Though replete with cafes, Shanghai is still lacking in serious, high quality coffee. Sumerian, which opened this past summer in Jing’An District, successfully fills that void with its emphasis on Fair Trade beans and sophisticated brewing techniques. All of the beans are roasted in-house by owner David Seminsky, ensuring a fresh, high quality cup of coffee.
Upon walking into Sumerian, patrons are greeted with a sunny, clean, modern interior. The main counter is lined with Japanese siphons, which slowly drip intense cold brews, perfect for iced coffee. There is also a small pastry case filled with delectable looking baked goods, some of which are imported from the U.S.
On all of my visits to Sumerian, I ordered the Kyoto ice drip coffee (RMB 32). Smooth and light, with pronounced chocolate flavors and subtle sweetness, it was the perfect iced coffee. Even now that I am back in Philly, the land of La Colombe, I still dream about the Kyoto iced coffee from Sumerian.
Though coffee junkies like me are certainly willing to pay a premium for great coffee, many customers in Shanghai are more reluctant. In an effort to educate their customer base on the virtues of third wave coffee, Sumerian offers weekly cupping classes on Saturday afternoons, from 12-2pm. Cupping, which is very popular here in the States, is quite rare in Shanghai, and I’m really glad that Sumerian provides this service. For coffee geeks seeking serious coffee in Shanghai, look no further than Sumerian.
Sumerian
415 Shanxi Bei Lu, near Beijing Xi Lu
陕西北路415号,近北京西路
136-2174-0969
The Unpaid Gourmet 