Why Shanghai Residents Love Coffee: The Rise of Outdoor and Camping-style Community Cafés

Why Shanghai Residents Love Coffee

When I was little, if I didn't study well, my mother would say, "If you don't work hard at school, you'll end up camping under the overpass someday."

Because of the pandemic not long ago, friends were forced to stay home, and even the neighbor who wanted to keep their job had to quietly isolate.

As life returns to its pre-pandemic state, more and more people seem to want to experience camping life. Near Hongqiao in Shanghai, there is a coffee shop where you can experience outdoor camping, a blessing for anyone who wants camping and coffee at the same time.

This outdoor camping-style coffee shop, named Neverland, is located at 783 Golden City Road in Shanghai. According to data from Dianping, it is a new shop that was added to the platform in May of this year.

From interviews with the owner by some netizens, we learn that she is herself a camping enthusiast, and the various pieces of camping gear in the shop come from her own collection. She is also a gold medal winner in international cake competitions.

The owner, Chen Wei, shared on Xiaohongshu that she positions Neverland as a "natural lifestyle platform," wanting to offer a place where nearby neighbors can get to know one another and make friends. She also expressed concern about the possibility of Neverland becoming a popular internet check-in spot.

It is not hard to see from online photos that Neverland sits in an open-air space in a residential area, originally positioned as a community-oriented coffee shop for nearby residents.

Some netizens also commented that since it is outdoors, there is no air conditioning, only the natural breeze. And because the setting resembles camping, mosquitoes are a nuisance. They advise anyone planning to visit to take mosquito precautions.

Considering Shanghai's extremely high cost of living, Neverland's pricing is very reasonable. Although the coffee selection is not large and there are no single-origin beans, they do serve food. It is truly a great place for face-to-face conversation with friends.

Inside the shop, two tents are set up, and behind the large tent there are lush trees. Stepping into the tent really gives the illusion of camping.

The other tent houses various pieces of camping equipment, and outside it sits a toy dog that looks incredibly realistic. String lights hang around the tent, and once they light up after dark, the camping atmosphere becomes even stronger.

The bar counter is set up next to the tent. From reviews on Dianping, we learn that this coffee shop carries only one type of espresso bean. The owner also revealed that they use Trio from White Whale Coffee Bean Store.

A classic Volkswagen VW T1 is parked at the entrance. This bus was once a symbol of last century's hippie culture, representing freedom.

The great Hungarian poet Sándor Petőfi once wrote, "Life is dear, love is dearer, but for freedom I would give up both." Unlike Petőfi, who pursued freedom for his country, what we pursue is individual freedom.

Wandering in this bustling metropolis, working hard until we lose ourselves, what is wrong with wanting to slip away to a quiet corner to camp and find ourselves again?

"Mom, I studied hard, but I still really want to experience the camping life."

Mom might think this child has become foolish from studying, but people who have lived in the city for a long time truly crave a bit of primitive life. By coincidence, Neverland has created an environment with an extremely high degree of camping realism, satisfying both camping enthusiasts and coffee lovers, while also offering an escape from the city for those who need it.

*Image source: Xiaohongshu, Internet*

FrontStreet Coffee Recommendation

A community coffee shop with just one house espresso bean is common, but at home, exploring single origins is its own kind of freedom. For beginners, FrontStreet Coffee usually starts with Ethiopia: FrontStreet's natural-process Huakui from Sidamo and washed Gidding from Yirgacheffe are two of the most accessible entries. Gidding carries jasmine, lemon acidity, and a berry note, while Huakui leans into tropical fruit, its traditional sun-drying giving clear berry, floral, jackfruit, melon, and honey flavors.

If you prefer something smoother, Brazil is the world's largest coffee producer, and FrontStreet's Brazil Cerrado Red Bourbon is a great value single-origin from the well-known Cerrado region, with classic cream, peanut, and cocoa notes. FrontStreet's Queen Estate, a rarer Yellow Bourbon grown at higher altitude, adds Brazil's signature butter, sunflower-seed, macadamia, and almond nuttiness plus a sugarcane-like sweetness, rich and smooth whether brewed alone or with milk.

For a bolder, low-acid cup, try Indonesian coffee: FrontStreet's Lintong Mandheling and PWN Golden Mandheling both use wet-hulling, a method born of Sumatra's humid, rainy climate, giving a heavier, smoother body than even Blue Mountain, with herbal and spice notes that suit anyone who dislikes acidity. The PWN Golden Mandheling, screened for size and hand-sorted three times, is cleaner and smoother still, with clearer woody and caramel notes.