Editor’s note:

Hai Lights is your insider’s guide to Shanghai, delivered in curated lists. Each edition rounds up the best of a specific scene — whether it’s top Spanish restaurants, underground soccer clubs, or scenic bike routes. We cut through the noise to bring you only the standouts — no fluff, no filler, just the essential lists that make Shanghai tick.

Tima Fei

we’re back with another round of coffee shops. But, where our last list focused on caffeine dens well suited for chilling and studying, this list is for those who feel like drinking coffee ... without a piece of cake is... inappropriate.

As you’ve probably guessed, of all the culinary delights and variety in Shanghai, an area of particular interest to me personally has always been coffee shops and bakeries. Where should we go in the morning to get a delicious cup of coffee and a scrumptious baked goody? Where can we go and wind down after a long day of work and satisfy our sweet sweet cravings with a pot of hot tea? Well, I have compiled a list of the Top Five Coffee Shops with the best cakes, breads and cookies you can visit around the Xuhui and Jing’an areas.

Foty

Starting us off is FOTY. It is a single-product specialty shop whose name stands for From Oven to You. The naming convention is important because everything made is produced in 20-minute batches, so your orders are essentially meant to be eaten ... right out of the oven.

Now really, we are starting strong with a place that has, and I mean it, one of the best things I have tried in Shanghai so far, the kouign-amann (pronounced kween-ah-MAHN, go on now, try your best French accent). So, what is the kouign amann? Well, it is the fattiest pastry in the world, according to Wikipedia. But if you go to FOTY and pick one up (the cinnamon and sea salt is my personal favorite), you will not care about what Wikipedia says, the only thing that would matter is that it is heavenly. Although I will say, there is another place that serves up some pretty incredible kouign-amanns, but we’ll cover that place separately.

But back to FOTY, it is a cozy, relatively new place near Jiangsu Road Metro Station, which has a cozy, sunny interior in a French Riviera style. It smells divine inside, all because they bake fresh kouign amann every 20 minutes, which speaks to the demand of their goods. And, if you’ve been keeping up with internet trends, you would know the olive oil plus ice cream combination, which you can try.

Opening hours: 10:30am-6:30pm

Price range: 45 yuan (US$6.19) /pp

Address: A103, 1107 Yuyuan Rd

Mill Hill

Mill Hill is a cozy little place, quite easy to miss if you don’t know what you’re looking for. Located very close to South Huangpi Road Metro Station, this cafe has a very quiet, calming ambiance. Perfect to visit as a couple or even by yourself, you wouldn’t feel awkward – the space is set up very nicely. Mill Hill is popular for its simple, tasty cakes that pair amazingly with its wide variety of teas served in a pot. All the desserts I have tried were delightful — not overly sweet, soft, and light. Quiet music, along with the soft murmuring of people, creates a great environment to wind down after a busy day.

My personal favorites are the fig cheesecake, checkerboard chocolate cake, and matcha cake with a cute mushroom on top. They all paired very well with a simple English breakfast tea, which is served in a pot — so there’s plenty, even if you’re with company. Mill Hill has recently opened two new locations in the city, which I haven’t personally visited yet, but the quality will probably be very consistent, so just choose the one closest to you.

Open hours: 10:30am-8pm

Price range: 70 yuan/pp

Address: No. 28, Lane 96 Xing’an Rd

EAU

Opened in the early summer, EAU has been one of the most popular cafes on the whole of Yongkang Road, and for a good reason. To start, it is very aesthetically pleasing inside, a warm little retro with a touch of minimalism; it is a perfect place to spend your afternoon. Soft music and big windows only add to the whole vibe of the place, which is great for taking pictures both inside and outside of it.

EAU is known for its pretty delicious cakes. They also seem to be popular with their ice creams, which I haven’t tried for apparent reasons, but I always see patrons eating bowls of it. It is light and airy, with many fresh fruits, and not overly sweet. Honorable mentions are the Americanos and oat milk lattes, very tasty, especially paired with a sweeter dessert.

EAU often has many people sitting inside, not just to eat, drink, and take pictures, but also to see people working on their laptops for hours, so be sure to catch the right time to visit it. It is always quite full by 4pm, so either go in the early afternoon or after 5:30pm.

Open hours: 9:30am-8pm

Price range: 58 yuan/pp

Address: 85 Yongkang Rd

Day Dreaming

Day Dreaming is one of my most visited places — like, ever. First of all, it has two locations a hundred meters away from each other for some reason, but it does come in handy — when one place is packed, you can always check out the other. Then, it is one of the most affordable coffee shops of this kind, with my favorite Americanos costing only 18 yuan. Also, Day Dreaming offers a bunch of sets, like coffee plus a pastry or coffee plus a sandwich (which are quite tasty). Overall, it is a lovely place to hang out with your friends, both in the morning and evening.

Besides being affordable and very convenient, their pastries and desserts are also delicious. Day Dreaming’s specialties are their cannelés (a small French pastry with a caramelized crust and soft, custardy center) and Napoleon cakes. An honorable mention goes to the black sesame croissant–a crunchy croissant with black sesame-flavored, cheesecake-like cream inside (delish).

Open hours: 7:30am-7pm

Price range: 45 yuan/pp

Address: 342 Xiangyang Rd S.

Sloppy Gin

Sloppy Gin is one of those hidden gems in Shanghai, once you discover it, you’d always want to go back. Relaxing, laid-back atmosphere — a unique sighting — in this city. Sloppy Gin’s distinctive interior design gives off something in between a provincial French coffee shop and a homey bakery on the west coast of Washington state.

Now to the goodies, honestly, everything I’ve tried at Sloppy Gin has been amazing. From simple glazed donuts to the amaretto sour donuts, something you don’t see often in Shanghai. From my personal observations, the look of everything feels familiar, perfectly classical. No unnecessary decorations or glazes, yet it is contrasted by complex, well thought-out flavors and textures. My absolute favorites and personal recommendations are mint-chocolate donuts and cinnamon rolls. Now for the drinks, the menu isn’t as extensive, but they have got everything you need. Americano, latte and even hot chocolate, some filter coffee for any coffee snobs as well.

Open hours: 9am-7pm

Price range: 47 yuan/pp

Address: 425 Yanping Rd