1984 Bookstore & Cafe

Top choice in French Concession


Big Brother might be watching, but he'd be hard-pressed to find you in this hidden nook of a bookshop-cafe off Hunan Rd. There's no sign, just a metal gate, and you'll need to buzz to get in. Once inside, there's a cosy room with exposed brick walls and a fantastic outdoor courtyard garden; perfect for breakfast or a coffee stop.

It stocks a good range of English and Chinese books (yes, you can pick up a copy of 1984), canvas tote bags, records and cute notebooks. It also serves smoothies, tea and beer.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby French Concession attractions

1. Ba Jin’s Former Residence

0.1 MILES

This charming little pebble-dash residence with a delightful garden is where the acclaimed author Ba Jin (1904–2005) lived from 1955 to the mid-1990s. Ba…

2. Shanghai Library

0.15 MILES

This is China’s largest public library, with a copy of Rodin’s sculpture The Thinker plonked outside. For a postmodern white-tile building, it is actually…

3. Ferguson Lane

0.23 MILES

On those rare days when Shanghai’s skies are cloud-free, the chic Ferguson Lane courtyard fills up in the blink of an eye with boutique browsers, latte…

4. Leo Gallery

0.23 MILES

Spread across two buildings in the charming Ferguson Lane complex, the Leo Gallery focuses on works by young Chinese artists.

5. Wukang Road Tourist Information Centre

0.25 MILES

On one of the area’s best-preserved streets, this centre displays scale-model concession buildings, photos of historic Shanghai architecture and maps for…

6. Soong Qingling’s Former Residence

0.33 MILES

Built in the 1920s by a Greek shipping magnate, this quiet building became home to Soong Qingling, wife of Dr Sun Yatsen, from 1948 to 1963. Size up two…

7. Shanghai Camera History Museum

0.36 MILES

One for diehard vintage camera fans, this museum displays cameras from the 20th century, including old folding models from the 1920s and ’30s as well as a…

8. Community Church

0.37 MILES

Shanghai’s largest and most popular, this nondenominational ivy-cloaked church was built in 1924. There are no cheesy Chinese Catholic frills and the…