Lots of natural light, contemporary design and fair-trade organic espresso. If this combination doesn’t immediately bring the picture of Nanjing’s coffee shops to your mind, i am not surprised. Goldstar Café on Shanghai Lu however is trying to change that.
In September of last year the Canada based company opened the doors of its first store in China, here in Nanjing. Bringing with them, what they call a “boutique hotel lobby lifestyle“. Goldstar Café aims to be a luxury café with an Scandinavian style and does a good job to fulfill this, not only in decor and quality but also with its prices.
My personal favourite is the Sri Lanka black tea, which is one of only two teas Gold Star has to offer. What the menu does not tell you, however, is that you’re not paying for only one cup but for a pot of tea, served with two slices of green lemon, a thermos jug of hot water, two cups and a small plate of cookies. This combination makes the stiff price of ¥48 way more reasonable.
On the coffee front i was very pleased with the espresso (¥18), which was neither too sour nor too bitter, as well as with the latte (¥28) and its heart-shaped foam on top. It is worth mentioning that Gold Star uses its own fair-trade and organic coffee blend, which they import from Canada and also sell in their local store.
If you feel hungry, the menu does not only offer cake but also a variety of finger food and filling meals. From Sandwich, French Fries and Popcorn Chicken to Salad, Chicken Rice and Pizza the overall quality is very pleasing but doesn’t come cheap. The spicy Pizza with beef and chili peppers (¥68) is not amongst Nanjing’s top five but fairly good for a coffee shop and makes you wonder if they learned a thing or two from the nearby Italian restaurant.
The staff is noticeably concerned to keep the customers happy, which also results in keeping the place rigorously clean. One of my Chinese friends even remarked how the bathroom with its western style toilets make him feel like in a fancy hotel.
The interior design is visually pleasing, with the bright white walls contributing to the overall clean and calm atmosphere. The big windows fill the space with natural light which makes it a great alternative to the typical dimmed down and cozy coffee shops. On warmer days you can also enjoy your coffee on the outside terrace. Fancied by Chinese people and foreigners alike, Gold Star Café is a good place for a coffee date with a friend but thanks to the decent WiFi and many wall sockets, it doesn’t fall short as an remote work station either. The only downside is their country CD by Chely Wright that literally seems to hunt me down and is sometimes even played more than once while i go there – hence i always make sure to bring my headphones with me if i intend to study. Since they keep their doors open until 11pm, you however have lots of time to get your work done.
I found the café to have friendly and attentive service, good organic coffee and an overall great design, which makes it definitely worth checking out. And facing the fact that it is not always easy to find a free table, it seems like i am not the only one who feels that way.
Goldstar is located at 150 Shanghai Lu (at the junction with Nancuixun) 鼓楼区 上海路150号 Tel: 83556176
