I fell in love with coffee back in 2005 and decided to read as much as possible about it and learn from top experts like WBC winners like James Hoffmann. After amassing a lot of knowledge I decided to start my own blog in 2007. In 2010, I showed my love, by moving to Cape Town (it looked nice) to open my coffee shop, Escape Caffe. It was tough to start but as soon as my wife persuaded me to let everyone one know one of my secrets, we broke even. why ? it was the only coffee shop in the World owned by a Nobel Peace Prize winner, which I won with my colleagues at the UN-IAEA in 2005, plus a food writer told everyone that I and the best cheesecake in Cape Town. I've now moved to Dubai to start my next coffee adventure, so let me know if you want to collaborate. Until then check my blog and instagram.
On reading the title of this post, you could be confused as to whether you jumped onto a site advertising a flower shop or some sort of botanical gardens in the city, BUT, all is forgiven, because this unique coffee shop marries the cafe owner’s love for flowers and of course, coffee. – I present you Urban Botanica Coffee Shop. Recommend by my daughter as a way to get me to satisfy my coffee craving near her home, I was in for a pleasant surprise.
Upon entering, you will be greeted with lots of pot plants, especially on your left and you may be wondering, “am I in a flower shop?”. However, after a few steps in, you will notice that the brew bar has been designed to kind of blend in with the happy plant space, as there’s lots of pink, including the eclectic and super espresso machine, the Kees Van der WestenSpirit – custom made with pink undertones – a machine for serious coffee nerds, no doubt.
Owned by Stephen, formerly of Horsham Coffee roasters, Stephen literally fell in love with his espresso machine, which he owned before even opening his coffee shop – sounds like something I’d do. After a few months of looking, he finally found this spot in Kennington, south east London. If I recall, the pot plants and flowers are in collaboration with a local florist and they have decorated the shop profoundly.
Plants galore
As you walk through the narrow shop, there’s more seating on the right hand-side, just before you enter the garden. With London enjoying the hottest September on record, we naturally sat outside and waited to be served.
When Stephen finally moved with his machine, he naturally went for Horsham Coffee as his choice of roaster. With a range of coffees, I opted for a Colombian coffee as a Flat White. As he made our coffees, I asked him few questions not to interrupt his flow – you could see the passion in his eyes and in the way he prepared our coffees. I filmed him as he made mine and I was already excited to taste it.
Delightfully made, I could sip the love of the coffee, which was one of the best I had during this trip. My wife and daughter and other friends had milk based coffees and a HarioV60 with a Rwandan coffee.
More coffee
Before I left, I bought Brazilian coffee beans to make home to Dubai for my espresso cravings.
To be honest, Kennighton is not really a place you will visit in London for any famous sites, as it is quite a neighbourly place, but it is not very far on the Underground northern line from the city nor Charing Cross (full of tourist attractions). So if you are nearby, I encourage you to hop on the tube and stop by here for a delightful coffee experience.
Urban Bontanica is located at 30 Windmill Road, off Kennington Road.
Everyone knows Oxford for their famous university and quaint English town vibe. It is full of lots of tourists in the summer with its classic buildings and historical sights, not to mention an abundance of English language schools, which attract a lot of people from all over the World to study during the summer.
Early last month we went over to Oxford to attend our sons’ graduation and what a joyous occasion it was, especially as our son had said he didn’t want to go to university many years back. But as you know, whenever I visit any new city, I’m literally sniffing around for specialty coffee. When I brought our son over three years ago to help him settle in, I searched and found two, so I wasn’t too worried about finding good coffee this time.
Colombia Coffee Roasters
Best cafe in Oxford
After having the graduation lunch, I was in need of good coffee, so off we went just across the road from the posh Ivy restaurant and into the covered market, where I found Colombia Coffee Roasters – hailed as the best coffee in Oxford, located at the Covered Market.
Yummy
It looks like a typical British coffee shop with lots of buns, pastries and gadgets including coffee bags all over the place. As it was late afternoon on an unusually hot and rather sunny and warm day for Oxford, I knew I had to have black coffee, and so I opted for an Americano as it was almost time for them to close.
My family soon found me and ordered coffee, cappuccino and more.
The two female baristi were pleasant, helpful, patient and knowledgeable as my family quizzed them about the cakes and other sweet treats – this was after we had already had dessert – smile.
