STAIR COFFEE Qiandao Lake｜The Only Specialty Coffee Shop Worth Visiting in Thousand Island Lake

 Not long ago, I went to Qiandao Lake to enjoy the autumn scenery during the off-peak travel season. Even though it was already winter, this year Hangzhou had been unusually slow to turn cold. To me, the low season is actually the right way to experience Qiandao Lake. The trees shift through layers of color, and the lake and mountains reveal nature at its most effortless. From the moment I stepped out of the high-speed rail station, even the air felt more “health-boosting” than Hangzhou’s—haha. It’s an ideal destination for a quiet weekend escape.

Whenever I travel to an unfamiliar city, one of my rituals is to seek out local coffee shops. For me, cafés are a kind of unspoken link between myself and a city. This habit has become deeply ingrained in how I travel—it’s a way of getting closer to local culture and creating a personal, irreplaceable memory of a place. That said, based on everything I could find beforehand, there was only one café in Qiandao Lake that truly felt worth visiting. If you ask me why, I’ll be very direct: aside from the usual commercial chains, most independent cafés here still operate in a “scenic-spot style”—they sell location and atmosphere, not coffee.

That’s why a small shop that genuinely commits to long-term thinking and to cultivating a specialty coffee community feels especially precious. You can’t help but think that without real conviction and ideals, no one would choose to walk such a determined path. After my own careful selection, this visit felt all the more meaningful. So today, let me share what I consider the guiding light of Qiandao Lake’s café scene—the lone standout. It’s STAIR COFFEE (Toppo Coffee), located at No. 16-3 Qilong Alley, within the Qiandao Lake Scenic Area.

Qilong Alley itself carries many memories of everyday life for locals. Though it has been developed into a commercial street, its layered, vertical layout still retains a hint of that lively, street-level energy—almost like a miniature Chongqing. STAIR COFFEE opened in 2020, which already makes it something of a veteran. Because the space is vertically arranged, make sure your navigation is accurate when you come—I personally confirmed the location by spotting the street-side sign. A tiny detour, but nothing major.

The sign at the entrance—“Chun’an Qiandao Lake Toppo Coffee”—looks almost like a plaque from a government office, instantly adding a touch of seriousness (which I found kind of funny). The shop itself is quite spacious, and perhaps because it sits alongside a staircase, it has a perfectly fitting name and logo: STAIR COFFEE. The interior is divided into two main areas. The front space features the bar, a few two-seat tables, and a shared seating area. Deeper inside, there’s a larger, more private zone designed for relaxed breaks, with looser, more laid-back seating. This is also where the owner roasts beans day to day. There’s no flashy décor—just a sense of natural ease and openness. As a “third space,” it feels like a small living room that brings together people who happen to cross paths.

The menu pricing is incredibly friendly. Despite years of industry chatter about rising green bean costs, some café owners continue to “do charity work” by refusing to raise prices—and this is exactly where the glow and value of a true neighborhood café shine through. The shop keeps three to four espresso options on rotation. I started with an SOE Flat White made from Ethiopian Yirgacheffe beans from the Konga region. These days, when people talk about Ethiopian coffee, regions like Bensa or Alo come up far more often. But the classic, terroir-driven regions that have delivered consistent quality for years deserve even more appreciation. In my book, Konga absolutely earns its place. When I learned that this SOE came from the Konga Cooperative, I gave the owner a big thumbs up and said, “Yeah—you really know how to choose your beans.”

This Flat White was a joy. After drinking so many Ethiopian milk coffees that instantly scream familiar citrus-and-cream notes, having something a little different makes those distinctions stand out immediately. Compared to more typical natural Ethiopian SOEs, this one leaned toward layered stone-fruit notes—grapefruit and citrus marmalade—adding depth and complexity. In a milk drink, that’s a huge plus. Those flavors cut cleanly through the sweetness and creaminess of the milk, creating something closer to a fruit milkshake with lively, expressive layers, while still retaining the body a Flat White should have. It was clean, balanced, and incredibly satisfying—honestly, the best compliment is to just drink it down in one go.

Another thing that truly surprised me was that one of the regular espresso offerings was a decaf—a Swiss Water Process coffee from Colombia. I’ve always been a bit skeptical of Swiss Water decaf; in my experience, it often carries a strange, hard-to-describe off note. Still, I figured it was time to give it another chance after all these years, so I boldly ordered a hot Americano with it.

To my surprise, the flavor was impressively clean and well-structured. The base leaned toward dark chocolate, lifted by a touch of citrus acidity. There were also subtle grain-like, roasted notes—almost like toasted bread. Nothing odd or distracting, just a gentle, approachable profile. The finish even carried a maple-syrup-like sweetness. What pleased me most was the body: traditionally, Swiss Water decafs tend to feel thin, but this Americano retained good oils, aroma, and mouthfeel. It turns out Swiss Water processing has really improved.

As I chatted with the owner and sipped my coffee, he kept making pour-overs for me—this kind of generous “feeding” is something community cafés everywhere seem to share, and it always makes me feel spoiled. Whether natural or washed, you could clearly sense his roasting philosophy: clarity, cleanliness, and high sweetness. There’s something almost magical about it—you just can’t stop drinking. The coffees are incredibly easy to enjoy, and this flavor framework brings out exactly what the terroir wants to express.

Back to my opening thought: being a kind of coffee evangelist in a small town isn’t easy—some might even call it overly idealistic. But that’s precisely why it feels so valuable. Next time you visit Qiandao Lake, beyond the famous fish head dishes and scenic views, try exploring its less touristy side. STAIR COFFEE might just give you one of the most memorable moments of your trip.