Nestled in the trendy entertainment destination alongside creative labels and high end boutiques, Colibri Café will offer 10 rich and enticing flavours of cupcakes, all handcrafted with the finest ingredients and topped with an irresistibly soft butter cream.

Complementing the colorful spread of cupcakes is a delectable selection of wraps, sandwiches and coffee— perfect for lunch staples or those feeling peckish, foraging for a mid- day snack.

Behind Colibri Café’s brand and concept are the design geniuses from the innovative and award-winning San Francisco-based studio Eight Inc. Focusing on a diverse design culture, Eight Inc.’s celebrated works include Apple Retail Stores worldwide, Nokia flagship stores and International stores for Coach Inc.

Colibri cupcakes will be delivered in the eco-friendly Smartfortwo decked out in bright red, zipping across town. Call 6417 0808 for freshly baked cupcakes delivered to your doorstep, with a 24 hour notice.

Sweets and Sunshine

3.5/5 Stars

Reminiscent of something one might find in London, this sunny café is beautiful and ideally located in the Village North. There’s free Wi-Fi and a lunchy menu of creative sandwiches, salads and soups. Although one has to go up to the counter to order, service on the whole is very good, and the food arrives in a timely manner. There’s a lot of competition in Sanlitun these days when it comes to sandwiches and salads, but Colibri has what it takes to do well.

The panini with tomato chutney, fresh basil and cheese (¥38) is the best panini we’ve had in Beijing. The “antipasto” wrap (¥48) is stuffed full of grilled Mediterranean vegetables and mushrooms, with a spread of pesto. The flavors work very well together, even though the result is a bit salty. The smoked chicken baguette with avocado, crab meat, tomatoes, lime mayonnaise and lettuce (¥48) is quite good, but very heavy on the mayonnaise. We prefer the poached salmon sandwich with salmon roe and yogurt dressing on sourdough bread (¥58). The soups (¥28) are large and come with bread. Our favorite is the pumpkin, but be warned that it’s served extremely hot.

The combination of textures of the soft couscous, crunchy lettuce and chewy raisins in the couscous salad (¥48) is very successful. The tuna Nicoise (¥48) adds something to the classic with green beans, delicious poached egg and a dressing made with wholegrain mustard.

The cupcake selection is the centerpiece of the food offerings, and the desserts provide a less sweet alternative to those at Lollipop Bakery, although the pretty cakes are closer to muffins with buttery frosting on top. The orange and poppy seed (¥23) is the best of the bunch, with a tangy frosting and pleasant cake.

Sienna Parulis-Cook