Category: coffee

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Flat White at Cafe Society

I have been meaning to visit Cafe Society in Bristol on Baldwin Street for a while now, but never really had the opportunity. When I have walked past it was usually as I was on my way to another place, or I had just had a coffee somewhere else.

So when in town one Saturday and walking past, I decided I would go in for a coffee. The place was busy but there were seats available. There was no queue, so I went to the counter and ordered my coffee, a flat white. Having said that I was drinking in, the barista said to take a seat and they would bring my coffee to me.

I took a seat. I noticed that for some of their seats they had a no laptop rule which was interesting. If you did want to use your laptop, there were shared tables available. The rule was enforced, as I did see someone being asked to move to a laptop table.

My flat white arrived. It looked fantastic.

I really enjoyed the coffee and I think I will certainly visit Cafe Society again.

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Nice Cortado

It was a lovely sunny afternoon, so I headed to Portishead for a walk around the marina.

I decided to go for coffee, my first choice was Mokoko Coffee & Bakery, however though the queue wasn’t too long, there appeared to be a lot of people waiting for their coffee. So I left and headed to Costa, which was a lot less busy.

I ordered a Cortado and didn’t have to wait long before it was ready.

It was a nice coffee.

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Coffee at Kaldi

canal in Amsterdam

I was visiting the Netherlands attending a conference in Amsterdam, I had some time before my flight home to explore part of Amsterdam.  After walking around a bit more discovered Kaldi.

cafe frontage

This was a cosy nice looking coffee place. There was a short queue, and it wasn’t too long before I placed my order and then I could take a seat.  I had ordered a double espresso Cortado.

coffee

It didn’t take long for the coffee to be served, well they put it on the ledge in front of my table and I had to take it from there. That did make me smile. It was served in a nice china cup.

It was a great coffee.

Alas I drank it probably too quickly, and it was finished.

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Flat White at the Cabin

When visiting the airport at Bristol, I often find that I have time to kill. My first choice for a coffee is The Cabin, in the main as it is table service, and they also serve their coffee in proper china cups. Price wise their prices are very similar to the other coffee places at the airport.

I took a seat and initially I looked over the menu, but it was too late for breakfast and too early for lunch. So I ordered a flat white.

The coffee was made promptly, and served to me at my table.

It wasn’t an outstanding flat white, but I enjoyed it as I waited for my flight.

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Pretentious Cortado

I went out for a walk and decided to try the new coffee place on Victoria Street, in Bristol. It is called Origin. I wanted to try it, partly as it was new, and partly as that as I was using their app, I could get a free coffee.

Inside the clean, bright minimalist space, there was the serving counter and some tables and chairs. Not so sure about the environment. I think it needs some more tables and chairs. 

The choice of pastries was limited but the barista did say that would expand at a later date.

I ordered a Cortado. I wasn’t hungry, so didn’t order anything to eat. I took a seat and they bought my coffee over.

It was a beautifully made Cortado, in a lovely ceramic cup. It was a little pretentious, but I kind of expected this kind of coffee when I walked in.

It was a nice coffee, not my favourite flavour of coffee, but I enjoyed it. I certainly would consider going again.

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Quick Cortado

cup of coffee

Sometimes I feel a flat white can be a bit rich for me, I do like having a Cortado. Reminds me of the flat white coffee I had in Auckland back when I visited there in 2009.

As it is a smaller coffee , this makes it a great choice when making a quick break on a journey. I had this Cortado at the Costa at Ferrybridge Services. It was actually quite good. I have in the past had some poor coffee experiences at motorway services, so it was nice to have a decent coffee, while I took a break.

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Skinny Flat White

coffee

Taking advantage of a special offer, I had a very nice skinny flat white from the Caffe Nero at the top of Union Street in Bristol.

The service was excellent, and I really enjoyed the coffee.

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Spicer & Cole Flat White

Having missed out on lunch, I headed out for a walk and possibly coffee. I ended up at Spicer & Cole and ordered a flat white to drink in.

I was asked to take a seat and when my coffee was done they brought it over to me.

flat white

This was an excellently made coffee and I really enjoyed sitting down, doing some working, watching the world go by and drinking coffee.

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That’s why I don’t go to Starbucks

I was charging my car when I walked over to my local Starbucks. This branch has a drive through, but also space to sit down. As I was waiting, I decided to drink in. I was going to have an iced drink, but they had no ice.

I ordered a flat white.

I thought it was well overpriced at £3.74. I know we have excessive inflation, but I think £3 for a coffee in London is expensive. I suspect that they use the same pricing structure as Starbuck branches on motorway services. This Starbucks is next to a petrol station but is in Weston-super-Mare and not on the motorway.

It did look nice, but it wasn’t in my opinion a really good coffee. I remembered I am not really a fan of Starbucks coffee. 

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Coffee at the Rada Cafe

coffee

Close to the Adagio Aparthotel in Brentford, one of the regular places I stay in London is the Rada Cafe. Though I have been staying at the Adagio for a few years now, I have never been to the Rada Cafe. The main reason was that either I arrived late at the hotel or left early to catch a train. Usually though I would have coffee in the apartment, as they have an Nespresso coffee machine.

The other week I arrived at the Adagio early afternoon and my room wasn’t ready. So I popped over to the Rada Cafe across the road and ordered a cortado. I do like it when ordering coffee in a cafe, they let you sit down and bring it over. Not quite table service, but so much better than hanging around a counter waiting (and in some cases it feels like fighting) for your coffee.

This was a lovely coffee, well made, and delicious.

When I left the Adagio later that week, I had some time before my train home, so I went for another coffee, and another excellent experience. 

I think next time I stay at the Adagio I will make the time to pop to the Rada for another coffee.