Suzhou Center is a multi-building complex integrating retail, hotels, and offices, featuring the renowned W Hotel. The Suzhou Center Mall is also considered one of the better high-end shopping destinations in Suzhou. Right next to Suzhou Center stands this pair of giant “long johns,” which is actually the landmark building known as the Gate of the Orient.
This building stands over 300 meters tall, with 66 floors on one side and 60 on the other. Surprisingly, there is no hotel inside; it consists entirely of commercial-residential units. The North Tower is already open and houses many shops, primarily fitness lounges and cafes. The one we visited this time was Melt Coffee on the 58th floor. Due to strict property management, you need to leave your ID at the lobby security desk and have them call upstairs to confirm seating availability before going up. When retrieving your ID on the way down, be careful not to pick up the wrong one.
This cafe ticks all the boxes for an Instagram-worthy spot: great views, a fresh and minimalist decor style, highly photogenic desserts, and a menu written on the wall. Unfortunately, the barista’s skills leave much to be desired. If you’re coming specifically for the coffee, you might want to skip it, but if you’re here for photos, you won’t be disappointed. Every dessert looks stunning, and instead of a traditional menu, they bring out a box of actual samples for you to choose from.
Next up is Eslite Spectrum, a place I’ve visited countless times. As the original pioneer of trendy lifestyle stores, the shops inside Eslite maintain both high aesthetic standards and quality. Moreover, visiting in the morning means very few crowds—it’s rare to see Eslite this empty, making it perfect for a photo spree.
Although Matrix Coffee has a tiny storefront, its quality is far superior to Melt Coffee. Surprisingly, I even spotted the HG-1—the Hermès of hand grinders—at this shop. It was truly my first time seeing this product in person…
Surprisingly, Green Tea Restaurant has shifted from its formerly budget-friendly image to a more upscale approach. I’m not sure if this change is specific to this location or if the entire brand has undergone an upgrade, but both the ambiance and dishes have improved significantly compared to the past. The Longjing Shrimp now uses sea shrimp and comes garnished with actual Longjing tea leaves, and the plating is much more refined than before. After not having eaten at Green Tea for years, I didn’t expect to find such pleasant surprises.
Photos in this post taken with a SONY A5100 + 16-50mm f/3.5-5.6 lens, post-processed in Lightroom.
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