Clinics can also serve coffee – Five retro cafes in Dadaocheng

By MOOK Scenic Spots Editorial Team

With the rise of the arts and culture trend, Dadaocheng, an area rich in history and culture, has also seen a wave of old building renovations. More and more spaces such as old apartments and traditional houses have been given new life, transforming into cafes, bookstores, and more. Below are five distinctive cafes in Dadaocheng worth visiting, each offering a surreal feeling of stepping into a different time and space.

1. Bao’an 84 Boan 84
Bao’an 84 is a multifunctional art and cultural space that offers coffee, an art gallery, cultural and creative merchandise, and performance spaces. It was renovated from a surgical clinic hospital dating back to the Japanese colonial period. Bao’an 84 retains the original architectural structure and signage, and its unique nostalgic charm gives visitors the illusion of stepping into a clinic.

2. Modern Mode & Modern Mode Café
The Modern Mode Café is set in a nearly century-old Japanese-style residence. Preserving its vintage form, it has been transformed into a Parisian-style café with a French flair. The café features many antique jewelry pieces collected from around the world, which have been redesigned and presented in a modern style. On your next visit to Dihua Street, why not stop by this café to enjoy authentic French cuisine, coffee, and exquisite handmade desserts?

3. Luguo Cafe
Originating from Guandu, Luguo Cafe’s Dadaocheng branch is hidden within the century-old Western-style building “Watsons Pharmacy,” located in Xiao Yiting. The cafe retains the original red brick flooring and creates a nostalgic atmosphere with warm wooden elements. Luguo Cafe serves its own premium coffee blends as well as fine coffees from around the world, attracting many fans of single-origin coffee.

4. OrigInn Space Dadaocheng
The owner, who loves nostalgia and collecting old items, chose to open a legacy experience in an old house in Dadaocheng. Upon entering, you’ll be greeted by a dazzling array of vintage decorations—all collected from around the world—offering a trip down memory lane.