Although part of the CITIC Plaza, Backstreet is a curiously quirky corridor that stretches from one tower to the next and goes underneath the car park. It seems to be aimed at a more younger and cheaper audience, and contains about 20 or so shops and restaurants that range from a stationers to jewellery shops to a Japanese restaurant.
For expats Backstreet is of particular interest because of Corner's Deli, a large speciality food store that caters for Westerners and Japanese.
Located within Yuexiu Park, the Zhenhai Tower sits atop the last remaining piece of Guangzhou's city wall. The tower was originally built in 1380 during the Ming dynasty, and has been the focus of much upheaval, resulting in the tower being destroyed and rebuilt a total of five times. It was last occupied by both the British and French during the Opium war, and was chosen for its super view of the city, as well as (on those rare clear days) views of Baiyun Mountain.
The tower is now known as the Guangzhou Museum, and contains over 2000 years of Guangzhou history. The tower is one of the cities landmark sites, and certainly one of it's most popular tourist attractions.
As one of the oldest and largest parks in Guangzhou, Yuexiu Gonguan has the distinction of also containing some of the cities most important historic monuments. Spread over 212 acres it contains seven hills and three artificial lakes, as well as a swimming pool, boating & fishing lake, gymnasium, restaurants, Yuexiu Mountain Stadium, and the usual assortment of restaurants and cafes. Highlights of the park include:
Sweden's very own behemoth furniture store arrived in Guangzhou in 2005 and has become a firm favourite with both locals and expats alike. The store follows the standard Ikea design, and you are ushered upstairs into the 'showroom' area, before making your way back downstairs into the shop area (you can take a short cut to the shop by taking the first door on your left in the showroom).
The store contains a cafe, with some very basic foods, along with a food shop selling cheap ice cream, hot dogs, and assorted Swedish snacks.
After a slow start we've been busy updating a lot of the information and adding brand-spanking new Google Satellite maps. These are particularly useful as not only can you see where a place is, but you can also see surrounding landmarks. For categories this then allows you to see all pages in a category. For example, want to see all known cafes in Guangzhou? Go to the cafes category page.
Guangzhou's blossoming middle class has resulted in an explosion of foreign-styled cafes, and Friends Daily is no exception. As well as offering a well-styled place to sit and relax, Friends Daily also has a selection of imported foods and wines, as well as free internet access.
While the quality of other items may be high, the Hot Chocolate is not and was almost undrinkable. The staff, while pleasant, did not seem to care.
User Rating: 
Zinc Cafe & Bar is a modern international-style establishment with a wide variety of drinks, snacks made with the finest ingredients and new music from all over the western world. They regularly hold special events.
Nice stylish cafe, good food, good music!
Lucy's Cafe & Restaurant is an established Western-style restaurant in the old Shamian district of Guangzhou. They serve everything from burgers to pasta to Tex-mex, and portions are large.
Facing the Pearl River it is also ideally located.
Ten Cafe is another fancy cafe trying to tempt you with it’s drinks and desserts. It has a classical elegant look, without being overwhelming, and makes a nice spot for a romantic Tête-a-Tête, or just to simply read a book without disturbance.
Miya is a small Japanese-style coffee house that is noted for the quality of coffee, made with beans from around the world.
Prices are high, and quality is average. Although the interior is pleasant, given the abundance of good coffee shops in Guangzhou, Miya is in serious need of updating.
Wall Cafe is a cozy cafe located behind the Garden Hotel. Coffee, jazz music, 3 or 4 tables. What more can be said?
Although the interior is good, the exterior is looking very battered and in serious need of repair. Don't let this put you off though!
Kevin’s Cafe is a rare treasure in Guangzhou’s cafe scene. It is both quiet and comfortable, without ever feeling intimidating. Decorated like a colonial British clubhouse with wooden floors, large leather sofas and chairs, and a full sized piano, it somehow manages to stay hidden amongst Jian She’s more flashy places. However, what was once an exclusive atmosphere is starting to show a bit of wear-and-tear, and is looking a little rough around the edges if you look close enough.
You know the drill here. Häagen-Dazs, purveyor of expensive and desirable ice cream, have setup shop in Guangzhou. Its next to impossible to buy Häagen-Dazs in shops so these cafes are likely to be your only locations when an ice cream binge hits you.
Fruity Mix is certainly one of the healthiest cafes in Guangzhou, serving up a huge range of fruit-based drinks and food. The environment is equally fruity, with bold and colourful chairs and tables, as well as pictures of fruit on the walls.
Everything on the menu contains fruit, in one form or another. Ever fancied a strawberry pizza? What about a fried rice with kiwi? This is certainly the place to come if you want to try something unusual and you'll probably be surprised at how good some of the more exotic combinations are.
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