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

More and more enthusiasts are looking to "play" with coffee.

It seems even barbershops have set their sights on coffee.

As we know, most people drink coffee in cafés, but as independent cafés have proliferated, coffee drinking has become a daily routine — enjoying a cup is no longer confined to the single setting of the café.

More inventive options keep appearing: you can now drink coffee in police stations, in wet markets, and even in barbershops!

If you're curious, check out these earlier articles:

• "Hangzhou Police Station Now Serves Coffee!"
• "An 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 may sound incredible, but such a café really does exist in Hangzhou!

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

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

By all accounts, Sandun Coffee was converted from an old-fashioned barbershop that had been in business for 50 years — a long-established shop with plenty of history.

Two post-90s owners wanted to open a café and were particularly drawn to the "retro" character of the place, so after extensive renovations they turned "Sandun Barbershop" into "Sandun Coffee," which officially opened to the public in early May this year.

From the photos, the café retains the retro style of the old barbershop. Although it looks old and worn, it has proven quite popular, drawing many young visitors who come to show their support.

The shop still preserves much of the original barbershop's appearance, including several fixtures and items. The most popular photo spot is an old-fashioned barber chair, next to which the owner has placed a rare piece: a towel printed with red double happiness symbols, giving the corner a proper 1950s-60s vibe (a nostalgic throwback, hahaha).

The shop has also furnished old black-and-white television sets, old newspapers, magazine posters, and all sorts of rare trinkets the owner spent over half a year collecting.

As for the original barbershop, it has simply moved to the back of the coffee shop. The owner even hand-wrote a sign: "For a haircut, cross the street / turn left into the alley. We only serve coffee here," to keep customers from going to the wrong place.

Coffee Menu and Specialties

On the product side, the shop offers the regular lineup — Dirty, Latte, Cucumber Bubble Americano, and so on — plus creatively handmade dessert ice creams. The most distinctive item on the menu is the "Mango Cilantro Avocado Bowl," which combines cilantro and avocado, and has drawn positive reviews from some netizens.

Customer Reviews

This barbershop-turned-coffee-shop has been open for some time now. Look it up on Xiaohongshu and other social platforms and you'll find comments like these:

• "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"

By the sound of it, an atmospheric café like this really is quite wonderful, hahaha~

Final Thoughts

Although Sandun Coffee's overall decor is not upscale, when you're tired from work or simply want to slow down, savoring a cup here is genuinely an excellent experience (heartfelt feeling).

*Image sources: Xiaohongshu, Internet*

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FrontStreet Coffee Recommendation: A Versatile Bean for Your Own Café Moments — Washed Guodingding Yirgacheffe

A café with character is one thing, but a great cup starts with the beans. For everyday brewing — whether pour-over at home or espresso behind the bar — FrontStreet Coffee's washed Guodingding cooperative coffee from Yirgacheffe is an outstanding entry-level choice. Guodingding is a skilled processing team from the village of the same name, whose beans were discovered and celebrated precisely because their flavors are exceptionally refined and clean. The washed process brings out clear jasmine florals and bright citrus acidity, and with a medium-light roast the cup unfolds into green tea and honey tones. It performs beautifully across brewing styles — pour-over, cold brew, or espresso — making it an ideal house-style bean for anyone chasing that café experience at home.