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.
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