shandong Lu. Tel: 021 5169 0777
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