I took a trip to Qingdao during the Dragon Boat Festival, partly because I wanted to eat seafood, and partly because Qingdao’s coffee scene has been developing very rapidly lately. Also, China Eastern Airlines only requires 8,000 points to redeem a first-class ticket to Qingdao, which is an absolute steal. During my few days in Qingdao, I visited several top-ranked shops from the Dianping coffee list. However, it’s been a while now, so I might not remember some details clearly… I’ll do my best to recall them…
Danty Sevour
The breakwater at the Olympic Sailing Center that leads to the lighthouse is called Lover’s Dam. There is a row of restaurants beneath Lover’s Dam, and this shop is one of them. The coffee shop has a very cozy atmosphere, with brand-new renovations and a bright, cheerful style. They offer a wide variety of coffee beans, which are likely roasted in-house, though I’m not sure how a shop with such a diverse selection ensures the freshness of all their beans…
I tried a SOE latte, and it was made quite well. The milk foam was perfectly textured, the integration was excellent, and the latte art was flawless. It was actually a bit surprising for my first cup of coffee in Qingdao—all in all, I was extremely satisfied.
La Finca
In the hearts of many locals, this café is considered the best in Qingdao. It’s located in Belle Plaza at the Olympic Sailing Center. To be honest, the entire area looks quite run-down, and it feels like most of the shops there can barely stay open. Yet this café has been here for years, consistently maintaining high popularity.
The interior design incorporates many vintage coffee equipment pieces as decor, mostly various antique hand grinders. The shop is on the second floor and features a terrace decorated with a Japanese dry landscape garden. It’s said to be an excellent viewing spot during light shows.
The shop specializes in pour-over coffee, roasting their own beans as well. I still opted for a SOE latte, but it was honestly just mediocre. The temperature was too high, the milk foam was average, and the beans didn’t seem particularly suitable for SOE. To top it off, it was served in a narrow-rimmed cup, which was a bit disappointing.
However, judging from photos on review sites, their desserts look incredibly appealing and would probably pair better with the pour-over coffee. Unfortunately, I arrived a bit early, and the desserts weren’t ready yet…
If You
After visiting the rather peculiar PRC National Water Level Zero Point Scenic Area… there was a place next door called Sea Coffee Dock that I originally planned to try, but it was fully booked. So I went to If You right beside it instead. The row of shops here reflects what internet-famous cafés looked like when they first emerged: low-budget renovations, minimal design, but a cozy setup filled with plants and flowers. I initially sat on the seaside terrace, but then it started raining—and as the rain got heavier, the roof began leaking… So we moved to a smaller table further inside…
I ordered a regular latte. Although the milk foam and integration were somewhat average, it tasted pretty good in the end. Their desserts are clearly styled for Instagram-worthy photos—even a simple yogurt cup looks stunning in pictures, though the orange slices used as garnish were extremely sour~~
Additionally, the shop has a mascot named Little Rabbit, who is absolutely adorable~~ The place was bustling with people, definitely no shortage of customers~~~
Overall, Qingdao’s coffee industry got off to a very early start, especially for northern China. It feels like the city’s coffee scene has gone through several generations of development and evolution, ultimately reaching a fairly impressive standard.
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