LE PARLOR Shanghai | A Vintage American-Style Specialty Coffee Bar Worth Traveling For
Toward the end of last year, I went to Shanghai for the CAFEEX exhibition. This edition was held at the Shanghai International Sourcing Exhibition Center, an area that, for me, was still an unexplored corner of the city. Before setting off, I did what I always do: opened my saved list of Shanghai cafés and searched for spots near my destination. Almost instantly, a café I’d bookmarked ages ago rose to the top— LE PARLOR , located at 629 Zhongjiang Road in Putuo District. With Changfeng Park as a reference point, it’s an easy walk away. One trip, two pleasures: the expo and a long-awaited café visit. Even thinking about it felt perfect. Sure enough, the saying “when the time is right, you’ll naturally arrive” felt more true than ever. On weekend mornings, the street where LE PARLOR sits is unusually quiet. What surprised me was that several neighboring shops all shared a distinctly American retro vibe. A nearby barber shop set the tone immediately, pulling me straight into a time ...