In traditional Cantonese “Yum Cha” (morning tea) culture, people usually order a cup of tea and two dishes of dim sum. Other than drinking tea in a traditional dim sum restaurant, there are many trendy coffee shops that provide more options for coffee lovers in Liwan District, Guangzhou. 

If you are wandering around Yongqing Fang, you will likely enter the surrounding areas of Liwan Lake and Pantang Wuyue. The historic old street has been restored with new vitality, but the familiar feeling of the neighbourhood remains. In Episode Three of Liwan Coffee Map, we will experience the Cantonese style of leisure by exploring coffee shops in these places.

The large outdoor space near the coffee shop is perfect for guests to sit. Whether there are empty seats inside the coffee shops, customers drink their coffee while walking on the street or spontaneously sit on the stone benches on the street side, quietly meditating.

Lake Soul Coffee—— Making very deep roast coffee that challenges the mainstream.

Add.: No. 82 Pantang Wuyue Waijie, Liwan District (荔湾区泮塘五约外街82号)

Time: 13:00-18:00 (Except Wednesday)

The leisurely pace of life in Liwan has attracted many young people to start their businesses. The coffee shop owner of Lake Soul Coffee is one of them.

There are few options on the menu, but all drinks are exceptional. At a time when most people prefer Cinnamon roast beans, Lake Soul Coffee will provide you with a cup of extremely deep-roast Brazilian Cerrado.

We highly recommend ordering Dirty if you want to taste the multiple flavours of deep-roast coffee.

The taste of liquid coffee dominates the first sip, and then comes the intense aroma of smoke and wood. The coffee combines with the milk in the second sip, and the taste is slightly balanced. The coffee taste gradually fades till the last drop of the drink, leaving the aroma of black cocoa lingering in the mouth, bringing an exciting and satisfying experience.

Kun Coffee—— Enjoy Cantonese leisure daily in a quiet community.

Add.:No. 35 Bungalow, Shiji Road, Zhongshan 8th Road, Liwan District （荔湾区中山八路石路基平房35）

Time: Monday to Friday 8:30-18:00, Saturday to Sunday 10:00-18:00

KUN COFFEE is a family-owned coffee shop run by a couple. It is located in the Zhoumen community, opposite a middle school, and it is easy to find if you walk along Pantang Road in the north direction.

If you look through the folding window, the bar is as well-equipped and organised as the kitchen at home, and a few round tables form a cosy little living room.

They use household mugs to make drinks for dine-in guests. The signature sea salt caramel latte is the most popular among regular customers. The smooth foam on the drink yells at the customer that the coffee must be tasty.

When you gulp a mouthful of coffee, the dense milk foam and mellow milk fill the mouth. The sea salt gently melts in the coffee, and the slightly salty taste lingers in the mouth.

4-5 pm is the time for school dismissal, when the quiet community becomes lively, filling with children’s voices.

When sitting on the stool of Kun Coffee and sipping a cup of coffee, you will temporarily enjoy the Cantonese style of leisure time.

Goghost Trading House——An inner lane hidden in an inner lane.

Add.:No.201, Longyuan Xinyi Lane 21, Liwan District (荔湾区龙源新一巷21号201)

Time: 13:30-21:00

Chen Clan Academy is one of Guangzhou’s most popular tourist spots. But more excitement comes from exploring a hidden coffee shop nearby the Mecca for other common tourists.

The location of Goghost Trading House is too private that new guests are very likely to get lost even following the navigation. The most common social media comment is, “How good the coffee has to be to make me find here?”

They started a business here because a friend of the owner has another shop in the same building, so they are always company with each other.

Even the name of the store is playful. “Go Ghost” means “hit the ghost” with a humorous feeling. If reading it in Cantonese, it sounds like “Kau Kau Si.” The funny pronunciation expresses a subtle and playful attitude.

Although the location is difficult to find, no one who has visited will be disappointed.

The most popular item in the store is the Special Silly Boy Water 3.0. The medium roast Indonesian beans have a dry flavour of shredded chilli and a lively taste from the tonic water and floating lemon leaves, which awakens people’s moods during the sleepy season.