Lonely Planet Review

This popular Western cafe also has a small hostel with excellent-value rooms. There are only a handful of beds; the singles in particular are a steal. It's located just behind the City Café itself.

More of a no-frills B&B than an actual hotel, the City Café is very much a family-run place. Follow Grandpa Chen as he shuffles slowly through the kitchen and out the back door, pausing for breath on the staircase, before finally unlocking the door to your room several minutes later. (Ask for a key if you don't want to go through this each time). Everything is basic at best, though the place does have an odd sort of Bukowskian charm. If you plan on chain-smoking till dawn while watching Kunmíng street life and working on your next novel, this is your spot. The cafe has bicycle hire and a useful travel agency.