Perfect for: coffee snobs and bookish types

Add: 160 Xingye Lu (near Madang Lu) 兴业路160号
T: 6384-7242

Food:4*
Decor: 4*
Service: 4*

If you're a coffee connoisseur, then you can probably stand in the middle of Xintiandi, raise your nose to the air and follow it to Figaro. Unlike so many cafes in Shanghai that pump out brew upon brew of substandard coffee (read - weak, boiling hot, burnt), Figaro actually cares about its coffee. So much so, that this cafe has taken up the mantle of educating people about it. Every week, their CEO runs coffee seminars teaching laypeople the evils of instant coffee and joys of the right blend. Sit back on their outdoor wicker chairs, order one of their authentic, minimalist pastas (?29 - 39), which come showered in garlic and dressed lightly, and quaff one of their frappes, which come in those ubiquitous dome covers a la Starbucks. The only difference is that their coffee throws a bigger, more refined punch. Or if you prefer sandwiches, try one of their hearty focaccia sandwiches (?5) in their upstairs library, which is fitted with wanna-be chesterfield furniture and decked out in faux bookshelves. Best to find a sofa, put your feet up and sip on something heady and heavily caffeinated.