I bought a bag of their Oxford Espresso Blend to take back to Dubai, sat down and enjoyed my cuppa coffee.
A trendy spot that gives vibes of those in the know, know that this is where the best coffee is at. At the height of the pandemic in 2020, I stopped here for my specialty coffee fix and the coffee was good. This time, it seemed better perhaps because people, were more relaxed. As I hadn’t had milk-based espresso for a few days. I opted for a flat white, which was well prepared with good latte art too using their La Marzocco KB90.
Flat White
They had an array of British specialty coffee roasters like Assembly, Origins, Kiss the Hippo and Obadiah.
Coffee galore
After my delectable coffee, I chatted with the barista, who had just graduated from our son’s university too from the same business school. I bought a Kenyan bag of coffee from Assembly – and my mum kindly bought me the Guatemala natural from Obadiah (Scottish coffee roasters). We hung out for a while and then went off to catch the coach back to London.
Coffeesmiths
Another coffee shop worth noting is Coffeesmiths at 14-15 Golden Cross, which I visited in 2020 but I didn’t get the change to try their coffee this time on their beautiful La Marzocco KB90 (popular in Oxford I guess) but I recommend them too.
Earlier this month I was in London and of course the opportunity to check out new cafes was top of my list. I must confess, that I prayed that the weather would be warm, coming form 40C Dubai, but you’ll be glad to know that my prayers were answered, as this September went down as one of the warmest on record, with temperatures hovering over 30C on a few days. However, I’m not sure if it is because of Brexit, I was saddened to see that most coffee shops, even in central London, close between 3:30 and 4pm. For me, this was a travesty, as I love drinking coffee after every meal, even at night, which you won’t find anymore in London – sigh! Nevertheless, I only found one exception and for that, you’ll have to read on.
CUPS 1 AND 2 (Colonna & Smalls 96a Leather Lane, City of London)
Famously run by Maxwell Colonna-Dashwood, former UK barista champion, a few years back but not one that’s shy to push the boundaries on all things coffee – he wrote a book about how water affects your coffee and is about to launch one on the coffee business. His famous coffee shop is in Bath – read here when I visited. But, imagine my delight when I heard that he was opening an outlet in London. So, on the occasion of my birthday, I went here with my wife to try out the newly opened coffee shop and by default my first specialty coffee of my trip. I failed to contain my excitement, opted for a flat white to start, poured by the pleasant barista.
Flat white colonna and smalls
Whilst I was drinking my coffee, I noticed Maxwell had entered and of course we chatted coffee for like 30 minutes from water, and more, naturally. I then ordered a special filter coffee from their menu…. wait for it….
A Panama geisha from the famous coffee estate, Hacienda Esmeralda. Indeed it was sublime, tea like with hints of jasmine. I gave my wife a taste and she retorted, this taste like tea.
The last time I had this priced coffee was when I had a my coffee shop in Cape Town back in 2011 – yes it was tasted like a blue pearl earl grey. So having spoilt myself and spent more money drinking coffee than I ever have in a London coffee shop, it was time to leave after two cups of coffee.
CUP 3 (21 Grams, 155 Northcote road)
As usual, we stayed with my brother in the Clapham area and he told me that there was new coffee shop nearby, so whilst I waited for my wife to get ready, I went exploring to find this new coffee shop. The little chairs outside gave the cafe away and inside it is easy to get confused about where to order from as the barista space is open. In fact, when I went with my wife a second time, she went next to the espresso machine. As it was morning, I opted for another flat white.
Flat white at 21 grams
I noticed they were using Gentlemen Barista coffee, which features an espresso blend that contains Brazil of course. I guessed that the baristi were speaking Portuguese and I was right, they hailed from Brazil. Also on offer are pastries and cakes.
CUPS 4 AND 5 (Watch House, 2-3 Medici Courtyard, Hanover Square/Bond Street)
Now, having walked around London in 30C, looking for coffee after 4pm, I was pleasantly surprised to find that this newish (to me) Watch House was opened. Yes! I practically rushed in and “said gimme coffee” BUT as you know I don’t have an American accent, LOL! So, rewind, I walked in took in the wonderful architecture (after all the founder of Watch House is an architect) – which I have to say reminded me of some of the lavish cafe interiors I’m used to in Dubai and calmly asked for a batch brew – a kind of filter coffee prepared beforehand.
