Carrie at the Café: Time Free

21 May 2025 17:29
matcheslit: Coffee cups on a table (coffee)

Location: Wu Da Dao area in Tianjin, China

Hours: MTWRFSaSu 10:00-19:00

First Impression: Time Free cafe is on the edge of Wu Da Dao and easy to find. It’s on the second floor and has lots of seating. You’ll first notice all the decorations in the cafe—pictures, knick knacks, old cases and classic furniture. It’s very cozy.

Environment ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
The environment is a little crowded. There are too many tables and chairs in such a small space. It’s hard to navigate and you feel far too close to the person next to you. It does have a small terrace for outside relaxation, but it seems like only one group of friends can sit out there at a time. It’s dark, but each table has its own lamp for work or study, and the decorations are really pretty.

Food & Drink ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
The coffee is fine—it wasn’t brewed hot enough for me. I had a "blue velvet" coconut latte and the flavor was nice. The options are plenty, though, and the prices are about the same as other cafes in the area. There are options for snacks, but I didn’t try any of them.

Service ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Service is fine—nothing bad to say, but nothing particularly great either. There is one barista working, but not a lot of customers coming and going. At other cafes, I'm usually offered water while staying for a long time, but I wasn't.

Netizen Friendly ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
The tables are great for online work or study, fitting a laptop and/or books. There are plenty of outlets and free wifi. There is a bathroom, too, so it’s not too inconvenient to stay for a long time.

Overall ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Time Free cafe is just fine. It’s worth checking out if you’re exploring the city or need a place to study or work for a few hours. But even on the weekday, it felt crowded because of how close tables are together. It’s cozy, but stuffy. There are other cafes in the area that I prefer.
 

( Photos from Time Free )

 

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Carrie at the Café: Doutor

1 May 2025 10:15
matcheslit: Coffee cups on a table (coffee)
Location: Kita Ward, Osaka, Japan

Hours: 7:00-22:00 MTWRF and 7:30-22:00 SaSu

First Impression: Doutor is a chain coffee shop with a fresh and inviting atmosphere, located near the Osaka railway station. It’s down a small alley and not too crowded in the morning. Customers are mostly businessmen who may or not be traveling to or from the city, some working on laptops while they enjoy their coffee.

Environment ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
The environment is clean and the space is large. I was surprised to find a smoking room on the second floor. There are plenty of seating options—including a sort of tech bar, which is basically a bar with outlets available for phones and laptops.

Food & Drink ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Doutor has breakfast and lunch options as well as good coffee. I enjoyed a cinnamon coffee for less than 600 yen (but then there are service fees, of course). Compared to other cafes in the area, the coffee is cheaper.

Service ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
The staff are friendly and maintain a clean restaurant. If not serving customers, they are checking the second floor for any left behind trash. They will offer an English menu if they see you’re struggling with Japanese (which I was) and the barista who took my order could speak English very well!

Netizen Friendly ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Free wifi, outlets, and a bathroom is all you need to keep me happy! Doutor has all three including plenty of simple food options in case you get hungry. I’m not a smoker, but there’s even a smoking room.

Overall ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
The location is ideal for anyone traveling to/from Osaka Station in Umeda. However, what brought me here was a needed break from shopping, and it’s perfect for that, too. Compared to the other cafe options in the area, it’ll be less crowded and more netizen friendly. I know this because I had made three stops before finally settling here to write—other places did not have the menu I’d like, were too crowded, weren’t open even yet (~8:30 AM), and/or didn’t have the best set up for a laptop. If you’re in the area looking to sit on your computer for a bit, check out Doutor.

( Photos )
  • Listening to the album: Stick Season by Noah Kahan
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Carrie at the Café: origin coffee

22 April 2025 13:36
matcheslit: Coffee cups on a table (coffee)
Location: Wudadao Area, Heping District, Tianjin, China

Hours: 11:00-19:00 MTWRFSaSu

First Impression: Origin coffee is a small coffee shop with a simple store front and simpler furniture. It has the basics and doesn’t really venture outside of the bare necessities for a café. You can find it online easily because of its Instagram-worthy drink and dessert presentation.

