When winter chill sets in, few pleasures are as comforting as gathering around a charcoal stove to brew tea, roast snacks, and linger over unhurried conversation. Discover these tucked-away countryside retreats around Shanghai, where the ritual of stove-side tea brings warmth, calm, and quiet contentment to the coldest days.

Mu Ruo

This two-story teahouse is decorated in a nostalgic Chinese aesthetic with simple wooden furniture that radiates a cozy charm. On sunny afternoons, visitors can step into the courtyard alive with detail, where small wooden cabins, bamboo stools, draped curtains, and lanterns come together to create a picture of rustic ease.

Choose your favorite tea and watch the kettle simmer over the stove, its fragrance slowly unfurling in the air.

Where: No 609 Liyao village, Qingcun town, Fengxian district

Wang Jia Xiao Yuan

Nestled among whitewashed walls and dark-tiled roofs in Baoshan's Tangwan village, this farm stay greets you with a quiet country path and a waterwheel turning gently by the pond. The moment you enter, it feels like stepping back into the warmth of your grandparents' home.

Settle around the stove and start with a pot of hot tea. After a few rounds, place rice cakes and sweet potatoes beside the coals. Each bite of warm food paired with soothing tea fills you with simple contentment.

You can also enjoy homestyle dishes: local fish, homegrown vegetables, and the owner's signature braised pork, tender and perfectly balanced in flavor.

Where: 200 meters southeast of the intersection of Ningshen Road and Hutang Road, Luojing town, Baoshan district

Treeyard Cafe

Set within the Guangfulin Cultural Relics Park in Songjiang district, this cafe and teahouse offers riverside views, outdoor tent seating, and an immediate sense of calm. On cold winter days, it's the perfect spot to brew tea beside the stove. Let the clay pot simmer, as the aroma of tea fills the air.

Savor it alongside osmanthus cakes, roasted sweet potatoes, and an artfully arranged platter of nuts, each element forming a tranquil still life of winter warmth.

Where: No 8 Alley 3088, Guangfulin Road, Songjiang district

Yi Ran Xiao Yuan

Hidden in Songjiang's Yexie town, this teahouse blends countryside charm with a touch of refinement. Bamboo furniture, paper lanterns, and lush greenery set the scene, while aged white tea brews slowly over a charcoal stove. The air carries the scent of roasted sweet potatoes and chestnuts, and the flickering flames add to the cozy atmosphere.

Snack on crisp-skinned roasted oranges and a generous spread of dried nuts as you chat by the fire. Next door, a small farm offers playful countryside activities to round out your visit.

Where: No 868 Yexin Highway, Songjiang district

Yin Guang Shan Fang

Even as winter chill lingers outside, this teahouse in Qingpu offers a warm refuge. Built by the water, its courtyard glows with a dancing charcoal fire and a softly boiling kettle — a quiet sanctuary away from the rush of daily life.

Here, sweet potatoes, longans, and oranges roast to a fragrant caramelized sweetness, while corn, rice cakes, and tofu become irresistibly inviting over the gentle heat.

Where: No 443 Hemu village, Zhaoxiang town, Qingpu district

Art-M Cultural and Creative Industry Park

At this creative park in Qingpu, a large blue-brick stove seats over 10 people. Gather around the gently glowing embers as wisps of smoke rise and the rich scent of tea fills the air — a truly communal and serene tea experience.

Where: No 39 Alley 6186, Zhufeng Highway, Qingpu district

Sources: WeChat account of the Shanghai Municipal Administration of Culture and Tourism at "shanghaitourism", venues mentioned above