I was pleasantly surprised upon siping this coffee to detect hints of spearmint. I read the card and saw Nestor Lasso. So intrigued I was with this usual cup, that I asked the barista if I could buy a bag because I didn’t see it on their shelf. He went to the back of the cafe and said that I was in luck but they could only sell me 200g (packed in 100g bags each), so I bought it. Upon my return to Dubai, my coffee geek friend told me that Nestor Lasso is a famous coffee producer and has won awards for his coffee, so it was a great buy then.
Two flat whites at watch house
A few days later I met a friend and we had two flat whites. I was intrigued to see a long queue pouring out of the cafe – something I haven’t seen in London for a long time.
CUP 6 (Bobo and Wild, 18 Clapham Common south side)
Back to the neighbourhood. If you don’t know now, then I should let you know that my fave meal of the day is breakfast and what better to go with this tan good coffee too. So, gate crashing my brothers brunch tradition, my wife and I went to Bobo and Wild. A popular spot for brunch, run as far as I know by some Australians. I went for a flat white as I was in Aussie land prior to my amazing truffle eggs aka folded eggs. If you know me, then you’d know that I hardly use the word “amazing” unless I really mean it.
Delicious
I mean wow. Posh eggs, folded on top of sourdough bread and mushrooms topped with Parmesan cloud (okay, shavings). Back to the coffee.
My flat white was their Bobo Blend, a Brazil/Guatemala origin, medium-dark roast, with notes of chocolate, hazelnut and black currant, brewed on a La Marzocco linea. A good choice but I have to admit the egg was the star here.
CUP 7 (The Shed, Clapham South Tube Station)
This shop is second to none if you live in the Clapham South area and need that jolt of specialty coffee caffeine before you head to work. They use Caravan Coffee, brewed on a La Marzocco linea and also stocks pastries and cakes and if needed you can buy coffee bags too.
I went for a flat white – perhaps I should have called this post 7 flat whites (smile). A well prepared coffee with good frothed mil and coffee balance poured by a peasant barista.
CUP 8 (The Hagen Project, 30a Pimlico Road, Chelsea)
What splendid cup of coffee prepared by two very young female baristi on the Hario V60 and served in such a delectable manner, wine glass to highlight the notes with a stone covering the glass carafe. The taste was sublime, with hints of aged berries, subtle acidity and just a good cup of coffee. I think the way it was served added to the suspense and when I went to pay – the bill of GBP10 ($13) took me by surprise but I guess it was worth it.
CUP 9 (Urban Botanica, 30 Windmill Road, off Kennington Road)
In late June, our daughter moved to London toe start law school and after the aches and pains of looking for a property, she found one in Kennington. After scanning the area, she was like “I’ve found a good coffee shop for you to try when you visit”. And she was right. As we entered Urban Botanica, I spotted, yes, wait for it Kees Van der Westen machine – custom made with pink undertones.
So, having missed the opportunity at Hagen, I was presented here with the opportunity to have milk based drink on this famous machine and I opted for a flat white.
Beautifully made, suing Horsham Coffee, where the owner, Stephen used to work before, I highly recommend this place if you are nearby. I promise a longer post on this.
CUP 10 (The Shot, 104 Wigmore Street)
Walking behind Oxford Street with my daughter, I noticed this coffee shop across the road and was intrigued by a branding on the shop front as well as a nearby delivery van, so I thought , why not. So, have you ever been to a coffee shop that has a maitre d – someone who takes your reservation and guides you to your seat – very common for posh restaurants? Well, the Shot has that. Upon entering, the interior is quite dark but the gold encrusted Hario V60 breaks that monotone. The image at the top of this post is from their coffee shop.
I watched over as the baristi, who looked a bit intimidating with their waistcoats and well coiffed beards. We were handed a menu, which featured expensive coffees like Jamaica Blue Mountain, so l ordered a standard espresso
Espresso at the Shot
Easy to drink. As far as I can tell this is a new concept and they have another one in Mayfair – of course – another expensive residential community in London, not far from the Kings palace.
I recall a few years back, pre-pandemic, when I read that there were a few restaurants opening in Dubai on a weekly or perhaps a monthly basis. It seems the coffee shop entrepreneurs or what I like to call the coffeepreneurs didn’t want to be left behind…. Enter a new coffee concept, Q-LAB, located in Jumeriah.
