Central Sanlitun seems to be having a bit of a café and bakery explosion right now. To add to the plethora of ground-floor bakeries in Topwin Center as well as the newly minted Moleskine Café, Gertz Danish Bakery continues the positive trend toward baking that aligns more with western standards (read: bread that’s not sweet and cakes not slathered in whipped cream).

Gertz wears its Scandinavian roots on its sleeve; a neat minimalist décor moves the gamut of neutral tones from cream to light gray to dark blue. Edison bulbs match the sparse design and have the effect of illuminating the mountain of bread (RMB 9-42), with a warm and comforting glow.

Aside from those loaves, there are plenty of basic Danish-style dishes, such as salads (RMB 66/68), soups (RMB 25-42), open sandwiches (or smørrebrød, RMB 48-54), sandwiches (RMB 58/62), breakfast sets (RMB 48-62), as well as the usual drink options: coffee (RMB 24-34), tea, and juice.

The salmon sandwich (RMB 62)

The salmon sandwich (RMB 62) was a satisfying wedge of baguette covered with black and white sesame seeds, pumpkin seeds, and a filling of thick slices of smoked salmon, a generous spoonful of caviar, sour cream, dill, and lettuce. The sandwich more than proved its heft via the fact that it required both hands to pick it up as well as a fork to shove the fillings back in from time to time.

The egg and shrimp open sandwich (RMB 48)

Of the open sandwiches, or smørrebrød, we tried the egg and shrimp version (RMB 48), featuring a large lettuce leaf atop a piece of rye bread and finished with a sliced boiled egg, tomato, shrimp, and mayonnaise served on a wooden board. Similar to the sandwich, it required a certain technique to best tackle this fresh and wobbling flower-like tower. For a dessert option, the large, moist, and delicious kanelsnegle (cinnamon bun, RMB 18) comes covered in icing sugar and a punchy cinnamon kick that is sweet enough to have you instantly hooked.

Indeed, from the moment you enter this inviting bakery and café, breathe in the soothing aroma of the freshly baked bread, and devour one of Gertz’s sizable sandwiches (open or closed), you’ll soon be wrapped in a plush blanket of what is now perhaps Denmark’s most famous export: A deep feeling of coziness.

Gertz
Daily 9am-10pm. S2-11, 1/F, Bldg 2, Sanlitun Taikooli, 19 Sanlitun, Chaoyang District
朝阳区三里屯路19号院2号楼1层S2-11单元

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Photos: Tracy Wang

A number of Sanlitun area bars and restaurants have been told to close this weekend, at least in Taikoo Li South and south Sanlitun’s Courtyard Four, the area just to the south of Gongti Beilu, multiple business owners confirmed to the Beijinger.

Restaurants in Taikoo Li South were instructed to temporarily cease operations from 3pm Saturday, August 22, until 2pm Sunday, August 23, multiple restaurant representatives in that complex told the Beijinger, speaking on condition of anonymity.

“In line with the work of commemorating the 70th anniversary of the Chinese People’s War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression, and in accordance with arrangements and notices from related Beijing Municipal Governmnt departments, on August 22 and August 23, Sanlitun Taikoo Li South will come under martial law measures.

"According to the requirements of related Beijing Municipal Government departments, during that period, all stores must temporarily cease operations. The time period is: August 22, 2015 3pm to August 23, 2015 2pm," according to a letter from Swire Properties to tenants obtained by the Beijinger.

At least two Courtyard Four business owners have also confirmed they will close August 22-23, with one operator saying that establishment would close for the full weekend. Courtyard 4 is located diagonally across the street from Taikoo Li and contains businesses such as The Bookworm and The Rug.

More closures in the area are likely; venues located in 1949: The Hidden City have reported closing for Saturday.

Residents of the Jianguomenwai and Guanghua Lu areas will be required to keep their windows shut, and three major streets in eastern Beijing will be shut for most of the two days, orders to area residents obtained by the Beijinger show.

All street-facing Jianguo Lu, Xi Dawang Lu, and Guanghua Lu businesses have been ordered to close from the early afternoon of August 22 until the same time on August 23, and only on-duty parade-related personnel are permitted in the area, the order said. All street-facing windows must be closed and are forbidden to be opened, the order said. 

Along with these and the Sanlitun closures, the Forbidden City will stop receiving visitors from Saturday, August 22, through Thursday, September 3. Wangfujing will also be closed August 22-23, due to the parade rehearsal.

Best advice: if you plan on going anywhere on Saturday, call ahead.

Beijing municipal officials had previously announced that Tiananmen Square and the Wangfujing area will be closed to the public due to a rehearsal for the September 3 military parade. However, what this has to do with the purchase of Apple products and Nike shoes in Sanlitun, we’re not entirely sure. Stay with the Beijinger for updates.

Margaux Schreurs contributed the original report.

This post has been slightly modified from the original post that appeared on thebeijinger.com on August 19, 2015.