Category: coffee

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Gatehouse Coffee at Walmgate Bar

On my recent short holiday to Yorkshire, my plans weren’t set in stone, I had planned to visit Fountains Abbey and the National Railway Museum, but anything else would be a bonus. On the day I left York I had planned to visit a couple of National Trust properties on the way back. However I woke up earlier than I expected. So, after getting washed and dressed and a quick breakfast I headed back into York with the idea of walking the walls.

I walked over to Walmgate Bar and then headed anticlockwise around the city. I noted that there was a cafe, Gatehouse Coffee,  within Walmgate Bar, not sure how long that had been there, I don’t recall one been there when I was living in York in the 1980s. It was early, so was closed.

I then walked the city walls, which took just over an hour. Upon my arrival back at Walmgate Bar the Gatehouse Coffee was open, I thought about it, decided I would stop for a coffee. 

It was quite busy, I placed my order for an espresso and waited. It took a while for my coffee, as there were quite a few orders been dealt with prior to mine. 

I took a seat and enjoyed my coffee, there is outdoor seating in the gate and upstairs as well. As I drank my coffee, I could see that the “delay” was just because I happened to arrive at a busy time, other customers got their drinks in good time. 

The coffee was excellent and I would have probably stayed for another if my car parking wasn’t about to run out. 

If you are walking the walls of York then (depending on where you start) this is an ideal place for an end of walk drink, or a mid-walk stop. 

Service was warm and friendly. I hope to make a return visit soon.

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Grassington Espresso

I was up in Yorkshire and visited the village of Grassington in the heart of the Yorkshire Dales. This is the location for the externals of the Channel 5 series, All Creatures Great and Small. When I arrived they were breaking down the “sets” as they had finished filming.

After walking around the village I stopped Plaza Uno Grassington for a coffee. I placed my order at the bar and took a seat at a table outside. The sun was shining and it was nice to sit and watch the world go by.

The coffee arrived and was excellent. Part of me did wonder if I should have really gone for a pot of tea instead, as I was in the heart of North Yorkshire, however I like coffee, so I had coffee.

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A Flat White at Darts

I’d made my way over to Darts Farm Shop in Topsham to use their bank of Tesla chargers. Once I’d figured out the best angle to get the Funky Cat plugged in, I headed inside to explore.

The shop itself is lovely, filled with so much local produce that I was very tempted to browse. Instead, I made a beeline for the cafe to grab a coffee and kill some time while the car charged up. A nice touch here is that, unlike many other farm shop cafes, they actually offer table service. I had been here before so was use to the process and service.

I ordered a flat white, and it wasn’t long before it arrived.

It was a well made coffee and I really enjoyed it.

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Venetian Espresso

Rialto Bridge in Venice

One of the unwritten rules when visiting Venice is that if you drink coffee, and order coffee in the busy tourist areas is you will (probably) get ripped off. Well, you will pay a lot for the coffee compared to other places in Venice. 

Though if you are in Venice as a tourist there is something I guess about sitting at a table in the bustle of Piazza San Marco drinking a coffee.

Personally I wasn’t too fussed about that when I was in Venice for the day. What I wanted was a coffee. Having just walked around Campo San Barnaba looking at the Chiesa di San Barnaba where they filmed Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, I wanted a coffee. 

Close by and near Campo Santa Margherita was a small cafe, Panini e Vini da Babbo. I ordered an espresso which was €2.50.

espresso

This was an excellent coffee and just what I needed. What was interesting was when I went back later that day I was only charged €1.50 for the same espresso.

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Espresso at the Airport

Espresso

I had a really nice espresso at Alembic at Bristol Airport. I had an espresso which was really good.

Alembic is now my go to place for coffee when I am waiting for a flight at Bristol Airport. It’s table service, the coffee is served in proper cups and the price of the coffee is about the same as a takeaway coffee in a cardboard cup from other places in the airport.

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Mokoko Mortadella Sandwich

Portishead

It was a nice sunny day, so I headed to Portishead to have a walk around the marina and I also stopped for coffee.

I went for a coffee and a sandwich at the Mokoko Bakery. I went for a flat white and an interesting mortadella, pistachio, and mozzarella focaccia sandwich.

Though I have had cakes and pastries from the Mokoko Bakery, however this was my first sandwich from the bakery.

It was an interesting sandwich, with thin slices of mortadella, fresh mozzarella, and some chopped pistachio. The bread was quite oily, so much so, I needed more napkins to wipe my hands with. The sandwich was nice and fresh and you could tell it had been made that morning.

I enjoyed the sandwich and the coffee was great as well.

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How much for a flat white?

Grand Pier

I walked to Caffé Nero in Weston-super-Mare and had a skinny flat white. Thanks to the 3+ app I was able to get my coffee for £1. I realised that the full price would be £4.05. I do feel that coffee shop coffee seems to have risen quite a bit in recent years. It use to be a £2 coffee from what I can remember, okay maybe £2.75. I recently complained about the £4.25 I paid for a crap flat white from Starbucks at the NEC, I would say that this flat white from Caffé Nero was in a different league. It was well made and had the right texture and a great coffee flavour. I do have to remember that complaining about high prices and how much better things were in the past, is an old person type behaviour. I am getting older, but I also think that I if I am spending money on coffee, I want value for money. I did wonder if I would pay £4.05 for the flat white I had, I think I would, but I wouldn’t do it very often.

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Pretty Coffee

I was in Amsterdam for a conference and was staying at the Hotel Casa which is close to Amstelstation.

I hadn’t been able to book breakfast with my hotel booking and I wasn’t willing to pay €17.50 for a buffet breakfast, which if my other Dutch experiences were anything to go by it wasn’t going to be that good value for money. So, after getting washed and dressed I headed out to the nearby Jumbo supermarket. I got four croissant for €1, some orange juice, and I got some more Illy espresso capsules for the hotel room coffee machine, all for €7.31. Bargain!

On one of the following days, my plan was to head to the supermarket to get some croissant and an orange juice. However, it was pouring with rain. So, I went to the hotel café for a flat white and croissant.

They did make a very pretty coffee.

flat white coffee

Either I left it too long as I ate my croissant, or they didn’t pre-heat the cup, as the coffee wasn’t very hot when I came to drink it. Difficult to really judge how good or bad the coffee was, as it wasn’t at the right temperature. They did give me a biscuit though, which I didn’t really want as it was first thing in the morning. So, not really sure about my overall verdict, okay it was pretty.

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Seriously?

I was at the NEC and needing not just a coffee, but a place to sit, I went against all my better judgement and ordered a flat white from the Starbucks there.

This is what I was served!

I know it was not a flat white, as the method they used to make it was the same method it appeared they were using to make latte and cappuccino as well. They frothed up some milk and then added it to espresso coffee!

Then they had the cheek to charge me £4.25 for it as well. Coffee seems so much more expensive these days.

I really should know better and not bothered.

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Flat White at Hanbury Hall

Hanbury Hall

I stopped off at Hanbury Hall, a National Trust property for a break during travelling. The house was lovely, but afterwards I headed to the stable for a coffee.  I went with a flat white.

It was nice and I enjoyed it.