First-time visitors to Shanghai might be impressed by its public transport system or cashless payment platforms. However, the city offers another distinct "specialty": its vibrant coffee culture.

According to a Dao Insights report, Shanghai boasted over 9,100 coffee shops in 2024, including the highest number of Starbucks stores globally. This figure reflects a nearly 150% increase in coffee consumption in China over the past ten years, as reported by the US Department of Agriculture.

Shanghai coffee shops are always bustling. Photo: SCMP

With such a high density, intense competition forces shops to differentiate themselves. "Coffee is being seriously creative," stated George Jinyang Peng, the World Brewers Cup 2025 champion. He earned his title through creations described as "eccentric but artistic".

Time Out magazine has dubbed this trend in Shanghai as "crazy innovations". Examples include a latte served inside a bell pepper, an affogato shaped like stinky tofu, or coffee presented in a cup made from naan bread at a Xinjiang halal food cafe.

"No shop can stay out of this spreading trend," remarked local tour guide Christopher St Cavish.

One of the most popular innovations is Americano mixed with fruit juice. While this might be an "insult" to traditional coffee lovers, the bitter-sweet flavor of an orange Americano is said to be not too dissimilar to an espresso tonic. Local chains like Luckin and Cotti Coffee have embraced this trend with seasonal flavors such as apricot, grapefruit, pineapple, and watermelon.

Another popular item is "dirty coffee", where hot espresso is poured over cold milk. The drinking experience is designed for three sips: the first sip is intense espresso, the second is balanced, and the final sip is light, like a latte.

Many cafes go beyond simple flavor combinations. At Dia, a coffee shop in Jing An district, dirty coffee is served in a frozen glass to enhance thermal contrast. Flavors like pistachio, black sesame, and durian are also added. Here, coffee is often viewed as an ingredient in a beverage rather than the core product.

Coffee and orange juice. Photo: Instagram

Some places prepare coffee in a cocktail style. A notable example is O.P.S. on Taiyuan Road, a destination that has attracted many international tourists since its opening in 2017. Customers might wait for an hour to be served.

O.P.S. offers only five drinks, all priced at 55 yuan (approximately 200,000 VND). Customers looking for a simple cappuccino or latte will not find it on the menu.

The experience at O.P.S. is designed like a laboratory visit. Guests are led into a small room with only a brewing counter, where they watch the bartender prepare and explain each step. Drinks are served with an embossed card detailing ingredients in English and Chinese, described "like a diary page".

Afterward, guests take their drinks to an adjacent small room, where they can only stand and enjoy them. The owner explains that this format is inspired by brewing competitions, where contestants present one coffee type in three ways: black, with milk, and as a signature creation, accompanied by a card detailing its origin.

This entire process is optimized for taking photos and videos. Many customers share their experiences on social media, contributing to the cafe's appeal.

Coffee varieties sampled at O.P.S. Photo: Instagram

However, Shanghai still offers many options for traditional coffee lovers. At Coffee Spot, an outdoor cafe near the 800-year-old Jing An Temple, and Spot Table, customers can order all basic drinks.

Another distinction lies in the drinking culture. Coffee in Shanghai is not solely a morning beverage. Lei Yang, owner of the Coffee Spot and Spot Table chains, noted that their busiest hours are from 3 PM to 5 PM. Many independent cafes do not open before 9 AM or 10 AM.

At the World Coffee Culture Festival 2024 in Shanghai, an event that drew over 50,000 people, the use of local ingredients was a recurring theme. Two unique drinks introduced were an Americano seasoned with vinegar from Shanxi province and a traditional medicine-inspired coffee infused with dandelion and licorice, garnished with Sichuan peppercorns.

The allure of its coffee culture, cuisine, and shopping is transforming Shanghai into a magnet for Asian tourists. The number of Vietnamese visitors and tours to Shanghai has also seen high growth. Many travelers describe the city as a combination of "dynamic Singapore, fashionable Seoul, and ancient Hoi An", located just a three-hour flight from Vietnam.

Tam Anh (according to SCMP)