Manner Coffee (Xuhui Binjiang)

Manner Coffee is Shanghai's own coffee success story. The brand was founded in the city in 2015 as a tiny shop of about two square metres and has since grown to hundreds of outlets in malls, office lobbies and street corners across Shanghai, with its 1,000th branch nationwide opening on the North Bund waterfront. It is known for good coffee at low prices and quick service.

Most Manner shops are small counters, but the Xuhui Binjiang branch at 243 Ruining Road is different. Set on the riverside near the Binjiang skateboard park, it spreads over three storeys, with a spacious terrace above the river and comfortable sofa seating inside. The city government's riverside café guide describes it as a local favourite on the Xuhui waterfront, and it is pet friendly, so you may share the terrace with dogs and their owners.

The menu is short and simple. Flat whites and lattes are the staples, and flavoured drinks such as an orange latte and a matcha latte are popular. Low prices are part of the appeal.

This branch suits anyone exploring the Xuhui riverside on foot or by bike, families with children who want to watch the skateboarders, and travellers who want a relaxed coffee with a view rather than a scene. Weekend afternoons are the busiest time on the terrace. Allow 30 minutes to an hour. The city's guide lists opening hours of 8am to 9.30pm daily.

Shanghai had 9,115 coffee shops in 2024, and Manner is one of the brands that grew up with that boom. The city's riverside café guide lists this branch among ten waterside cafés stretching from Suzhou Creek to the Pudong riverfront. Its North Bund sister, the Guoke Binjiang branch, opens from 7.30am on weekdays and 9am at weekends, which suits an early start along the river, while this Xuhui branch opens at 8am every day of the week, and both look out over the Huangpu.

A taxi or ride-hailing car is the simplest way to reach Ruining Road. If you are on the North Bund instead, the Guoke Binjiang branch south of the International Port Building has floor-to-ceiling windows facing the Oriental Pearl Tower.