Sculpting In Time (Diaoke Shiguang), Beijing

This café in the student district of Wudaokou near the high-technology zone Zhong Guan Cun has a bar in the back and small tables in the front. Walls are lined with books, and the café boasts an impressive international CD collection. It is this down-to-earth, laid-back atmosphere that attracts Chinese, Japanese, expats and Western students for conversation and study. Occasional showings of foreign films add to the artistic atmosphere. The menu offers coffee drinks, sandwiches and impressively tasty pastas. A recent addition to the menu includes crepes. Most items are CNY20-30. The combination of CNY10 coffee and wifi will keep you here for hours.