Located in the famous Columbia Circle, Dawn City Books is the perfect place to spend time catching up on some work or getting lost in a sea of books. Essentially a bookstore, café and restaurant combined, this place has got you covered for all of your needs. This place is also extremely aesthetically pleasing for the design-savy, both inside and outside. Filled with books from corner to corner, with some tables hidden behind the sea of books, it’s a great hide-out to release your inner introvert. The beautiful white staircase inside leads to the second floor which has some comfy couches next to a large window, along with some vintage décor on wooden backdrops that gives the place a 90’s feel to it.

I came in here one afternoon hoping to get some work done and ordered the ham and fried egg sandwich. The set came with a side of salads, your choice of bread (choice of ciabatta, panini or bagel), and was a great fill-me-up for a light lunch or an afternoon snack. The salad was super fresh, the eggs were fried to just the right amount, and the whole wheat panini was a great filler. Feeling healthy and light, I was ready to get on with work.

The plain grilled beef bagel is not a bad choice either, although they lacked a wide variety of bagel options and sauces. I would opt for going to places that specialize in bagels in you happen to have a specific bagel craving, but in any other times when you’re just looking to fill an empty stomach, Dawn City Books perfectly does the job.

This place has definitely became one of my favourite places to chat with friends or spend a quiet afternoon by myself in Shanghai, because no where else beats its great open atmosphere. Overall price for a quick meal is 60-80rmb. Coffee and drinks go for around 30-50 rmb.

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