Perk Co. 破壳咖啡

A well-designed coffee shop situated at the entrance of Taiping Village (or 太平古镇) which is located on the west side of Yangcheng Lake in Suzhou. It is not conveniently located in the city center exactly. Indeed you would likely only visit this coffee shop on a half-day trip to the old village, which is in itself a charming and interesting place to explore. If you do trek out to Taiping Village, this coffee shop is one of the must-visit destinations.

The coffee shop itself is perched on the edge of a small river with water lilies and boasts excellent views of the water town. The coffee here is very good. They have rotating specialty coffees, prepared with a high degree of artistry by talented baristas; for example, on my first visit, I had an autumn-themed special coffee called Tomato on the Crossbeam, made with the essence of fresh cherry tomatoes and topped with a slice of dried plum. The coffee was hand-brewed with Kenyan beans, with a slow-cooked homemade perilla syrup, and had oolong tea flavors.

The vibe here is young, hip, and relaxed. They often play lo-fi beats, downtempo music, or classical lo-fi in the background. I’d happily sit here for a few hours on a laptop working, or just sit back and enjoy the view from their viewing deck. They sometimes use the space for events and parties, but I suspect this isn’t something that happens daily. If you chat to the barista or owner (in Chinese), you can find out more about happenings at the space.

If you have some free time and decide to make the journey to Perk Co., you will find a hidden gem of a coffee shop – probably the best in Suzhou, and even rivalling the best specialty coffee shops in neighboring Shanghai. I’d recommend getting here via a Didi after searching for “Poke Coffee (PERK Co.)”.

^{* This listing was updated on 20 October 2024 and the information at the time of writing was accurate. Please look them up on 大众点评 for the most up-to-date information.}