Laboratorio Espresso (Glasgow)

The second entry for Glasgow is Laboratorio Espresso (sorry for the poor pics). Laboratorio caught our eyes as Ally and I were walking through the streets of Glasgow, and the decision to go was supported by generally excellent reviews. Upon arrival, we couldn't help but share a chocolate cannoli - delicious.

The coffee was quite decent, I preferred the noticeably darker roast than the coffee from Gordon Street. It didn't have the smoothest texture that I've experienced on this trip - a bit too much air in the milk I think. Apart from this, the coffee was good in terms of taste and temperature. Overall I'd give the latte from Laboratorio Espresso a 3.75/5 - solid but not outstanding!

Gordon Street Coffee (Glasgow)

Similar to in Edinburgh, there were a number of coffee shops that we wanted to visit in Glasgow. The first we sampled was Gordon Street Coffee. Ally and I were very impressed with the outside of the shop and the fact that they roasted their own beans in-house!

The beans seemed to be quite a light roast - it was a very mild latte. As I've said previously, I generally prefer medium/dark roast to light roast coffee so I didn't enjoy this one as some others. As well as this, I wasn't craving a coffee as much as I normally would because I was still pretty stuffed from my full Scottish breakfast (yummo). Apart from the beans, the coffee was pretty good all round. Nothing really stood out as being particularly good or bad. Overall I'd give the coffee from Gordon Street Coffee a 3.5/5. I'd also like to give a special mention to the friendly service we experienced in the shop. The barrister was very welcoming and cheerful - which certainly enhanced our overall experience!

Brew Lab (Edinburgh)

There were a number of independent artisan coffee shops that we wanted to visit in Edinburgh, but we only got to visit Brew Lab, unfortunately. Like so many of the shops we have sampled across the UK, we chose Brew Lab because of the number of favourable reviews. The inside of the shop was great, we particularly like the periodic table styled coffee menu. There was no room to sit down and enjoy the coffee because it was peak time Saturday morning so we had to settle for takeaway.

First and foremost, the coffee was pretty damn expensive. It was £2.80 for a (tiny) 8oz latte. I'd also like to point out that a flat white was only £2.70 - what's the deal with that? The coffee itself was obviously well made. Like many of the better places we have visited, the beans were weighed to ensure maximum consistency and the final product was clearly well textured; the temperature was also spot on. Unfortunately I didn't enjoy the selection of beans. There was a very strong hint of berry in the coffee, which I didn't appreciate as many people would. Ally, for example, very much enjoyed her coffee

Overall, I'd give Brew Lab a 3.75/5. The coffee was obviously high quality, but I didn't go much on the bean selection. As well as this, the price was way too high for a single shot coffee. Certainly room for improvement.

Spring Espresso (York)

On the coach to York, we came across Spring Espresso in a pamphlet:

Clearly, from this, we were expecting an outstanding latte - it has already been voted the "best latte in the UK"!!!!. The inside of the shop looked very professional - as did the (extensive) poster right next the the counter achieving nothing but increasing our already high expectation.

I can't remember feeling so disappointed. Even from looking at the coffee, you could tell the milk was ruined. I went for a sip and burnt the entirety of my mouth, almost forcing me to drop the cup! The milk was burnt and the coffee was almost completely lost as a result. The barrister that made it must have been new, because there is no way a coffee like this won so many awards..

There's no more to say unfortunately.. I'd have to give this coffee a very poor 2/5. I would be willing to try it again because of the reputation, but I was so disappointed :(

Opposite Cafe (Leeds)

The Opposite Cafe we visited was located in the Victoria Quarter of Leeds. It was set up like a little kiosk in the middle of a mall - the type we've all seen in shopping centers like Eastlands for example. In my experience, these little shops are not generally places to go for a good coffee and on that thought we almost walked away to try somewhere else. After checking out some great reviews however we were convinced to give it a go - and weren't disappointed.

