Kaffetur 24 / Coffee Tour #24: Artisan, London

Artisan. An apt name for a shop serving specialty coffee, if you ask me.

On a recent trip to London, we stopped in Ealing for breakfast, and decided to pop in Artisan for a coffee before we set out to explore the city with Zack's brother and sister-in-law.

Zack had actually been here before, on a business trip. He'd raved about their smoked salmon sandwich, and spoke highly of their coffee as well.

Walking in, I thought the shop was cute. Fun lighting, lots of seating, great signage, and a nice overall setup. Artisan in Ealing is a perfect blend of rustic, charming, and cozy. But honestly, the charm factor was so high, I found myself feeling less than confident about the coffee itself.

Not to worry! Zack and I decided on a cortado and a V60. Our 13 year old, as he usually does, chose a cold brew. And imagine the delight of our 10 year old when the barista delivered a Babycino to the table for him.

Seriously. Other cafes should take note. Artisan offers a free Babycino for their 'junior' customers. It's a very simple concept: steamed milk, topped with whipped cream, chocolate, and a marshmallow. Simple, and yet, it was totally appreciated by me, and devoured by my little man!

Babycino - yeah, the little man was thrilled!

Our coffee was excellent. Every drink ordered was carefully prepared, and was really delicious. Way better than I expected. Their coffee is just as excellent as their shop is cool.

The Ealing location is also home to Artisan's Coffee School. Wish I could have taken part in one of those!

When in London, I encourage you to take a little side trip to Ealing. The neighborhood itself is full of cool shops and lots of charm. It's got such a great feel, without all the touristy hoopla.

And Artisan is just icing on the cake - or should I say, crema on the espresso.

Artisan Coffee

http://www.artisancoffee.co.uk

(They have four locations... we visited them in Ealing)

32 New Broadway

Ealing, London W5 2XA

Kaffetur 23 / Coffee Tour #23: Attendant Coffee, London

We found the location and walked down the steps, to the underground cafe.

I feel quite confident that this is the strangest location we've visited for coffee. You would be hard-pressed to find a weirder one. If you do, please tell me.

Yes, an underground cafe. But that isn't what makes it so odd. In fact, this coffee shop had a prior life. As a urinal.

Urinals. Yep.

No joke. This location was once a men's public toilet - a Victorian toilet - but has been converted to a charming (albeit wacky) coffee shop.

It takes serious effort to suppress the urge to use some major potty humor here...

We arrived at Attendant, and my initial fear was that a place such as this would be so focused on its kitchy-ness, it would not be quite as concerned with quality coffee.

But once we received our drinks, my fears subsided. Attendant has excellent coffee. I enjoyed a cortado, while Zack had a fresh-brewed coffee via AeroPress.

Both were delicious, and I can say that Attendant in the Fitzrovia district of London is well worth a visit. And the only time one will feel comfortable cozying up right next to someone in a urinal, I'm sure!

The Attendant

27A Foley Street

London

W1W 6DY

Telephone: 0207 637 37 94

https://www.facebook.com/Attendantespresso

info@the-attendant.com

Kaffetur 18 / Coffee Tour #18: Stockfleths, Oslo

With 10 locations scattered all over the city, Stockfleths is a bit of an Oslo institution. While my niece was here in June, we stopped by their largest location on Prinsensgate for a morning coffee.

Once we managed our way around the construction outside, we walked into a clean and well-lit cafe. Not especially unique in its design, but appealing and comfortable all the same.

Stockfleths has been around since 1895. They are easy to find throughout the city. With a nice selection of coffee, as well as tea, pastries and sandwiches, it it a good choice for breakfast, lunch, or a coffee break. 

We were on our way to the airport and a bit short on time, so we opted for their daily coffee. It was a nice medium roast with a good, smooth flavor, although I felt it was served too hot. That's the drawback of getting the daily coffee, I guess!

The Prinsensgate location is two stories, and the downstairs also has a room for holding coffee classes.

www.stockfleths.as

Kaffetur 17 / Coffee Tour #17: Fábrica Coffee Roasters

It's always nice when we can work a quick vacation around a business trip - and particularly when it's to a place we've never visited before. Our recent trip to Portugal started with a couple of days in Lisbon, visiting friends and checking out a really cool city.

