Xidi ( ) Menu Coffee & Tea
Our inspiration for the name Van Gogh Coffee came from visiting the cafe in Arles in Provence, southern France, where the Dutch painter Vincent Van Gogh did some of his best work. It was in Arles in 1888 and 1889 that Van Gogh reached the peak of his career and produced some of his best loved work. Far from the rain and clouds of his native Holland, in Arles the clear night skies and bright blue sunny days seem to have leaked on to his canvas, giving us the bright blues and yellows that we associate with Van Gogh. When he went to the cafe in Arles, Vincent was so poor that he could only afford to drink coffee and seldom had money for luxuries such as food. He sold only one painting in his entire life, without the support of friends and his brother Theo, he probably would have starved to death. No one wanted to buy his paintings, preferring more traditional painters, yet even though critics insulted him and his work when he was alive, Vincent's "Portrait of Dr Gachet" sold for to a Japanese paper manufacturing company in 1990 and is the sixth most expensive painting ever sold. It was also in Arles that Vincent began to break down, probably from stress and his failure to sell the paintings that he loved so much. It was in Arles that he cut off part of his left ear after an argument with his friend, the French painter Gauguin and within a year he had killed himself by shooting himself in the chest with a revolver. One small blessing from his suicide is that he stayed alive for one day, just long enough for his brother Theo to visit him where he found Vincent sitting up in bed smoking a pipe. Within hours of Theo saying goodbye, his brother Vincent was dead. From Arles and Vincent we have been lucky enough to be blessed with paintings like <Wheatfield with Crows>,<Vase With Twelve Sunflowers>, <Café Terrace At Night>, <The Starry Night> and <The Longlois Bridge At Arles>. Vincent often visited the cafe to drink coffee and absinthe to provide rest and inspiration before continuing with his painting. The clean air and sunny skies in Xidi are very similar to what you will find in Arles, so salute Van Gogh and be inspired to keep persevering and trying to create, no matter what it is you are trying to accomplish.
Van Gogh Espresso Set ( + / + / ) Van Gogh Espresso only or Take way 36.00/cup Espresso is the heart of all full flavoured coffee and is enjoyed on its own or as the base for latte, cappuccino and many other coffee drinks. Espresso is made by forcing steam through finely ground coffee beans to produce its characteristic deep black colour and the rich crema or cream that floats on top. Espresso was invented in Turin, Italy in 1884 by Angelo Moriondo. "Espresso" means either "quick" or "made expressly for you. Our Van Gogh Espresso combines Italian Espresso with Chinese fine porcelain which is carefully selected from Jingdezhen China and photographed by the owner, Mr Mike Shanley. Angelo Moriondo 7-8 15 92 15 30, Espresso Cream Espresso Mike Shanley
British Lipton Royal Ceylon Tea Set ( + / + 1 ) Royal Ceylon tea is a full flavoured tea made from a blend of black teas from Ceylon (present day Sri Lanka). Tea in Ceylon was originally grown by the British from a plant they took there from China in 1824. So when you drink this tea, you are really drinking Chinese history. This tea can be enjoyed black or with a little milk and sugar. Ceylon 1824 Ceylon,
Van Gogh Cappuccino ( + / + / ) Van Gogh Cappuccino only or Take way 36.00/cup Cappuccino is one of the most popular coffee drinks in the world. We make it by pouring a shot of hot espresso into a cup, followed by hot milk topped by milk foam. "Cappuccino" is an Italian word and gets its name from the colour of the brown robes and hoods or "capuchin" worn by an order of monks in 16th century Italy who were influenced by the 13th century monk, Saint Francis of Assisi. Saint Francis was famous for rejecting all forms of enjoyment and comfort, including shoes, but we like to think that he would have enjoyed a hot cup of our Van Gogh cappuccino, especially presented in our unique Jingdezhen porcelain collection. 16 Capuchin 13
British Lipton Orange Jaipur Tea Set ( + / + 1 ) One of our most popular black teas, Lipton Orange Jaipur is a finely balanced blend of teas from Ceylon and India infused with the fragrance of orange citrus to give a light, aromatic flavour that cools in summer and warms in winter. Try it on its own or with a little sugar.
Van Gogh Latte + / + / ) Van Gogh Latte only or Take way 36.00/cup Latte is the short form of "caffe latte" in Italian and means "coffee milk". It is made with a shot of espresso topped by hot milk. It is similar to a cappuccino but without the foam and is often drunk with a biscuit or cake as the full coffee flavour seems to combine all the flavours together. Caffe Latte
British Lipton Russian Earl Grey Tea Set ( + / ) + 1 We have selected our Russian Earl Grey tea because of its distinctive, complex flavour. In addition to the Italian bergamot orange rind found in all Earl Grey teas, this tea also has a mixture of lemon peel and flower petals blended with the black tea to give it a rich, satisfying taste that you will enjoy either on its own or with sugar.
