M Coffee: An Artsy Hidden Gem Off Meishuguan Houjie
How can an aspiring café hope to stand out in Beijing’s increasingly crowded coffee scene? Well if you’re the owner of M Coffee, you start by nestling your sleek modern digs in one of Beijing’s sleepiest hutongs.
Once you enter 77 Cultural & Creative Park's blink-and-you'll-miss-it gate on Meishuguan Houjie, try not to let your jaw drop at the contrast between the aged alleyway outside and the monolithic red brick buildings within.
Among the highlights: rugged brick walls, industrial metal framing, fire escape-like stairs leading to sprawling rooftop terraces, a hollowed-out train boxcar, and a Heidelberg printing press encased in glass. On top of all that, 77 Cultural & Creative Park also houses an eponymous theater, a craft beer taproom, an elegant wine bar and restaurant called The Merchants, along with M Coffee.
The café is owned by the same team behind The Merchants and located in a room next door. Together, both of those businesses have taken over the building that once housed experimental music venue and gallery Meridian Space. Thankfully they haven’t abandoned that former gallery’s top-notch aesthetics.
The snug and artsy space features a leather-lined wooden bench running along the wall next to the door, and vintage film clips playing on three tiny TVs above the heads of seated patrons catch the eye of customers at the cozy tables opposite. Bright white walls stand in stark contrast to that offbeat seating arrangement, along with the striking copper light fixtures, triangular floor tiles, and the dessert-crammed counter.
Speaking of which: M Coffee has some of the best sweets around, including the RMB 28 carrot cake, which exceeded expectations thanks to hints of cinnamon and sea salt, and chunks of carrots and nuts. Other desserts include RMB 35 red velvet cake, fruity RMB 25 plum and almond tarts, and hearty RMB 12 cinnamon rolls.
Luckily for the caffeine-depleted among us, those desserts are rivaled by the coffee. The best of the bunch: the peppy, fruity single origin RMB 28 Bugisu Ugandan espresso (which stands apart from the more typical Ethiopian, Kenyan, and Colombian imports available at most cafés around town).
Other java options include flat whites, lattes, and cappuccinos (all RMB 36), and a menu section for "seasonal specials." The RMB 58 French toast latte, interesting as it sounds, failed to live up to its French toast billing (which is probably for the best because come to think of it, who wants an eggy coffee?).
While fans of Meridian Space will certainly miss the quality works that that gallery displayed, M Coffee nevertheless satisfies thanks to its off-the-main-drag location, aesthetically pleasing interior, rare coffees, and wholesomely high-quality sweets.
READ: Hold the Phone! Such A is the Best Café in 798
M Coffee
Daily 10am-7pm. C&C Park, 77 Meishuguan Houjie, Dongcheng District (400 7990 299)
东城区美术馆后街77号文创美术馆东门直行右侧
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Email: kylemullin@truerun.com
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Photos: Kyle Mullin