Now to be honest, Q-Lab is not a new coffee shop as such but more a new concept born out of the company DXB Blends (DXB is the acronym for Dubai airport, just like you have LHR for London Heathrow Airport). In short, DXB blends have been around in Dubai for a few years, and I first heard of them when I moved to Dubai 3 years ago. I must confess, although I had only been once, I was never tempted to visit any of their shops until now, when I saw another Dubai coffee nerd duo post about them. Intrigued, I arranged for my friends and I to have our regular Saturday morning coffee meet up there.
The Q Lab seating area
In short, Q-Lab will be the new hub of DXB Blends, where their roastery will roast coffee and prepare blends for their other outlets, with a stronger focus on quality, so the coffee on offer at Q-Lab will be a higher specialty coffee offering. As you enter the coffee hub, there are lots of chairs, with the roastery on the right-hand side.
The roasters
As you walk further in, you will be greeted by a friendly Barista, Ace (I told him that with a name like that, he will have to ace it every time he brews coffee…pressure) – we chatted coffee for several minutes as I got there ahead of my friends. Ace has been working in coffee for over 5 years and hails from the Philippines, but he shared with me his desire to keep learning about coffee so that he can compete for the national barista championships and perhaps more. He even has a tattoo on his hand with the Hario V60 and coffee beans.
I love coffee tattoos
Pleased to see the Mod Bar, I opted for the espresso blend for my cortado as the description hinted of Brazil.
The Mod Bar
My friend, Naveed opted for an Ethiopian and got a beautifully poured unicorn latte art… hmmmm! I thought because this was Ace fave coffee.
Walking around, you will see their coffee on display in different sizes of the standard 250g and a smaller version at 100g. I think they do this because they have some expensive lots, and it might be easier on your pocket to try a 100g coffee. As I walked around, a Yemeni Lot 22100 with notes of cacao nibs, dried figs and vanilla caught my attention.
Yemeni coffee
So, after downing my cortado, followed with some conversation, I knew that I had to try this special coffee brewed on a Hario V60, who wouldn’t?
Delicious
I shared it with Naveed and it was definitely worth AED55 ($15) – their normal price for filter brews are AED30. I picked up dried fruits, hints of light cacao and vanilla spice, yum.
As we were leaving, the staff gave me a complementary 100g bag of a Colombian Anaerobic Java coffee, so kind.
Q Lab are located at 118 Al Hadiqa Rd – Al Safa – Al Safa 1 – Dubai.
I plan to revisit as they will soon be offering breakfast and lunch too.
And no, that isn’t a typo. Three Coffee Roasters are a Dubai based specialty coffee roasting coffee company, who tend to specialise in “funky” coffee and by that I mean that they push the boundaries in sourcing anaerobic, macerated, 90+ and rare coffees and then roasting them that make you say wow! once you sip them.
So, it came as a I surprise to me when I was scrolling through my instagram feed that I saw Drew – their New Zealander Co-Founder and General Manager talking about their espresso coffees. Upon further inspection on their website I was pleasantly surprised to see that they offered non-funky single estate and blends. I confess, although I don’t mind pushing my taste buds to the limit – always up for the challenge – with some things like espresso and espresso with milk, for me, its a no! no!. I don’t mind something unusual in my milk based espresso like macadamia , dark berries, vanilla, cinnamon, with hints of dark chocolate, caramel, etc BUT I don’t really want high acidity, peach, grapefruit and strawberries with milk.
So, when I came across Colombia La Esperanza Washed – Made for Milk, Ethiopia Hambela and Lazy Daze, all for espresso and milk based – I was excited and placed an order.
Before I describe my taste bud experience, a detour.
A few things I noticed about Three Coffee espresso offerings;
*The aroma – wow!
*The long lasting taste – admirable
*Ease of puling shots – stressless, except the Ethiopia Hambela (more on that later).
My first brew was the Colombia La Esperanza – made for milk. Upon opening the bag, wow! the aroma and yes it smelt of milk chocolate. It was great with milk and probably my fave of the batch.
I savoured it a little longer but trying the others before finishing this.
Next up, the Lazy Daze – a mix of “A mix of washed, natural and anaerobic coffees from Brazil, Indonesia, Rwanda, Guatemala and Colombia”, so expect something unusual.
Another aromatic experience that lasted right to the end of the bag and the long lasting taste after every brew stopped me from eating anything it afterwards for at least an hour to savour the taste, yum.
