When wandering the busy shops on Nanjing Road West, you may be pleasantly surprised to discover that just a short block north of the bustling commercial street lies the quiet Fengxian Road.

Fengxian Road

There is a popular saying among local people about the difference between the parallel streets: "If Nanjing Road West is a sophisticated lady from a noble family, Fengxian Road is just a pretty girl from a humble family who has a unique charm." Closed to cars during the daytime, the peaceful street is dominated by bikes during rush hour, making it feel like you've been transported back in time a few decades.

Tucked away on this road, a grand historical theater, a famous vegetarian restaurant, a hip coffee shop, a delicate jewelry store, a tattoo studio and several clothing stores all serenely coexist.

Fengxian Road

Located at the junction of Jiangning Road and Fengxian Road, the Majestic Theatre (66 Jiangning Road, 6247-2010) is one of Shanghai's oldest and most ornate theaters. The structure was completed in 1941, designed by a leading Chinese architect, Robert Fan (Fan Wenzhao, 1893-1979). Although the theater was renovated under heritage protection a few years ago, most of the work was done to the interior, and the building retains its classic Art Deco façade.

Sitting at the intersection of Fengxian and Nanhui roads, Vegetarian Lifestyle, also known as Jujube Tree (258 Fengxian Road, 6215-7566), is an extremely popular dining option for Shanghai's health and eco conscious crowd, vegetarian and carnivores alike. The restaurant specializes in mock meat dishes, renditions of Chinese staples that use tofu, kaofu (wheat gluten), mushrooms and other plant-based products to replicate the texture and flavor of meat. Recommended dishes include the faux barbequed pork (35 yuan, $5.77) and the spinach dumplings (18 yuan). They also serve a selection of teas (28 to 68 yuan) and fresh juices (16 to 18 yuan). A meal costs around 75 yuan per person, but there is also a 35-yuan lunch set.

The cozy MQ Coffee (277 Fengxian Road, 5273-5855) is one of the best (and best priced) cafés in town for java aficionados looking for specialty coffee. MQ roasts its own beans, boasts one of the few Slayer espresso machines in the country and sells most brews for around 25 yuan. Although the narrow space has few seats, it's the perfect place to grab a morning cup on the way to work, with an expertly crafted Americano costing just 10 yuan before 10 am. Well-trained baristas carefully prepare each cup through a siphoning process, measuring the temperature of the water.

The barista recommended their espresso (18 yuan), telling us that many customers are impressed by the notes of tea and chamomile. "It is mainly because of our roasting technology, which is overseen by our owner, Cai Zhongshun, who is an experienced coffee maker," she said.

MQ Coffee

MQ also sells various coffee contraptions so that customers can make a good brew at home, including AeroPresses for 258 yuan and a variety of Hario glass coffee drips, ranging from 46 to 130 yuan.

MQ have a training center a short walk away at 204 Shaanxi Road North (3255-8889), which provides different levels of classes for coffee hobbyists and aspiring baristas.

Across the street from MQ Coffee is jewelry store Taigu Jewelry (238 Fengxian Road). The young northern Chinese owner Li Nan told us that she has been running the shop here for six years. "I have a great interest in jewelry, especially handcrafted ornaments," she said.

Li sells a range of red lacquer wares and glassworks, as well as filigree silver jewelry ranging from 100-plus to several thousand yuan.

Handmade jewelry at Taigu Jewelry

"Filigree metalwork used to be only used for jewelry and ornaments in the imperial palace in ancient China," Li said. "Now the famous place which is still using this technique to make jewelry and large decorations is a State-owned factory in Beijing. Most of the artisans who work there are old people."

"It is very difficult to find people among the younger generation to inherit this ancient craft," she added. In 2008, filigree metalwork was listed as a national level intangible cultural heritage by the Chinese government.

Handmade jewelry at Taigu Jewelry

Head east from Taigu Jewelry past several women's clothing shops and you won't miss Wushang Tattoo Studio (194 Fengxian Road, 6259-3371) with a large armored mannequin standing inside the shop window. Unlike the dark decor favored by most tattoo parlors, Wushang is decorated with bright, Japanese-style cartoon wall paintings. The average price for a tattoo ranges from 500 to several thousand yuan.

The interior of Wushang Tattoo Studio