Great coffee shop in Wudauko, Beijing

Wudauko being the main student town in Beijing is full of great little coffee shops and eatery where students hang out.  You might have heard of a few different places such as Bridge, Lush, Tour le Jour, but my favorite one has to be Coffee Bean Tree.

Bridge is very popular, and I do like the decor of the place.  It is very quirky and definitely have a Western feel to it.  However I find it too crowded and it is a bit too dark to study.  They never seem to have another plugs which makes it very difficult when you want to use your laptop there.  Their drinks menu is decent, but their food is better than Coffee Bean Tree.  Lush on the other hand is very American, great for burgers, salads or wraps.  If you want a quick western food fix, Lush is the place to go.  I would say Lush is a hang out shot more but not so great for studying.  It is quite dark and busy, so not the easiest place to concentrate.  Tour le Jour is a bakery, but there is a coffee shop attached to it.  They have a great selection of cakes and breads but not so much on the drinks.  They seem to always have space, as less students hang out here.  I normally just go there to pick up my breakfast.  


In my opinion Coffee Bean Tree is best all round.  The atmosphere is cosy and friendly, the staff are very accommodating and the drinks are delicious.  They have a great a drinks menu,  my favourite drink is their hot green tea latte (soooo yummy, and they also come with very cute pattern on top.)  I also highly recommend their citrus tea, black tea latte and green tea frappe.  They do have a food menu but the choices are limited.  I have only eaten their a few times, and they have been decent.  Great for a quick lunch or snack. 

  

The owner of this little gem is Korean.  (Who is one of the most friendly man you will ever meet.  He is lovely, always greets you with a great big smile.)  Which also explains why it is also a Korean student's hang out.  However it isn't only Korean who hang out there, many Beida, Tsinghua and BLCU forgien students hang out there after class to study or just chill.  

There are 3 different areas in the coffee shop: non-smoking area, smoking area and a meeting room.  I am a non smoker, so it is great to find a place in Beijing where you can eat and enjoy my coffee without being in the mist of someone's smoke.  (Unfortunately the non smoking ban have not taken off in China yet, and don't think it will any time soon.)  The meeting room is great because it is a quiet room, where you can study without any disturbance.  


There is also a membership card where you can collect points.  If you spend up to a certain amount you get a VIP membership card where you will be able to get 10% discount from your purchase. =)