Now, Hambela.. Ethiopia, Ethiopia. where do I start? In fact when I tired to brew this first as an espresso, it was a disaster – nothing came out, so I thought perhaps I bought the wrong roast type – filter instead of espresso and so I actually brewed it on the Hario V60 and on the Aeropress
BUT then I thought let me go back to Drew on instagram. He shared rather helpfully that the beans are lot more denser, so I need to grind a lot more coarser than the other beans, which I did.
When I tried it as a milk based espresso drink – I must confess the first experience was wow, wow, wow! yes three times of wow! BUT after the first brew I didn’t get that easily.
Perhaps because of the plus 40C temperature in Dubai the brewing experience was temperamental and when rushing out in the morning, I couldn’t afford to keep wasting shots, so I settled on a 18g, 30g out – more hints of dark berries and dark chocolate.
If you are excited by what you read, then visit http://Three Coffee to place an order and I’m not getting any commission.
It had been 8 days in Marrakech and although I had brought along my aeropress, Hario electric grinder and some great Kenyan coffee to new in my hotel room, I was still craving specialty coffee brewed the espresso way. Having tried a couple of global chains in Marrakech (they didn’t exist two years ago), I knew there had to be more, so I returned to google search, which pulled up two reliable candidates, Bloom Coffee (which turned out to be specialty coffee roastery – next time I plan to visit insha’Allah) and Thirty5ive (that’s how they write it) cafe, which is where I headed after a long day working.
We finally arrived here at about 6pm and the cafe was empty except for me and the barista. Set in a residential street in fashionable Gueliz, as you enter, there are some high stool chairs to your right, which ends with two Technics SL1200 turntables (I used to DJ at university and these turntables for playing traditional records are like the goldmine of DJing) and after which you are greeted with at the brew bar, decked with a 2 group La Marzocco linea and two mahl konig grinders. The decor is trendy concrete industrial.
Brew bar
I was greeted by Khalid, who used to be the Moroccan latte art champion a few years back and is now the head barista here. I started off with a cortado as I was craving an espresso based milk drink.
Cortado
Smooth taste with hints of milk chocolate and a dark berry. By smooth, I mean it was easy on the palate and the milk glided on to my tongue with ease. After shyly asking Khalid to take a pic of me as I sipped my coffee, I wandered around the shop, which is actually set on two levels. As you leave the main shop to your left, you’ll see what looks like a room for meetings, just before you head up the steep winding stairs to a little clove on top, decked with comfy floor level cushions and chairs too.
View from the top
Also on display was art from a local artist, using metal – impressive!
After my cortado had settled in my stomach… let’s say 5 minutes, I ordered a filter coffee together with a pistachio financier (classic french almond mini cake), as I hadn’t eaten all day. The financier was really delicious, melt in your mouth with Moroccan almonds I presume.
Delicious
and the coffee….
Smelt like sweet spice and berries with medium acidity.
Their coffee is actually roasted in Amsterdam as the Moroccan owners used to live there.
In short, my top choice to visit for specialty coffee in Marrakech to date. I’m sure the morning and evening vibe will be different featuring the young and trendy from Marrakech listening to old school tunes, discussing art and life, plus more OR jamming to the DJs tunes on a Friday evening.
Thirty5ive is located at 3 Rue el Imam Malik, Gueliz, Marrakech.
About two weeks back a friend told me to check this new cafe out in Abu Dhabi and to be honest, I thought to myself “when am I going to go to Abu Dhabi next, let alone, a coffee shop there”. Literally the next day, I decided to take my wife al the way to Abu Dhabi airport, about an hour away from Dubai and guess what…. drum roll… the coffee shop he told me to check out was, can you believe it… 5 minutes drive away from the airport. It’s like God was saying “you’re going to that coffee shop”.
And here we are THINGS Specialty Coffee shop, owned by 2022 UAE Cup Tasters Champ and Q Grader, Sulaiman Khamis Alalawi and newly opened in March 2023. As you enter, there’s a filter brew bar to the right, together with sunglasses on display (the owner loves quirky sunglasses). The filter brew bar is decked with high chairs, a bar of course featuring filter brewing gear and low bar hanging lights. It’s like if you sit there, full attention will be given to you during the brewing process – a real specialty bar.
