Théatre opens in Beijing

Restaurant Théatre in Beijing, China — (Image credit: press)

Tea-houses tend to conjure images of musty, hemmed-in rooms overcrowded with shelves of dusty tea tins and jars.

In Théatre, the Shanghai-based Sò Studio has, with consummate ease, ditched all the tired old tropes to conceive, instead, a light, pastel-hued cocoon that, if you didn’t notice the pots of tea on tables, you might otherwise mistake for a swish spa.

Tucked away on the fourth floor of Beijing’s tony Wangfu Central mall, the tea house reveals itself like a slow-burn, its façade of frosted glass panels and creamy drapes opening into an elongated room divided by floating planters, Cassina furniture, and curved walls. Pairing pastry chef Lily Zhang’s delicately wrought orange chiffon cake and and cherry mousse tart is a menu of some 70 teas sourced from plantations in Fujian, Yunan and Dimbula.

Somewhat unexpectedly, a bijou bar sits at the far end of the tea house – a particularly thoughtful alternative should you find yourself in need of a drink stronger than an oolong.

INFORMATION

Website

ADDRESS

404C
4th floor
East Block
Wangfu Central
269 Wangfujing Street

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Daven Wu is the Singapore Editor at Wallpaper*. A former corporate lawyer, he has been covering Singapore and the neighbouring South-East Asian region since 1999, writing extensively about architecture, design, and travel for both the magazine and website. He is also the City Editor for the Phaidon Wallpaper* City Guide to Singapore.