Environment ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
It’s a small cafe that isn’t crowded on the weekdays. It’s a great place to socialize with friends, and it also has table space for working alone. The decorations are simple, save for the collection of wine bottles on the shelves. The music is a little loud for an otherwise quiet weekday, but the music choice is mellow and relaxing. The best part of the second floor, though, is the huge sliding windows. On a day like the one I visited (sunny, 23°C, light breezes), you MUST take advantage of the fresh air.

Food & Drink ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Origin offers desserts and coffee, including limited drinks that change every season. It’s spring now, so I enjoyed a plum latte (an Americano variant is available, but I prefer milk 9/10 times). It’s fresh tasting and not too sweet, making for a perfect afternoon pick-me-up. I also had the tiramisu—also not too sweet and the coffee flavor is mixed with cake an alcohol in a balanced and delicious way. There is also a water station with cups and water so that you can stay hydrated.

Service ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
The barista is straight forward but not rude. When I was looking at the menu, she pointed out which coffees are currently sold out so I didn’t get my hopes up too high. After taking my order, I only waited about five minutes before she brought the coffee and cake up stairs. Then I was left alone to relax on my own.

Netizen Friendly ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Origin has it all: fast wifi, outlets, laptop friendly tables, and a clean bathroom. On a weekend, it will be far too crowded to get work or studying done, but for a student or remote worker, it’s the perfect place to get some work done during a week day.

Overall ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I love origin coffee!! The dessert and coffee options are limited, but time and care goes into them. The environment is chill and relaxing—completely stress free. If I had one complaint, it’s that the music is too loud for me as I prefer my own playlists, but noise cancelling headphones make it doable. There are a lot of coffee shops in the area to compete with, but origin has the advantages of a quieter street, its own bathroom, and gorgeous second floor windows.

( Photos )
  • Listening to the album: Midnights by Taylor Swift
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Carrie at the Café: T-Cafe

17 April 2025 15:37
matcheslit: Coffee cups on a table (coffee)
T-Cafe

Location: Jinyi Park, Hedong District, Tianjin, China

Hours: MTWRFSaSu 8:30-18:00

First Impressions: T-Cafe is built in place of an old factory, and some of its history is preserved as pieces in and around the cafe. It has a really unique atmosphere and lots of space to walk around and explore.

Netizen Friendly ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
There are a lot of laptop-friendly seating and outlets near most, if not all, of the tables. The WiFi is stable and fast enough for standard work--I was able to stream and play games that aren't demanding with no problem. There is also a clean bathroom to use if you'll be there for a long time.

Environment ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
While often crowded, the cafe is huge with generous amount of sitting space both inside and outside. Outside, the sitting areas are protected from the sun and the view includes a public fountain. It’s very relaxing and beautiful! That said, it is a big cafe and sometimes there is trash left on tables if staff aren’t attentive enough.

Food & Drink ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
The coffee is brewed a little bitter, but the cake is good. There are also options for food, such as fries, chicken wings, and pasta (that I have not tried). I've tried the osmanthus dirty, osmanthus latte, and the mocha. I prefer the mocha. Prices are fair and lower than cafés toward the center of the city with a medium latte being 26 RMB and an Americano being 18 RMB.

Service ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Service is always friendly and attentive. You are supposed to listen for your finished order to be called and go collect it, but the staff will bring it to you if they are not too busy—which is appreciated! You need to ask for water if you want it

X-Factor ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
It’s really cool to use an old factory as a cafe and it keeps pieces of the history displayed in the cafe like a mini-musuem. In Tianjin, it is also hard to find cafes that open before 9 AM, so it’s really nice that this one opens at 8:30 for people who prefer an early start to their day.

Overall ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
While the coffee is just okay, the cake is really delicious. Ultimately, the café is a fantastic spot to study or work during the week. The tables are large and there are even more private places to sit if you need a quieter space. For students or digital nomads, there are few places that offer so much comfortable space. You can find photos of T-Cafe under the cut.


( Photos of T-Cafe )
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Carrie
Subway Witch

June 2025

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