And of course checking out a really cool coffee shop!

Fábrica Coffee Roasters is a newbie. Our barista told us they opened about two months ago.

But with high quality locally roasted coffee, a menu that includes great drinks and a nice selection of food, and an atmosphere that makes you want to sit and relax, we feel it's safe to say Fábrica has the potential to become a favorite for locals and tourists alike.

The boys had an ice coffee. It was as delicious as it was cute.

Zack and I tried an affogato (espresso shot and ice cream - wow!!) and a V60, as well as an espresso.

From the staff, to the drinks, to the presentation: everything was fantastic. Located just a block behind Hard Rock, the location is close to all the action, yet one street makes a big difference in setting up a quieter and less touristy locale.

Most of Lisbon's cafes seemed quite similar to each other. But Fábrica has created a place and space all its own. It's a must if you find yourself in Lisbon.

Check out Fábrica Coffee Roasters on Facebook here. 

Portugal, R. das Portas de Santo Antão 136

1150-265 Lisboa, Portugal

And be sure to check out our Tastemade video for this cafe:

Fàbrica Coffee Roasters

Kaffetur 16 / Coffee Tour #16: Prufrock, London

First impressions are important. And having an espresso tamper for a door handle gave me a great first impression of Prufrock, in London.

Prufrock is known for fine coffee, as well as barista training courses and coffee lectures. I would love to see something like this in our area. I know a certain husband of mine who would be there in a heartbeat!

Once inside, I once again saw many of the elements common to today's trends in coffee bars. High ceilings and wooden floors, well-lit, and a chalkboard menu. Yes, all the usuals. And yet, it still has its own look and feel. It is a nice size space, with lots of seating and room to move around.

Their coffee was great. We had the Suko Quto Ethiopia, from Barn in Berlin, served as a V60.

For those close to London and Prufrock, you might want to check out their upcoming event. Tim Wendelboe (yes, from Oslo!) will be the next guest speaker in their lecture series, on 17 August. (more info HERE)

Prufrock Coffee

http://www.prufrockcoffee.com

23-25 Leather Lane

Greater London

EC1N 7TE

free wifi ~ Open 7 days a week

Kaffetur 15 / Coffee Tour #15: Coffeeberry, Stavanger

We just returned from a long weekend in Stavanger, on the southwest coast of Norway.

And before I go any further, I have to say thanks to our friends for letting us stay in their home while they were traveling!

I wasn't having a lot of luck when I did my usual pre-travel coffee research. I did read a bit about a few shops, but nothing much. So I called out to Facebook friends, and got some great advice.

The best tip was to try Coffeeberry. And we were so glad we did!

Coffeeberry has two locations, in Sandnes and Stavanger. We visited their downtown Stavanger cafe.

The decor is done well. Brightly colored walls on each end reflect the whimsical nature of both Coffeeberry's logo and their packaging. One end of the shop is painted a bright turquoise, while the other boasts Coffeeberry's signature bright red.

The furniture is retro and fun. A plethora of teakwood furniture fills the shop, and the walls are adorned with what I would consider throwback Norwegian art. Maybe the kind of work you'd see on the walls of your family's hytta/cabin.

As you step in, the focal point is the copper coffee bar. And their wall menus are a playful touch, reminiscent of a diner or sandwich shop from years ago.

We visited Coffeeberry twice over the weekend. On the first day, we tried a hand brewed Colombian coffee, and an espresso. Both were excellent. While there we picked up a couple of bags of beans, from Colombia and Ethiopia.

On our second visit, we had their daily coffee. This particular day was from Burundi, and was another  top-notch choice. We also ordered a con panna (our current go-to specialty drink), a shakerato and a caramel ice latte.

Everything we tried was delicious.

Coffeeberry also offers a selection of pastries, salads, sodas, and juices.

For those of you with small children, you'll be happy to know that they have a kids' corner with some toys to occupy your little one while you enjoy your drink.

Coffeeberry: another superb offering from the world of Nordic coffee. Definitely worth a stop-in!

You can also check out our Tastemade review of Coffeeberry!

https://www.tastemade.com/places/v/VN4p7P2tQb-bThx1daucwA

Coffeeberry

www.coffeeberry.no

Klubbgata 3, 4013 Stavanger

Våsgate 34, 4306 Sandnes