Having Survived the Brickening, Two Cities Café Continues its Urban Fairy Tale

The name of this café of course brings to mind Charles Dickens’ classic historical novel set in the turbulent days of the French Revolution. In this fast-paced era where everything pops up just for its 15 minutes of fame, we're all for a café to pay tribute to timeless literature, especially one that can avoid the less romantic crush of Beijing's development.

And avoid the crush Two Cities did, (so far) surviving Gulou's turbulent Great Brickening days, by swapping its entrance ahead of forced relocation; closing up the door on Fangjia Hutong, and opening a new red door in the yard of 46 Fangjia. Entering now is like stepping into another timeline, a parallel world with a slower pace. The main room is characterized by wooden tables, large plants, a calming scent of eucalyptus, as well as a small tatami loft where customers can get comfy.

Pots of tea costs RMB 60, and the Oriental Beauty tea (东方美人), a half-fermented oolong from Taiwan, is sharp without being astringent. The cakes, made daily by the Taiwanese owners Ye Zi and A Zhe, include their signature lemon-flavored and rice wine-infused cheesecakes. There were only two other non-cheesecake options during our visit, and the red velvet cake (RMB 35) was sumptuously earthy, creamy, and moist.

Bibliophiles will feel at home among the piles of books on the large table in the middle of the café, and with the rays of sunshine streaming through the skylights and sliced by overhead fans through these languid summer days, Two Cities Café is a plush haven in which to relax, whether alone, with friends, or just with a good read.

Two Cities Café
Mon-Fri 1-11pm, Sat-Sun 11am-11pm. 46 Fangjia Hutong, Dongcheng District (186 1079 8579)
双城咖啡：东城区方家胡同46号

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Photos: Tracy Wang