Little Man Coffee - a time to chill

I will admit that I have been a fan of Little Man Coffee for some time. This is a place which is dedicated to relaxation and invites its customers to sit back and chill. The layout is open and airy, set as it is in a old bank. It has it's regulars, including the the team from CDF magazine, and a variety of people from all walks of life.

There are armchairs, bench tables and old pews all set in an area of Cardiff which is central but enough to be off the beaten tracks that there are not huge queues outside the door.

What I love about Little Man however is it's devotion to crafting a good cup of coffee. As with a lot of good quality outlets there is choice of roasts and blends. At my last visit there was Coal Town, Lufkin, Nailsea and James coffee all available. I opted for the latter as an Americano and was treated to a fresh ground a brewed mug full of flavour and head and shoulders over the brands that dominate Cardiff.

I usually head in during the day so have yet to sample breakfast, but do know that the range of sandwiches on offer are first class and the cakes and snacks are top drawer. There are also a range of events taking place from theatre to small intimate shows as well as a range of art on display.

With free WiFi and a warm welcome I would recommend searching out this little gem and sampling it for yourself. 

Taylor Street Coffee - London

I found myself in London recently and had time to kill, so scoured Google Maps to find some proper coffee shops in the area that I was visiting.

The first I came across was Taylor Street Coffee in New Street, opposite Liverpool Street station. Hidden among the chains, this is well worth seeking out if you are looking for a good cup to take out (there are four sit in stools). The reviews pre warned me to expect a queue and there was one snaking out of the door. What I didn’t expect was a cheerful person to be managing the queue taking orders on an iPad. Having ordered a bacon sandwich and a single origin filter coffee I quickly found myself in the shop.

It would do them a little dis-service to describe it as a roll on roll off shop, but the design is great. In one door, grab your coffee and whatever food and out the other. Genius design and one which a few other places could learn from.

My expectations were raised as soon as I entered as I spied Keep Cups, V60 filters and Aeropresses for sale, these guys knew their stuff. Engaging with the barista behind the desk he proudly informed me that the filter coffee was their own roast of Kenya origin. He passed me a loyalty card (drink 4 and get one free, none of your 9 nonsense) I collected my sandwich and left, having felt that I had been in the presence people who knew, respected and took great pride in their coffee.

I sat on a bench at the station surrounded by well know chains and sipped my brew. I am not expert enough to talk about Loganberry flavours with chocolate aftertastes, but this was coffee at another level, full of flavour, mouth feel and inviting me with each sip to drink more and more. The bacon sandwich was made with sour dough bread with a relish that again enhanced the quality of the contents and didn't last long.

Would I visit again? Simply yes, if only to take in the different brews on offer and to perhaps try their porridge which looked amazing. Oh and I have only three more drinks and I get a free one.

If you want to sit in and luxuriate over breakfast then this is not the branch for you, there is a full throughput of people and the outlet is designed for this, serving great coffee and great food to the people in the city that it serves. However some of their other outlets are designed for sitting in, though the one in Shoreditch is officially described as a shed.

More on https://www.taylor-st.com/pages/locations

Would love to see one around Paddington, be a great place to end my day when I visit the “Big Smoke”

What has Cardiff become?

Some while back I wrote a post about coffee in Cardiff. At that time my preference for a visit was Cafe Nero, a chain of coffee houses that have an Italian influence.

Today I no longer frequent Costa, Nero, Starbucks etc because there are so many high end quality alternatives that have set up in Cardiff.

I have visited a list and will over the coming weeks offer my thoughts on Uncommon Ground, Torre, The Plan, Pot Cafe, Penylan Pantry, Little Man Coffee, Stag Coffee, Ten Maryport, Barkers Coffee House and a few more.

All serve great coffee, care about where they source them from and have their own quirks and charms.

I have a few more on my list to try including Brod, the new Danish Bakery and cafe and the Bicycle Barista who is cycling around bring good coffee to all.

If you own one of these places you can spot me. I'm the one in the red coat.