The Coffee Shop Thread

[pozbaird]

2 hours ago, beardy said:

Last time i was in the UK (2019), i thought the coffee was rubbish.

Watery pish, badly made. Just crap.

Coffee is ubiquitous in Australia, and the standard is far higher and better than the UK.

The Starbucks here is still absolutely fvxking awful.
 

Last time I was in Sydney, three years ago, there was a superb independent coffee scene there. The only Starbucks we saw was at Wynyard train station. Having said that, the best coffee we had in Sydney was in the big Westfield shopping mall on Pitt Street. A proper Italian place up amongst the food court outlets.

Had a few coffees though that were simply bog standard, no better than a Starbucks coffees. Just because a place is independent, studenty, a bit different, doesn’t guarantee anything. Sometimes all it guarantees is that the place is run by wanky beardy studenty types.

So, on balance, I would say Sydney had an excellent coffee culture scene, but I think a sweeping generalisation such as coffee in the UK is rubbish, it’s watery pish, badly made, crap - and Australia is simply better, is, frankly, bollocks.

[tamthebam]

I suppose we could be virtuous and mention Social Bite but I don't think I've had a coffee out of there.

A mediocre coffee is still better than a mediocre tea. I've had some pretty awful cups of tea in my time.

Without appearing all Arthur Dent is there anywhere that does a good cup of tea? (Bonus for a teapot that doesn't slaister the tea all over the table)

[Paul Kersey]

17 hours ago, invergowrie arab said:

The Bach is the best in Dundee.

Pacamara is very good too but rare to get a table in there these days unless having a meal.  

The Post House in Invergowrie does good food and coffee, but the ambience isn't great. It feels like you're sitting in somebody's living room.

There's a new place on Perth Road called EH9 that does really good coffee, but the food selection is limited. 

[Ex Machina]

I enjoy a trip to Rose & Grants on Trongate for a coffee and bite to eat. Frankie in Shawlands is also good quality, very small though if you prefer to sit in. 

[Dan Steele]

1 hour ago, tamthebam said:

Without appearing all Arthur Dent is there anywhere that does a good cup of tea? 

eteaket in Frederick Street. A tea menu and good cakes.

[jamamafegan]

I hate these drive through coffee places that Costa and Starbucks have. Millennial pish.

[coprolite]

What's an acceptable time to sit in a coffee shop with one coffee? Sometimes i like to go in and work (waiting on car or something) and work on the basis that one an hour isn't taking the piss toooo much. But i see folk with an empty cup when i go in who don't buy another. 

What's the etiquette here? 

[Derry Alli]

9 hours ago, hk blues said:

This may be way out there, but I used to have a coffee with my meal in McDonalds.  

7 hours ago, hk blues said:

[smpar]

5 hours ago, ListerRRFC said:

I enjoy a trip to Rose & Grants on Trongate for a coffee and bite to eat. Frankie in Shawlands is also good quality, very small though if you prefer to sit in. 

Hug cafe across the road does a lovely roll. Gizzi is my favourite coffee shop in Shawlands. Special mention to Crema too. 

[invergowrie arab]

5 hours ago, Paul Kersey said:

The Post House in Invergowrie does good food and coffee, but the ambience isn't great. It feels like you're sitting in somebody's living room.

There's a new place on Perth Road called EH9 that does really good coffee, but the food selection is limited. 

My gran and grandad owned the post office when it was there so I can't take to it . It's a bit like visiting your parents house when someone else lives there. Agree its a weird vibe, too cramped with a low roof

Haven't been to EH9 yet but you have reminded café Scicila is good too and great cakes

[UsedToGoToCentralPark]

I suppose we could be virtuous and mention Social Bite but I don't think I've had a coffee out of there.
A mediocre coffee is still better than a mediocre tea. I've had some pretty awful cups of tea in my time.
Without appearing all Arthur Dent is there anywhere that does a good cup of tea? (Bonus for a teapot that doesn't slaister the tea all over the table)

Best cup of tea is the one you have at home.

