As a long-time expat here, there are a few landmarks that immediately trigger the comfort sigh. One of those is The South German Bakery on Lucky Street. It’s a stalwart feature of that strip and the best place in Beijing for real cheesecake.
Lucky Street is the short strip of shops on the west side of the road off of Liangmaqiao Road before arriving at Solana (on the east side). Within that strip, among other establishments, are several Japanese restaurants, a Korean BBQ, a health food store, a long-standing American bar and, of course, The South German Bakery, also known as Cafe Konstanz and Bodenseestube.
I have known about this place for a long time. I visit about twice a year to ogle over the baked goods but to invariably emerge with nothing more than a slice of their delectable, real, baked cheesecake—a very rare find in the city.
They also have great breads and ready-made sandwiches available, as well as a full restaurant menu and extensive seating upstairs. They are well-known for their weekend brunches, I’m told.
Before leaving, I had a look at the strudel. I’m not German by decent, but this looks like authentic strudel to me. I didn’t buy any, though. Not this time. Maybe in the spring I’ll be more adventurous and emerge with more than just cheesecake! Until then, I am heading home for some comfort food.
Photos: Courtesy of Ember Swift