As you walk further in, you will notice the San Remo espresso machine on top an unusual looking brick style brew bar to your slight left. This is where the flat whites, cappuccinos, espresso are poured. There’s ample seating, more on the left hand side of the shop in a minimalist, fairly dark toned interior – I guess to promote intimacy with your cup of coffee and taste buds.
Place your orders next to brew bar and select your beans from top roasters as Things doesn’t have a dedicated roaster. When I visited, they had Vulcan from Qatar for espresso coffee and Glyph from Singapore for filter coffees – this is typical of Sulaiman, because if you follow him on Instagram, then you know he doesn’t follow convention BUT loves exploring. I guess he wants to give his clients a different experience and wants them to “drink like an escapist”.
After conversing with the head barista like a coffee geek, I ordered a cortado to start together with a delicious banana bread.
Smooth and well prepared.
My daughter ordered a mocha – hot chocolate with coffee and snapped away.
After we enjoyed the banana bread and our drinks, we were off for the filter brew bar experience.
And, this is where we spent most of our time. The barista was so helpful and loved brewing coffee that he made us two drinks. First was a special Central American coffee, roasted on their Roest small batch coffee roaster in the coffee shop, very clean and bright (as in acidity) as he described it. Served in these unusual glasses.
Second up, we had the Colombia Geisha natural processed coffee from Glyph, the guest roaster. It was more balanced in taste and not so bright and acidic but I must confess, having not eaten since breakfast, I couldn’t finish the coffee. Tasty though.
Indeed it was clean and bright – too bright for my daughter but refreshing in a sort of way.
In short, highly recommend not just for the coffee, but for the experience too and to top it off, really wonderful staff too, who couldn’t do enough for us and spoilt us. So, if you have to go to Abu Dhabi to catch a flight, I strongly recommend getting there earlier to stop over at Things and take your taste buds on a ride before you fly – doesn’t that rhyme ?
When asked by my friends where we should go to for coffee on a Saturday morning during the Dubai Winter (20-25C), MILK Bar, located in Wasl 51 on Wasl Road near City Walk, easily rolls off my lips.
Located in the newish development of Wasl 51, which hosts a Michelin gourmand restaurant (Orfali Bros) together with a host of trendy cafes and breakfast spots, MILK, fits in with the upmarket feel of new places to hang out in Dubai.
Tempting
As you enter, you are greeted on your left with a ladder (quirky) and an L-shaped serving and brewing bar, dominated with a La Marzocco Strada . As you walk further into the shop, a host of delectable cakes, pastries and sweets present themselves like they are saying, “don’t look, just order” – it reminds me of my display cabinet at my coffee shop in Cape Town back in 2011, which was based on the strategy, “people fall in love with beauty first”. Now, if you make the mistake of walking into MILK without sitting first, the temptation to order a cake or something sweet will be unbearable because they not only look great, they taste nice too. This is based on previous experience. Cheesecake below…
Yummy cheesecake
You’d be more impressed to know that MILK also bake their cakes and of course, as with everything in Dubai, you can order it home for that special occasion too.
But that’s not just it. Let’s talk about their food too.
Although Milk actually opened a few years ago, I didn’t go until September 2021, when after having breakfast at a popular breakfast spot nearby, I went to MILK afterwards to get a cortado. First time, below;
Although they haven’t necessarily committed to just one coffee roaster, you’ll find that their coffee preparation is up to par. So, at the moment they are sourcing their espresso based beans from Grandmother roastery (one of my faves) and the filter blend using April from Copenhagen. I usually visit in the mornings and so opt for their espresso milk based drinks… or should I say, their cortado.
Another cortado
Taste profiles tend to be chocolate with hints of almonds, hazelnuts and milk chocolate. Favouring a more intense taste, I rarely order their cappuccino or flat white, but my fellow coffee nerd, Naveed, usually orders them.
A few months ago they underwent a renovation, which from what I could see, expanded the seating area and now gives you a window view into the kitchen. See video below.
Why go?
Good breakfast, relaxed seating, delectable cakes, friendly staff and off course coffee that won’t disappoint. Need I say more? Check them out.
Craving specialty coffee during my recent trip to Marrakech i must confess I wasn’t that hopeful e when I google “specialty coffee Marrakech “ BUT I was pleasantly surprised to find that Japanese brand Arabica% had opened their second shop in Morocco ( I went to their first one in Casablanca last year).
