Sweeo: Smoothies and Lattes That Taste as Good as They Look

Another weekend has come and gone, and if you followed my advice and attended all the beer-centric celebrations, you probably feel like crap now. Pair the festivities with our all-pizza-all-the-time diet, and you might be asking yourself, "Is the Beijinger trying to kill me?" Well, we're not, and to prove it, we've brought you a new shop to help you be kind to yourself and perhaps undo some of the damage.

Tucked away on the first floor of Sanlitun Soho, Sweeo is a small shop with a stand-out minimalist atmosphere – white walls, a few wooden chairs, and a bold flamingo pink and mint green poster that matches the pink roses on the counter. There are four categories served in this small shop: lattes (RMB 24-30) including black tea, green tea, matcha, and brown sugar; macchiatos (RMB 19-27) featuring black tea, green tea, mango, and mesona (or grass jelly); smoothies (RMB 25-32) with various fruits; and "special drinks" (RMB 19-27) including kiwi green tea, vanilla ice cream black tea, and honey lemon tea.

We thoughtfully skipped the popular matcha latte, and went for their signature mango macchiato (RMB 27) instead. It is biluochun green tea with jasmine, mixed with mango juice and topped with cheese. The cheese is savory, and mango provides the sweet aroma of tropical fruit, while the green tea is refreshing. For the bubble milk tea lovers, you can ask for bubbles at no additional charge.

To ease the heat on this sunny early autumn day, we also got a Dragon Boss smoothie (RMB 27), featuring dragon fruit, pineapple, apple, and yogurt (optional). The rich magenta color of the red dragon fruit looks almost too pretty to drink, but the yogurt provides a creamy richness (sweetened with honey) that makes the whole drink wholesome, healthy and satisfying. Good-looking? Check. Tasty? Check. Healthy? Check.

They're not limited to healthy smoothies, though. Their “Killer Calories” drink is made from peanut butter, peanut powder, mesona, and milk. The aptly named “Bon Jour" – featuring blueberry, banana, milk, and oatmeal – sounds like a healthy on-the-go breakfast for rushed employees in the area. After our dignity-destroying visit to Dove’s Choc Bar, the lovely drinks at Sweeo were simply too pretty, leaving me asking myself, “Am I worthy?”

Sweeo is hard not to like, with the impeccable service and fresh and natural flavors standing out among the additive-heavy shops nearby. The colorful drinks will certainly brighten up Beijing's dull days.

Sweeo
Daily 10am-10pm. 1/F, 3111-1, Bldg 3, Sanlitun Soho, 8 Gognti Beilu, Chaoyang District (185 0044 3655)
朝阳区工体北路8号院三里屯SOHO3号商场1层3111-1号

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Email: tracywang@thebeijinger.com
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Photos: Tracy Wang