“Just For A Cup of Good Coffee” is the underwhelming slogan of new cafe Mellower. The motto, plastered across all of the shop’s promotional materials and inspiring a level of apathy on par with McCafé, doesn’t do this place justice – because in Beijing’s increasingly crowded coffee scene, Mellower manages to stand out.
Mellower first debuted in Shanghai, prompting a deluge of posts on Instagram and WeChat. The cafe was packed on weekends – and also, cloudy. That’s thanks to Mellower’s bizarre, yet delightful coffee creation: the Sweet Little Rain (RMB58).
Here’s how it works: a fist-sized ‘cloud’ of cotton candy hangs suspended over your cup of coffee. The steam from your coffee condenses on the ‘cloud,’ then ‘rains’ down. It’s part coffee, part science experiment. And while it may seem gimmicky – hell, it’s practically made for Instagram – we must admit, the coffee is excellent. The sugar ‘rain’ condenses along the rim of our mugs like salt on the rim of a margarita.
Despite its cuteness, Mellower is a place for serious coffee. Perhaps a sign of their sincerity is that they don’t lead with their Sweet Little Rain – at least on their menu, they demonstrate different single origin options and brewing methods. Coffee here is studiously made – Mellower locations elsewhere in China have been known to host barista courses – and latte art is among Beijing’s finest. Even our basic americano (RMB36) is a delight.
Indeed, Mellower began as a roastery – procuring beans from around the world. Mellower also specializes in beans from Yunnan, worth a try if you’ve never had China’s homegrown coffee. Since its founding, however, Mellower has branched into increasingly bizarre drink options, each of them equally delightful. Its Ice Rose Fresh Cream Lungo (yes, 'Lungo,' RMB58) features pink Himalayan salt, and Mellower even serves ‘sparkling’ coffee with lemon.
Mellower’s first Beijing location, on Xi Dawang Lu, is off the beaten path. In fact, it isn’t entirely accessible by subway – the closest stop, Pingleyuan, is a solid 15-minute walk away. But is that even relevant in the Mobike era? Don’t you hate seeing everyone you know at Wagas? Haven’t people been saying Shuangjing is the next big thing since, like, 2005? Mellower is worth the trip – and likely, later on, the Insta post.
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