Category: coffee

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Coffee and a Merveilleux

I was spending the day in Dunkerque. I wanted a coffee and I remembered a small patisserie and viennoiserie, Maison Vaucamps, that I had visited back in July last year when I was last in Dunkerque travelling back from a holiday in France and Germany.

Maison Vaucamps, as well as cooking some amazing cakes and French specialists such as pain au chocolate, traditional Flemish pastries have been Maison Vaucamps’ family specialty for many years. There was a wide choice of pastries and cakes to choose from.

I ordered a coffee and a merveilleux. The merveilleux is a traditional cake from the North of France and Flanders. I had the pistachio version, which was whipped cream with Sicilian pistachio paste, pistachio meringue pieces. My whipped cream was still a little frozen in the middle, but this actually didn’t detract from the eating experience.

My coffee was excellent, and I enjoyed my little bit of French coffee time.

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Coffee and a Doughnut

I was giving my car a charge at the Instavolt chargers and popped into Tim Hortons for a coffee to kill some time as the car was charged.

In the end I went with an espresso and a Boston Creme doughnut.  The coffee at Tim Hortons isn’t half bad, and I much prefer it over the coffee from Starbucks. In the past I would usually have a flat white, but more recently I have been drinking black coffee. I drink black coffee at home, so it isn’t too surprising that when going out for coffee now, I am choosing black coffee. 

The doughnut choice was limited, but then it was evening, so not too much of a surprise there. I went with one of the “simpler” doughnuts, rather than one of the premium versions. I do like a Boston Creme doughnut, and this was a nice doughnut. It was soft and fresh, the chocolate topping was good, and the creme was tasty. It wasn’t too sweet either, which is quite surprising for doughnuts. The coffee was a good contrast to the doughnut.

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Gail’s Flat White

flat white coffee

I had arrived earlier than planned in London and headed to Ealing. I went for a short walk and then went for coffee. I was going to go to Artisan, I had enjoyed a coffee there on a previous visit. It was though very busy, and it was also very warm (what with the hot summer weather and all).

However, in the end, I went to Gail’s Bakery and had a flat white. 

The service was friendly and warm. The coffee looked nice and I took a seat. Only downside was the cup had no handle and I had no tray, so I had to carefully carry the hot beverage to my chosen table.

Coffee was delicious.

Did like the cakes and snacks they had available, the bread also looked delicious.

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Time for a nice flat white

One of the reasons I like coffee from Caffe Nero is that the experience across the different branches is consistent. 

It isn’t necessarily the best coffee you can buy, but I like the coffee. It also helps that I have a regular Three offer a £1 coffee deal.

In Bristol in the Clifton Triangle is a branch of Caffe Nero which is deceptively larger on the inside than it looks on the inside.

I had a flat white, which was really nice.

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Great flat white

I kind of guess I am getting to be a bit of a flat white aficionado as it is my coffee of choice when I am drinking coffee out and about. At home I usually have an espresso or a lungo. 

My first experience of the flat white was out in New Zealand in 2009, and I really liked it, a more intense coffee experience than the cappuccino I was use to, and much nicer than an americano.

I had some time to kill at @Worle, a local gym in Weston-super-Mare. So I ordered a flat white. What I did like, was they let me take a seat and they would bring it over to me. I really like it when coffee places do that, much more civilised than waiting around for your name to be called. I once lost a coffee like that, so much so, that I rarely use my name, James, when asked for my name in a coffee place. Too many people called James who drink coffee, who would believe that.

My coffee arrived and it looked great. It was also an excellent coffee. Sometimes I worry about coffee places in places which aren’t coffee places, such as gyms. However this place knew how to make coffee and the coffee itself was expertly roasted as well, good strong flavours. I was impressed and enjoyed the coffee.

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Steak Salad and a Flat White

When working in our London office, there is quite a choice of places around Fetter Lane for lunch. One of my regular haunts is Coco di Mama, one of a chain of pasta and coffee places across the capital. Their mainstay for lunch is the pasta pot, however they also have a nice selection of salads. On a recent visit to London I went out at lunchtime for some food, it was raining, so I only got as far as Coco di Mama. I picked up a steak salad and a flat white. I hadn’t seen this salad offering before, so was intrigued to try it out.

It was a tasty salad, the steak was nice and tender, and there was a good ratio of protein to salad. I also liked the dressing. Good choice I think.

Oh, I also enjoyed my flat white.

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Nice Flat White

I was heading to a meeting in Central London and misjudged the time it would take, so I had forty minutes before I needed to be in the room. So I decided I would go for a coffee. I had anticipated visiting a Caffe Nero or similar, but did quite like the look of The Route on the Strand. I went in, and ordered a flat white and took a seat.

It’s not a huge place, there are four seats inside and four on the street. If it was busy you would probably have to make do with a takeaway cup.

This was a lovely looking coffee, made with care. It also tasted great as well.

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Illy no more

Back in 2023 I had made a couple of visits to the Illy Cafe at the top of Park Street. On a recent visit to Bristol I did like the idea of a coffee and so headed to the Illy Cafe and was disappointed to find it had closed down. So, went to Caffe Nero instead.

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A really excellent Illy coffee

I was visiting Cambridge and walking down Burleigh Street. I was on my way back to the railway station. However it started to rain. I did think about walking back to Fitzroy Street and visit the Caffe Nero there (as I had my £1 offer code). However I thought I might get too wet. On Burleigh Street was Giovanni’s caffe’ and pizzeria. 

modern cafe building with an awning and seating outside

They had an Illy coffee sign outside, which is always a good sign so went in.

I was give a nice warm welcome by the chef attending the pizza oven, and beckoned to take a seat. Outside it was quite a modern building, inside it had more of an Italian taverna feel. The place was dominated by the huge pizza oven. I looked over the menu, if I was hungry I might have chosen a pizza, but I only really wanted a coffee.

I went up to the bar and ordered an espresso macchiato. They also had a lovely selection of cakes, and I did think about it, but in the end went with just the coffee. Went back to my table and waited for the coffee to arrive.

Really nice to get a “proper” coffee complete with a glass of water (and hidden around the back a biscuit).

tray with coffee, water and sugar

It was an excellent coffee. I was very tempted to stay in Cambridge and go there for dinner. Another table had ordered pizza and it looked great.

No sooner had I finished my coffee, then the rain had stopped (or eased off) and I could head off to the station.

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I don’t like doubled up cups

When I go out and buy coffee I usually drink in, and have a proper cup. I always think if I am spending a lot of money on coffee, I want it in a china cup, and not a paper cup.

I was at Paddington Station with some time before my train, and using my Three+ offer I had a £1 skinny flat white from Caffe Nero. As this was a kiosk, the coffee was in a paper cup.

They did something which they think is helpful, whereas I don’t. The Caffe Nero flat white comes in a smaller cup, which the cardboard sleeves they use on their larger cups don’t fit. The cardboard sleeves act as an insulation layer. As the sleeves don’t fit on the smaller cups they double cup; use an extra cup instead of a sleeve. They do this, so that it acts as an insulation layer. 

Now I get this, but as a result I personally find it difficult to drink from the doubled up cups after removing the lid. I also find it quite challenging to remove the spare cup without spilling the coffee. 

Yes, it is not a major problem, just a minor annoyance.

I need to remember the next time, to ask for a single cup.