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!