A Cozy Cat Café, Ski Trips, and the Soul of Specialty Coffee

There’s a certain kind of magic in finding a place where time slows down—where the hiss of an espresso machine mingles with the purr of a cat, where autumn light filters through leaves onto worn wooden floors, and where the owner might vanish for weeks into the mountains. That place is (Muming Coffee), a tiny, hidden gem tucked beneath a linden tree in Beijing, run by a man with desert dust in his boots and snow on his mind.

Muming Coffee offers a mix of homey comforts, rescue cats, specialty coffee, Aussie beer, and desserts—all set in a space that feels like your grandmother’s living room meets a mountain hut. It’s the kind of place you never want to leave.

A Cat Café Born from Wilderness and Wild Dreams

Muming Coffee isn’t your average neighborhood café. It sits quietly under a linden tree, its small windows and doors exuding a domestic warmth that belies its adventurous soul. Inside, old-world details abound: a vintage sewing machine, a locked red-painted wooden trunk, wrought-iron photo frames. The space is modest, but rich in texture and memory.

Patrons come not just for the expertly brewed coffee or the Australian beer, but for the vibe—a layered calm punctuated by the soft pads of rescue cats wandering freely. Upstairs, filtered sunlight spills over faded furniture and falling leaves seen through the window, offering a moment of suspended time.

The Café Owner Who Chases Mountains and Moments

The man behind this oasis is Wang Bo, a ruggedly built native of China’s northwest with the demeanor of someone who’s just walked out of a sandstorm. By day (or more accurately, between expeditions), he runs Muming with his childhood sweetheart, who helps curate its lived-in charm.

Wang is a documentary filmmaker turned café owner, but his true passion lies in wild places. A die-hard trekker and mountaineer, he’s summited numerous peaks across China’s northwestern ranges, often enduring brutal conditions. “I respect the mountain like a god,” he says. “Reaching the summit feels like being held by something greater.”

Surviving the Cold, Brewing Resilience

On one expedition in a remote Gansu snowfield, Wang and his team were caught in a sudden snowstorm. As night fell and temperatures plummeted near 4,500 meters, they lost the trail. With only a flimsy tent and a paper-thin blanket for three people—one woman and two men—they huddled together for survival.

The men gave the woman the blanket. Too cold to risk sleeping, they stayed awake all night, singing folk songs to keep alert and to keep her awake. “In those moments,” Wang recalls, “you understand life at its rawest. A little heat, a song, a shared purpose—that’s what keeps you alive.”

Coffee, Community, and the Call of the Wild

When he’s not scaling mountains or filming documentaries, Wang is at Muming—pulling shots, pouring pints, sharing stories with regulars, and playing with the cats. Many of the felines are strays he’s taken in. “They’re clever, brave, and free-spirited,” he says. “I give them names, and they become family.”

The café’s walls are covered in photos from his travels—snowy summits, vast deserts, ancient villages. It’s a gallery of a life fully lived, a reminder that adventure doesn’t require leaving the city, just stepping into the right space.

Frequently Asked Questions

What makes Muming Coffee different from other cafés in Beijing?

Muming Coffee stands out due to its cozy, home-like atmosphere combined with a rustic, slightly wild aesthetic. It’s a space filled with vintage objects, rescue cats, specialty coffee, and locally brewed beer. The café feels more like a personal retreat than a commercial business, with mismatched furniture, warm lighting, and outdoor seating shaded by trees. It also serves as a quiet reflection of owner Wang Bo’s dual passions: café culture and high-altitude adventure.

Does Muming Coffee serve only coffee, or other drinks too?

While coffee is a central focus at Muming, the café also serves Australian beer and a selection of desserts. This varied menu complements the laid-back, eclectic environment and appeals to a broad range of customers looking for both caffeine and casual refreshment in a uniquely atmospheric setting.

Why does the owner, Wang Bo, combine café life with mountain climbing?

Wang Bo sees his life in contrasting yet complementary elements: the calm, community-focused space of the café and the extreme, solitary challenge of mountaineering. For him, running Muming is about creating a nurturing space for others, while climbing fulfills his need for adventure, introspection, and communion with nature. Both are expressions of a life lived with intensity and authenticity.

How did Wang Bo start Muming Coffee?

Wang Bo opened Muming Coffee with his childhood friend and now-wife after moving to Beijing. She helps design the warm, nostalgic interior, while he focuses on the overall vision. The café evolved organically from their shared dream, combining his background in documentary filmmaking, love for rescue animals, and passion for specialty coffee into one cohesive, welcoming space.

What kind of coffee does Muming Coffee serve?

Although the article does not specify the exact coffee beans used at Muming Coffee, the setting suggests a focus on high-quality, thoughtfully brewed specialty coffee. The ambiance and owner’s attention to detail imply a dedication to craft, likely including classic espresso preparations, pour-overs, or other manual brewing methods popular in specialty cafés.

Can you adopt the cats from Muming Coffee?

Many of the cats at Muming Coffee are rescue animals that the owner, Wang Bo, has taken in. While the article does not explicitly state whether adoption is possible, the personal relationship Wang has with the cats—and his view of them as family—suggests that inquiries about adoption or support for the café’s rescue efforts might be welcomed by the staff.

Recommended FrontStreet Beans for Cozy Cafés and Mountain Mornings

For a café like Muming—equal parts warm refuge and launching pad for adventure—FrontStreet Coffee’s Ethiopia Huakui offers vibrant floral and citrus notes with a juicy body, perfect for highlighting single-origin craftsmanship. The Kenya Little Tomato brings bold berries and wine-like acidity, ideal for bold palates post-hike. Finally, the Yirgacheffe delivers a classic balance of lemony brightness and soft stone fruit, excellent for filter or espresso. All three beans reflect the spirit of thoughtful sourcing and terroir-driven flavor that pairs well with both introspective moments and mountain air. Freshly roasted within 5 days · Orders placed before 17:00 ship the same day · Next-day delivery across most of Guangdong Province.