It was fairly expensive, £2.40 for an 8oz cup, but the fact that the barrister weighted the beans before each coffee to maximise consistency led me to believe it would be worth the cost.

The coffee looked and smelt great. It was well textured and the coffee really stood out with good quality beans. It was ready to drink immediately, a feature which I now associate with an enjoyable brew. Overall I'd give this coffee a 4/5. It was very enjoyable and I certainly would recommend, but perhaps a little on the expensive side.

Takk (Manchester)

Along with North Tea Power, Takk was commonly among reviewer's top coffees in Manchester - a must try for Ally and I! Unfortunately we were in a little bit of a rush and had to settle for a take away. The first thing that I will mention is that the coffee was ridiculously expensive. £2.80 for a small (8oz) cup is just crazy - no matter how good the coffee is. To put that in perspective for my friends in Australia, that equates to approx. $5.50 for a small coffee.

With that said, the coffee was absolutely delicious. I would put the quality right up there with Boston Tea Party (highest score so far of 4.5/5). It was just the right temperature, texture, aroma and most importantly, taste. Relatively, a 12oz cup from BTP costs £2.50 - so if I had the option, I would still go there.

For those in Manchester though, Takk is a great place if you want a delicious coffee. I would score it a 4.25/5 - marginally lower than BTP because of the higher cost.

Bold Street Coffee (Liverpool)

Similarly to North Tea Power, Ally and I went to Bold Street Coffee after reading some reviews of the best coffee in Liverpool - where it was consistently mentioned. Upon arrival, given the presentation of the shop, we were expecting great coffee! They had aeropress equipment set up and a (relatively) extensive filter menu. They even had this poster (see below) describing all the elements that makes BSC a great producer of coffee.

The beans were weighed to ensure maximum consistency, and the coffee was presented with a very appealing fern. Unfortunately the coffee didn't taste quite right.. which may have been my personal taste in the beans that were used. It was clearly made to the description on the above poster, it was noticeably lower in temperature (deliberate) than other coffees I've had, but there was something slightly off with the taste.. and I can't put my finger on what it was! I believe it was a relatively dark roast, but with some subtlety that I can't identify.

Overall I'd give this coffee a 3.75/5 - I really wanted to give it a great rating, but just couldn't! I'm sure if any of you tried it, you may well disagree with me. Oh well!

North Tea Power (Manchester)

Ally and I went to North Tea Power after sifting through some reviews of the best coffee in Manchester, and saw that it was commonly right up there. While we were there we grabbed french toast and a toasted cheese sandwich (both delicious!).

The coffee was very dark, perhaps the darkest roast that I've had yet in the UK. It also had a noticeably runny consistency - perhaps verging on a flat white. It was very enjoyable. I got the impression that North Tea Power was a place that was serious about good coffee, with their filter setups and general bench layout. I even had a flick through "caffeine" magazine while waiting.. (haha).

Overall, I can see why NTP is regularly reviewed so highly; the coffee was great and really stood out. I'd give the this latte a 4/5 - personally I prefer my coffee slightly lighter, however Ally said it was the best she has had on this trip so far!

Society Cafe (Bath)

Ally and I found the Society Cafe while we were visiting Bath, and sat down for a break with a book before we traveled back to Bristol. Keeping up with the relatively high prices, a latte here cost £2.60, but we've started to accept that this is just the way it is.. Inside the cafe looked really nice, and you can see some of the pictures on their website which I've attached a link to.

The coffee looked great, well exceeding my ability to present a latte. Overall, it was very pleasant and well textured. From the taste, I imagine it was made with a lighter roast than BTP (previous post) which would suit some drinkers more than me (my old man for example). Relatively speaking, the coffee didn't stand out above the milk as much as a darker roast; which I personally prefer. I'd give this latte a 4/5 - very decent indeed!

http://www.society-cafe.com/

Boston Tea Party (Bristol)

The next entry from Bristol is Boston Tea Party. Initially, we saw BTP in the South West Independent Coffee Guide that we read in Bristol Coffee House. The cost here was noticeably better, at £2.50 for a 12oz cup. While the barrister was at work, he passionately informed Ally of the origin and production method of the filter coffee she had ordered, coming from Ethiopia. Apparently it had a very strong strawberry tang (he wasn't wrong!). His passion towards the beans genuinely excited us, and we definitely weren't disappointed. He passed over a great looking latte with an impressive piece of art that I unfortunately didn't get a photo of because it was in a takeaway cup.

