Beijing in 2015 is not exactly short of places peddling coffee every which way, so we like to seek out venues with a bit of personality to accompany our brew. With the recent opening of Living Room Coffee, there is a least one more reason to visit Dazhalan to get your caffeine fix.

Set in a 70-year-old courtyard residence on a quiet hutong just north of the comparative hustle and bustle of Yangmeizhu Xiejie, Living Room Coffee’s Singaporean proprietors have converted the formerly cluttered dwelling into an airy open space with a large communal table that opens out into a corridor/coffee bar area underneath a glassed-in roof. There is a small, plant-filled courtyard for smokers (or, you know, to enjoy good weather).

They have kept things simple, both in terms of design (your standard polished concrete and reclaimed wood), and in terms of menu, the latter featuring a short selection of espresso-based coffees and seasonal coffee variants such as Singaporean kopi (depending on whether the owners have had chance to visit home and buy some).

The coffee, which is a blend of Kenyan, Rwandan, and Brazilian beans, is roasted on site in a vintage roaster that takes pride of place across from the bar. The result of that careful roasting is an espresso that starts out bright and fruity on the palate, before smoothing out into some rich chocolate notes. Speaking of chocolate, if all that coffee has given you the shakes, they have a variable selection of homemade cakes available for around RMB 30 a slice.

Photos courtesy of Living Room Coffee