Van Gogh Filtered Coffee Set Van Gogh Filtered Coffee only or Take way 36.00/cup Our filtered coffee is made with clear filtered Xidi spring water using a drip filter system to extract the full flavour of our Kenyan Arabica coffee beans. Filtered coffee is preferred by coffee lovers who want a milder taste, rather than the full force of a robust espresso. It is for relaxing and enjoying the view and is perfect for a morning wake up or an afternoon pick me up.,
Van Gogh Chrysanthemum Tea Our Van Gogh chrysanthemum tea uses fresh, organic, wild chrysanthemum blossoms that are infused with our hot nano filtered water in a delicate glass pot to produce this magnificent flavoured tea. We also provide rock sugar from France and biscuit sticks from Korea to complement this tea set.
Van Gogh Mocha + / + / ) Van Gogh Mocha only or Take way 36.00/cup Try the best of both worlds with our delicious hot Mocha. We put a shot of espresso coffee into a mug, add some of our great tasting Spanish chocolate then top it off with fresh hot milk. Sit back and enjoy.
British Twinings Earl Grey Tea Set ( + / + 1 ) Twinings Earl Grey tea is one of the best known Earl Grey teas and is famous for its delicate, citrus scented flavour. It is a carefully balanced blend of black teas with a hint of bergamot in the background. Bergamot is a rare orange grown in southern Italy, with an unusual lemon yellow colour and an exquisite citrus smell. Twinings uses the oil from the skin of this fruit to give this tea its fantastic taste and distinctive aroma. It is normally drunk black with a teaspoon of sugar.
British Twinings Breakfast Tea Set ( + / + 1 ) A Breakfast tea is so called because it is a full flavoured tea normally drunk at breakfast to wake you up to start the day. We have selected Twinings Breakfast Tea because it is one of the best, with a careful blend of Kenyan and Assam black teas to give an amber coloured, full bodied tea. It is normally drunk with milk and a little sugar.
Van Gogh Spanish Thick Hot Chocolate We discovered this brilliant chocolate drink on a trip to Barcelona in Spain. It is served in a mug, hot and thick with a spoon to get the last drops from the cup. This is a drink for real lovers of chocolate and one cup will guarantee that you come back for more. For the chocolate lovers among you, chocolate has been drunk for over 3,000 years and originated in Mexico and South and Central America. The Spanish were the first Europeans to discover chocolate when the conquistador Cortes was introduced to it at the court of Montezuma in the 16th century in present day Mexico. Montezuma reportedly drank 50 cups of chocolate per day and Cortes then thanked Montezuma by conquering his country. So, be careful who you share your chocolate with! 3 16 50 Chinese Green Tea ( ) ( 1 ) 40.00/set Our Chinese green tea is carefully selected during Qingming time from the hills around the picturesque town of Wuyuan in Jiangxi Province, one hours drive from Xidi. Our green tea has a delightfully fresh, nutty flavour and is served in special teapots and cups that we have selected from Jingdezhen to complement this exceptional flavour. 1
Van Gogh Absinthe 36.00/cup The favourite drink of Vincent Van Gogh was absinthe, or "the green fairy" as it was called by the many artists who drank it in the 19th century. It is an interesting blend of distilled white grape wine and a range of herbs, one of which will be very familiar to Chinese people. Apart from anise and other herbs, absinthe's main flavour comes from the bitter wormwood herb that is used as a medicine in China and to wash new born babies and decorate the doors of houses during May day. Van Gogh often drank absinthe with his coffee when he visited the cafe in Arles, Southern France. As well as being a relaxing drink, the wormwood herb is also thought to be good for the stomach and was recorded as a medicine drunk by Egyptians 3,500 years ago. It is traditionally drunk with a sugar cube for sweetness and a dash of cold water to water it down as it is quite strong in alcohol. (Most absinthes are 50-70% alcohol but some are over 90%). So raise a glass of "green fairy" and say gambei to Vincent Van Gogh. Absinthe 19 Absinthe
Rice Wine with Spring Water 36.00/cup 360 / Spring Water Rice Wine This rice wine was malted using local fresh rice and natural mountain spring water. It has a clean, sweet and fresh taste from the crystal clear spring water and can be enjoyed either hot or chilled. Served in our Jingdezhen fine porcelain, we know you will enjoy this refreshing wine.
Heineken Beer 36.00/bottle Yingkesong Beer 36.00/bottle
German Beer Coming soon
Van Gogh Filtered Water (room temp) Van Gogh Filtered Water (boiled) Van Gogh Filtered Water (iced) Van Gogh Filtered Water (with other orders) 5.00/glass 6.00/glass 6.00/glass Free Our water tastes sweet and is healthy, as it has been filtered by our Bili Nano Filter Machine. Our coffee, chocolate, sugar, fruit tea and biscuits are imported from overseas and are gourmet quality. Our Chinese green tea is Wuyuan tea freshly picked during Qingming time this year. Our Chinese red tea is from Qimen, the best red tea area in China., Our Milk is Shenmu Organic Milk, the best quality organic milk in China.