The entrance
I must confess I thought I had heard about their new shop but wasn’t sure if it was in Marrakech. So, when an acquaintance asked to meet briefly before my first meeting, I suggested this spot.
Newly opened in the fancy Dubaiesque M AVENUE, a hub of new shops, hip restaurants and the CR7 Hotel by Cristiano Ronaldo, Arabica% is set to attract those needing an escape into specialty coffee.. in a country that still doesn’t have a Starbucks.
The chemex fountain
As usual, there’s a lot of expense and creativity in the decor with a #chemex fountain (above) wide spaces and an escapism feel, decked with two slayer espresso machines.
I opted for a #cappuccino using their Brazil and Ethiopia blend. Hints of milk chocolate and almonds.
Also on offer are filter brews too. So, if you visit the magical city of Marrakech this summer and want a hint of specialty coffee, pop over to Arabica% Marrakech
Last month I was in London again, partly because our daughter graduated from her masters in sustainable development – proud parents, praise God. Naturally, the graduation was one day but of course I took advantage of staying in freezing London for at least 6 days before heading back to Dubai to spend time with family and friends and drink good coffee of course.
Brickwood Cafe, 21 Battersea Rise, Clapham
I stopped in here for my first coffee of my trip to meet with my sister briefly as she was about to fly back to the States, so I ordered a corn bread benedict and a flat white. Brickwood still use Ozone Coffee, so you know it’s going to satisfy not just your caffeine thirst but your taste buds too. I’ve been here a few times as it’s just around the corner from where I stay in London.
The Gentlemen Baristas, 162 Piccadilly, Green Park
After an early start, where I had to meet a client, I opted to meet my wife and daughter at this cafe, where I’ve been before. As you enter, it is quite busy but what I liked was the Italian style greeting by one of the staff, who took our order due to the long lunch time queue and served us as we seated by the window. I opted for a cappuccino and my daughter for an Americano – her new go to for coffee. Their coffee is more on the dark roasted side, so expect dark chocolate notes with milk based coffee. Prego.
Arome Bakery, 27 Duke Street – opposite Selfridges – West End
Hanging out with my daughter, a keen foodie, I gracefully accompanied her to a Japanese bakery on her list. Sadly most of the delicious pastries and cakes that grace their instagram feed had sold out, so whilst she opted for a Japanese chicken savoury croissant, I noted that they had a three group La Marzocco Linea at the back, asked them about their coffee and ordered a cortado. The Japanese tend to favour a darker roast for espresso based coffee so I knew it would be give me a milk chocolate vibe, which it did. Good for pastry and coffee.
Kafi Cafe, 20 Cleveland Street, West End
Last summer I stopped at their pop-up shop at Lush on Oxford Street and decided this time to visit their actually coffee shop, which is quite quaint (attractively unusual) and small that you could easily walk past it. Hanging out with my brother on yet another sub-zero day in London, we ordered a cortado for me and a flat white for him. Kafi brew espresso on a La Marzocco Strada and use HasBean coffees – one of the OGs of specialty coffee in the UK so you won’t be disappointed. They have a strong vegan feel and some small bites, so stop here to grab coffee as sitting will be difficult – they literally have space for about 6 people inside and bench outside (good for the summer and spring I guess).
Rosslyn Coffee, 118 London Wall, City of London
So, I’ve saved the best for last. I first heard of Rosslyn a few years back and made a coffee geek inspired journey to their first coffee shop a few years back – read here. Recently voted best independent coffee shop in Europe, they now have three shops, centred in the City of London – i.e. where all the top banks, law firms, hedge funds are located. So, if you are having a high powered meeting and trying to cut a deal in a friendly good coffee setting, try their branch at Moorgate Station or London Wall. My daughter and I ordered a Long Black and Flat White respectively.
For milk based it was deffo milk chocolate with hints of hazelnuts. I went over to the head barista, Miles, and after highlighting my coffee geekiness, he took me around the back to show me their newish La Marzocco KB90 and their work flow. The most intrigue g thing for me and for him too, was the Uber Milk machine, which can now froth milk to a very high barista standard automatically, lessen the work flow when they have a huge influx of customers at peak times – they already have like 2/3 baristi. I was glad for the tour, walked around a bit, shot a video and left.
There you have it, a quick tour guide of some new places to drink coffee when you’re out and about in London. Please share any new places in the comments below.
From Coffee With Love 