The coffee was outstanding! Throughout the entire cup, the coffee stood out and wasn't lost in a sea of milk. The milk was spot on, with a delightfully creamy foam topping. The temperature was also just right,I truly enjoyed every mouthful, and am now a bit concerned that it can only be downhill from here...

Overall I'd give this coffee a 4.5/5. I have to allow some wriggle room for the huge number of coffees I have left to experience for the rest of this trip. This will definitely take some topping.

Bristol Coffee House (Bristol)

The first entry on the list: Bristol Coffee House. On our second day in Bristol, I insisted to Ally that we had to stop in a cafe that looked the goods. Bristol Coffee House caught our attention straight away, despite it being one of the first cafes we passed. Just inside the door we noticed three girls enjoying a cuppa and the attractive appearance (of the coffees of course...) convinced us to give it a crack.

The price was very steep... £2.90 for a regular latte, but we went ahead anyway. While we were waiting, we noticed a little red and white book, the "South West Independent Coffee Guide", and had a flick through. Understandably, Bristol Coffee House was in the book and this gave us high hopes of the coffees we were about the receive, but also helped pinpoint some cafes we could try while staying in Bristol and surrounds.

The coffee was generally quite good; a cheeky grin appeared when I took my first sip and tasted the dense foam. As I got further through, the coffee seemed to retreat into the milk. Which was a bit of a shame. The texture was good all the way through, and the barrister finished off with a nice fern pattern. A for effort. The milk also seemed to not quite be the correct temperature, perhaps a tiny bit underdone; but overall a solid latte.

Overall I'd give the Bristol Coffee House a  3.5/5, but for the price, there are definitely better options around.

Links:

South West Independent Coffee Guide: http://www.food-mag.co.uk/south-west-independent-coffee-guide/

Introduction

One of the most exciting aspects of my trip to Europe was sampling what I expected to be fantastic coffee, particularly in countries like France and Italy. Over my last couple of years at university in particular I have developed into a grandiose coffee snob; perhaps without truly understanding what elements make a perfect latte. All I have to form my opinion is my tastebuds, nose and eyes! I have decided to maintain a blog of my experiences through Europe, primarily as an approach to remember some highlights in the years to come. Based on my experiences thus far in the UK I must first and foremost emphasise how satisfied I am with the quality of coffee that is available from independent sources in Tasmania and am looking forward to returning with some great caffeine filled memories.

Unfortunately, my experience did not get off to a favourable start. I expected London to be filled with a dominant independent café scene, where pleasure was taken in roasting beans on-site and perfecting signature latte art; similar to what I have experienced in Hobart. What I in fact discovered was a city overridden with chain cafes! Costa, Caffe Nero, and Pret a Manger were seemingly abundant on every street. Being my first time in the UK, I did not realise that these were chain companies and I can recall one of the first coffees I purchased was from Costa on New Year’s Day, on the corner of Edgware Rd and George St. I can’t remember having a latte so hot, and the milk looked as though it had exploded. Need I say more..? Caffe Nero did not provide much of an improvement. They attempted to make their “premium Italian” latte by pouring a shot of coffee in on top of a flask of heated milk – what is that!? I quickly moved on from the disasters I experienced at the chains in an attempt to find some independent brilliance.

After some time getting to grips with the UK, I managed to source some great, quality coffee and hope to find much more here and on the continent. I am intending to briefly highlight where I have found some great brews, accompanied with a star rating system and some snaps, so I can definitively find…

The best latte in Europe.