Cafe of the week: innisfree Green Cafe

Innisfree’s three-storey outlet on Nanjing Dong Lu is hard to miss with its floor-to-ceiling windows and large white-on-green sign. But if you've just ventured in looking for their skincare products, you may not have noticed their bright, cosy cafe hidden on the second and third floors.

Innisfree is a Korean cosmetics brand known for using mostly natural, organic ingredients from Jeju island in its products. The cafe’s drinks and desserts follow the company’s branding and are mostly made with Jeju’s organic green tea.

Their desserts range from shaved ice to cakes to ice cream and cake pops. The Jeju Olle cake pops (12RMB each) are made in five flavours: mango, almond, strawberry, green tea pistachio and green tea cranberry. We like the green tea pistachio version, which features a green tea-flavoured cake ball covered in white chocolate and then topped with crushed pistachios. The slightly crunchy and sweet exterior pairs well with the otherwise dry and crumbly cake.

Another cake offered here is their Jeju Hallasan cake (40RMB), served in green tea or honey flavours, which you can decorate on your own with green tea cream and custard cream. We also recommend the Jeju Oreum ice cream (28RMB), a perfect summer treat full of strong green tea flavour.

There's also an extensive drinks menu that includes Innisfree's signature green tea latte, sparkling juice, fair trade coffee and frappes. For a refreshing treat, order their sparkling juice (34RMB), available in four flavours. Served in a conical flask, it comes with a frozen ice lolly with fruit bits in it.

However, skip the cloud chocolate special green tea latte (34RMB), topped with a ball of white candy floss; the milky taste overpowers both the green tea and chocolate to make for a disappointing sip.

Located on one of the busiest streets in Shanghai, this cafe is a great weekday afternoon hideaway that offers decent sweet treats and people-watching views on the second floor.

Innisfree is at 299 Nanjing Dong Lu, near Henan Zhong Lu, Huangpu district.