Putuo's Most Photogenic Cafés: A One-Stop Tour of Scenery, Style, and Flavor

At a Glance (China Coffee Network): (Source: Shangguan News) Coffee is a gentle ritual that heals the everyday, and also a leisurely time hidden in the city’s everyday bustle. In Putuo, several treasure cafés of bot…

(Source: Shangguan News) Coffee is a gentle ritual that heals the everyday, and also a leisurely time hidden in the city’s everyday bustle. In Putuo, several treasure cafés of both looks and substance are scattered about. These magical little shops are not only known for their environments, but their signature drinks and exquisite desserts are also full of looks and on-point in taste. In this issue, we compile a few of Putuo’s good-looking specialty cafés to unlock, in one stop, a triple-healing coffee experience of scenery, looks, and flavor—taking care of your leisure time.

Pode BWT Water Tower Coffee

A vintage healing café inside a century-old building

Building 8 of the M50 Creative Park hides an old building with a story. Its predecessor was the Shanghai Chunming Woolen Mill, later a studio of a well-known artist, and after years of disuse it reopened in 2023. The old factory’s brick walls, pipes, and concrete textures remain intact, mixed with modern soft furnishings; stepping in feels like traveling to an industrial film set half a century ago—every casual shot is a vintage blockbuster.

A must-photograph inside is the wall of Puddy the puppy graffiti. The lively, spirited style instantly brings the whole wall to life, full of healing atmosphere, and almost every guest stops to check in and take photos.

The shop also has two soft, cute resident staff—the cats “Qibao” and “Qilin.” Unafraid of people, they slowly nuzzle to your feet and lie down; the owner even customized exclusive merch for them—tote bags, stickers, little pendants—every detail full of warmth.

Be sure to order a Viennese coffee here.

The cream on top is thick like a cloud; the entry is a dense sweetness, then the rich espresso rises from below, bitterness and sweetness interweaving, with a hint of nutty aroma in the finish. Sitting by the window of the old factory, sunlight slants in through the steel frame, the cream slowly melting into the coffee—at that moment you feel time really can slow down.

Store address: Room 201, Building 8, M50 Creative Park, 50 Moganshan Road, Putuo District, Shanghai

A healing café of great beauty by the Suzhou Creek

Hailed as the most beautiful café by the Suzhou Creek, it is absolutely the ceiling of Putuo’s atmospheric check-in spots!

A clean, crisp pure-white detached building is especially eye-catching; its signature spiral staircase winds upward to an open-air balcony, with a bright, airy space. Seated on the balcony you face the Suzhou Creek scenery directly, the evening breeze gently skimming the river surface, the view gentle and relaxed. By day it’s a clear, healing Japanese-style atmosphere; when the sunset spills down at dusk, the mood maxes out, and any shutter press yields a great shot.

Drinks and desserts are both great in looks and taste! The signature Guangfu West Road 3543 specialty coffee is rich yet refreshing, with a delicate mouthfeel, a must-order item. Paired with the hit lime soufflé, it’s an excellent couple—cloud-like soft, fluffy texture wrapped in fresh lime aroma, sweet-sour without being cloying. The store focuses on specialty coffee by day and switches to a tipsy little-drinks mode at night, suiting leisure check-ins and relaxation all day long. (Note: minors, please do not drink alcohol.)

Store address: 3543 Guangfu West Road, Putuo District, Shanghai

THE GARDEN · Qingyu Shikuo

A forest-style café hidden in an urban oasis

A forest-style healing café hidden in Taopu Central Park, perfectly blending natural aesthetics with leisure life. Surrounded by lawns and streams, lush and green, secluded and quiet, it perfectly isolates the city’s noise. Stepping inside feels like breaking into an urban-secret oasis, instantly shedding restlessness to immerse in relaxed slow time.

The interior centers on wood textures and green planting, with scattered greenery, gentle warm light, and exquisite floral ceilings, creating a warm, quiet healing space. The evening-exclusive fountain water-screen show has lively light and shadow, maxing out the nighttime atmosphere—especially photogenic for check-ins.

The signature osmanthus wine-lees latte has a unique flavor, with rich coffee blending clear-sweet wine lees and elegant osmanthus aroma, a dense, delicate mouthfeel and gentle aftertaste. Here, sightseeing, coffee tasting, and zoning out are unlocked in one stop, immersively taking care of your healing leisure time.

Store address: 136 Dunhuang Road, Putuo District, Shanghai

Business hours: Monday–Thursday 11:00–21:00, Friday–Sunday 11:00–22:00

Banma Suhe Cafe · Cultural-Creative Space

A rare Suzhou-Creek cultural-creative themed café in Putuo

The overall space combines an artistic exhibition-hall quality with a garden’s relaxed atmosphere; the store displays several exquisite Banma Suhe cultural-creative products, each carrying a Suzhou Creek-exclusive story. Here you can leisurely enjoy coffee while immersing in the cultural-creative displays and learning Suzhou Creek culture—a very unique experience.

The store focuses on classic Americano and latte, both great in looks and taste. It also offers several good-looking low-alcohol tipsy specialties, clear-sweet and soft, suited to a pleasant rest after a riverside stroll.

Store address: 88 Yunling East Road, Putuo District, Shanghai

Business hours: Monday–Friday 9:00–18:00 (closed on holidays)

One distinctive café after another enriches Putuo’s urban leisure landscape. In holiday leisure, settle into a little shop, and in the rich coffee aroma feel the unique everyday warmth and romance belonging to this district.

Editors: Zhao Ying, Hou Danyang

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