Recommendations for Hangzhou's Most Atmospheric Cafes: How Does the Vintage Sandun Coffee Rate?

An increasing number of enthusiasts are looking to "play" with coffee.

It seems that even barbershops have set their sights on coffee.

As we know, most people drink coffee in cafés, but with the gradual increase of independent cafés, coffee drinking has become a daily routine, and enjoying a cup of coffee is no longer limited to the single setting of cafés.

More innovative options have emerged: you can now drink coffee in police stations, in wet markets, and even in barbershops!

For those interested, you can check out the following articles:

• "Hangzhou Police Station Now Serves Coffee!"
• "Ingenious Move: Multiple Police Stations in Hangzhou Open Coffee Shops"
• "The Café in the Wet Market, Full of Local Charm"

Drinking coffee in a barbershop! It might sound incredible, but such a café indeed exists in Hangzhou!

According to reports, in early May this year, in an old building on Sandun Old Street in Hangzhou, there is a coffee shop that was transformed from a barbershop.

This coffee shop is named "Sandun Coffee," located at 48 Miaoqian Street, Sandun Town, Hangzhou. Here, besides experiencing the charm of "retro barbershopping," you can also enjoy a delightful cup of coffee.

It is said that "Sandun Coffee" was converted from an old-fashioned barbershop that had been in business for 50 years, making it a long-established shop with rich history.

Because two post-90s owners wanted to open a café and were particularly interested in the "retro" elements of this shop, after some extensive renovations, they transformed "Sandun Barbershop" into "Sandun Coffee," which officially opened to the public in early May this year.

From the pictures, this café still retains the retro style of the old barbershop. Although it looks old and worn, it's quite popular and has attracted many young people to visit and show their support.

Currently, the coffee shop still maintains the original appearance of the former barbershop, including some settings and items. Among them, the most popular photo spot is an old-fashioned barber chair. The shop owner has also placed a rare item next to it—a towel printed with red double happiness symbols, giving it a 50s-60s vibe (a nostalgic throwback to the 50s and 60s, hahaha).

In addition, the shop has also furnished some old black-and-white television sets, old newspapers, magazine posters, and various rare trinkets that the owner spent over half a year collecting.

As for the original barbershop, it has moved to the back of the coffee shop. The owner even specially hand-wrote a sign: "For haircut, cross the street/turn left into the alley. We only serve coffee here," to remind customers not to go to the wrong place.

Coffee Menu and Specialties

In terms of products, the shop offers regular coffees, including Dirty, Latte, Cucumber Bubble Americano, etc. Additionally, the shop has launched creatively handmade dessert ice creams. The most distinctive item on the menu is the "Mango Cilantro Avocado Bowl," which combines cilantro and avocado. This product has received positive reviews from some netizens.

Customer Reviews

This coffee shop converted from a barbershop has been in operation for some time now. When checking this café on Xiaohongshu and other social platforms, you can see the following comments from netizens:

• "Nostalgic barbershop dramatically transformed into a café"
• "Such an authentic old-time flavor"
• "The most rundown café in Hangzhou"
• "The small stools at the entrance are so full of vintage charm"
• "100 points for nostalgia and retro style"
• "Such an amazing atmosphere"
• "So retro, I love it"
• "Step inside and you're in the 80s"

It sounds like such an atmospheric café is indeed quite wonderful, hahaha~

Final Thoughts

Although the overall decor style of "Sandun Coffee" is not very upscale, when you're tired from work or simply want to enjoy a cup of coffee, slowly savoring a cup here is truly an excellent experience (heartfelt feeling).

*Image sources: Xiaohongshu, Internet*

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Important Notice :

前街咖啡 FrontStreet Coffee has moved to new addredd:

FrontStreet Coffee Address: 315,Donghua East Road,GuangZhou

Tel:020 38364473