Some people feel wretched if they have no access to coffee. If I am in the presence of one of these folk, I consequently feel wretched as they verge on being unpleasant. So if I can ply them with good coffee, or help with directions to good coffee, then I am more than happy to comply.
I love coffee, but do not consider myself to be an aficionado. I know the difference between very good and okay, but possibly not between very good and exceptional. Perhaps the difference between very good and exceptional lies in individual opinion anyhow. But how valid is the individual opinion if they frequent Starbucks et al?
The last time I drank a Starbucks coffee was after a friend highlighted that they now make flat whites. With respect, I felt that it was good. I would be inclined to venture in for another if I had a hankering for one and the store was convenient. Previously, though, I asked for a latte and it was vile. I asked them to make it again on account of it being watery and burnt. They duly made it again and it was the same shit. This was not a one off.
Could the same thing happen at Monmouth (coffee company)? Or in... Kaffeine? This is doubtful.
Monmouth has a tone of middle class country farm about it, despite being perched confidently in Covent Garden, London Bridge, and Bermondsey Street, with contrived communal heavy wooden tables, a style also exemplified perfectly in the popular and oh-so-pretentious coffee shop, The Town Mill Bakery, in Lyme Regis in Dorset, neighbour to the original place of Monmouth, from where I believe the coffee company gets its name. However, I think a pretentious place can embrace this title with something resembling pride if they can make it work. And both Monmouth coffee and The Town Mill Bakery work because the goods that they offer are really very good..
However, for something a little less twee, with a touch more elegance, Kaffeine could be the place that tops it. Coffee after coffee is a success, and although I think that Monmouth coffee is exceptional, the overall coffee-drinking experience is often let down by service with an attitude. Kaffeine has always been friendly without gushing and I always feel comfortable being there. I thank the friend who introduced me to it. Best in London? A definite contender. Others... Flat White? A bit tired... Macaron in Clapham? Delicious, delightful, indulgent - this is high on the list.
But what makes a good coffee? Good beans, ethically sourced of course, because there's nothing worse than the taste of guilt; top-notch equipment; good skills. No burnt milk, not too much froth, a cup that is not too large (grande, anyone? I think not. A 5oz cup is just perfect), a smooth texture, a good consistency that is thicker than a glass of full fat milk but thinner than honey. Apparently, the Synesso Cyncra is "the holy grail of espresso machines", and is what is used to make the deliciousness as provided by Kaffeine.
A friend in Sydney is saying that it is the best place in the world for coffee, beating Italy and France. Apparently, a coffee movement is happening. Lots of new and previously uncommon techniques are being used to satisfy the needs of the common coffee aficionado. Perhaps I shall soon find out if he is boasting, deluded, or indeed spot on.
nom-nom