[velo army]

21 hours ago, Suspect Device said:

I tend to go to Books and Beans in Belmont Street in Aberdeen.

I find it to be a bit too dear, but I did used to enjoy reading the graphic novels all the way through then putting them back (Dr Evil gif).

 

 

[Suspect Device]

21 hours ago, hk blues said:

Is that spicy mince? Had that for breakfast when I was in Australia years ago.

 

Not sure why folk are questioning mince on toast. It's fine. I make myself a Jock Monsieur occasionally which is a mince toastie with melted cheese. Topped with a fried egg makes it a Jock Madame. 

 

 

ETA I thought I'd invented it but apparently some place in Edinburgh does it with haggis.

Edited November 18, 2021 by Suspect Device

[hk blues]

1 minute ago, Suspect Device said:

Is that spicy mince? Had that for breakfast when I was in Australia years ago.

 

Not sure why folk are questioning mince on toast. It's fine. I make myself a Jock Monsieur occasionally which is a mince toastie with melted cheese. Topped with a fried egg makes it a Jock Madame. 

It is.

Like you, I can't see anything strange about mince on toast although I prefer it on a roll.  I had never had it with a fried egg until I moved to where I am now and my wife introduced it to me along with having it with rice and baked beans - poor man's chilli I suppose!

[Barry Ferguson's Hat]

15 hours ago, coprolite said:

What's an acceptable time to sit in a coffee shop with one coffee? Sometimes i like to go in and work (waiting on car or something) and work on the basis that one an hour isn't taking the piss toooo much. But i see folk with an empty cup when i go in who don't buy another. 

What's the etiquette here? 

Probably depends how busy it is. I'd feel a bit shite taking up a table for over an hour if the place was stowed, especially in independent place.

In Paris it's common for groups of friends to sit in a bistro for hours, only having one espresso each, as it's pretty much the only affordable thing you can do. 

[hk blues]

3 minutes ago, Barry Ferguson's Hat said:

Probably depends how busy it is. I'd feel a bit shite taking up a table for over an hour if the place was stowed, especially in independent place.

In Paris it's common for groups of friends to sit in a bistro for hours, only having one espresso each, as it's pretty much the only affordable thing you can do. 

In Hong Kong the old folks treat McDonalds as a day care centre - there from early morning until early evening and often buy nothing, just sit with a cup of water in front of them and feel zero shame.  The place could be packed out at peak times and they don't give a f**k. 

PTTGOYN forum for this actually.

[pozbaird]

15 hours ago, coprolite said:

What's an acceptable time to sit in a coffee shop with one coffee? Sometimes i like to go in and work (waiting on car or something) and work on the basis that one an hour isn't taking the piss toooo much. But i see folk with an empty cup when i go in who don't buy another. 

What's the etiquette here? 

If I saw you nursing a coffee for an hour, personally, fine with me. However, if I saw you come in, look for a seat near a power point, whip out an iPad with a funny sticker placed over the Apple logo, and sit there making a coffee last three hours while being a studenty w**k…. I’d think a boot in the haw-maws should be administered with extreme force.

[RiG]

When I saw who started this thread I knew that Project Coffee in Bruntsfield would get a mention  

Little Fitzroy on Easter Road always seems quite popular as does the Red Kite Café round the corner at Abbeyhill. Great to see this part of Edinburgh become more woke / hipster / man bag wearing.

Edited November 18, 2021 by RiG

[supermik]

Don’t mind a coffee but I really don’t like going into any coffee shops as I am pretty clueless about what to ask for.

 I would much rather have a home brewed cup of tea over any type of alcohol. Sometimes a nice cup of tea feels like a blood transfusion on a busy day.

[stevieKTID]

On 16/11/2021 at 23:27, Jimi Shandrix said:

Some excellent ones in Amsterdam.

Beat me to it.