Cafe Zarah

Ground zero for Gulou's laptop warriors, Zarah is a stylish hutong hangout adored for its charming staff, good coffee and welcomingly bookish ambience. By day the polished concrete space is all brainstorm meetings, bloggers and brunching mums; after dark it's cocktails and ambient electronic beats. Food is the only weak link, but the German-inspired breakfasts (from ¥65) come with good bread and croissants.