Used as we are in China to seeing fashions arrive from abroad to devour our attention, influencing and modifying our ways of living, it was not unexpected to witness the fascination for coffee and cafés turn from just a trend to become an establishment in Nanjing.
From the avalanche of themed Korean coffee shops to the increasing number of people who give in to the passion for the delicate craft of coffee making, or forgoe their stable jobs to become entrepreneurs in the art of brewing, Nanjing is not short of options.
From the quick, cheap, almost instant cup of coffee to go, to the most sophisticated hand picked, hand brewed elixir, you can now effortlessly stumble into the drink of your choice within a few steps of your home or office. Hence, the coffee shop business is very competitive forcing owners to come up with new and creative ideas to attract customers.
This is not the case at the Dreamspresso Café where they are not motivated by the need to attract customers. To me this is exactly what allows them the freedom to make this place special. Crowdfunded by a select group of successful business people and entrepreneurs, they created the kind of place where they would dream of hanging out themselves, and that becomes evident as soon as you step in. The ample space exudes culture and relaxation, the music is of great taste and at the appropriate volume, while there is of course delicious coffee. Not being cramped or overcrowded with tables also helps to keep the place quiet, perfect for reading and working.
The place is in fact so big that it is often used for lectures, seminars, workshops, music recitals and even small theatrical performances; if the coffee shop venue is not enough you can also have access to the venue next door, the massive gallery space called “Mosaic Art Studio” which is part of Dreamspresso Café and set up to offer contemporary art exhibitions, mostly from foreign artists, right in downtown Nanjing.
To make it even more interesting, in one of the corners of the coffee shop an art training centre has established a studio where you can take painting courses given by real artists.
The only draw back that I found is the very small selection of desserts and the complete lack of other food, which is probably intentional to keep the place clean and focused on the coffee, but if you intend to spend the day reading or working you will have to walk somewhere else to get a proper meal.
Dreamspresso Café and Mosaic Art Studio is located at 300 Changjiang Lu (长江路300号), between the Presidential Palace and Six Dynasties Museum and across the street from the Jiangsu Art Museum. Tel: 85521212
