Teatro Lounge, Clevedon

Welcome back to the Coffee in Clevedon blog for the first post since January. If you thought we were done and dusted, we're weren't. We've been waiting for the chance to review some new coffee in town.

The chance came with the opening of the Teatro Lounge, part of the Loungers group. You might be surprised to learn that Teatro is Italian for Theatre and is not pronounced Tea-tro as in a good place to get a cup of tea! 

I can't comment on the tea because I haven't tried it but I can comment on the coffee and that's what I'm here for, so let's go..

I simply asked for a "black coffee" and an Americano was brought to my table:

You may not be able to tell from the photo but this cup of coffee is BIG. Big at the expense of strength and flavour. Also hot, too hot to drink for a while.

Teatro Lounge are serving Clifton Coffee beans, like some other establishments in Clevedon (See Tiffin and Limehouse). In this case the coffee has a good flavour and aftertaste with light character and  sweetness, all diminished by dilution.

This may suit other palates as it is a good mild fresh coffee. I prefer a shorter, stronger brew. The espresso might be worth trying.

On a different note, this is a good place for lunch and the food is good but is noisy for a relaxing coffee. It was lunchtime when I went in and there were a lot of customers, noise and loud music.

Black Americano  6/10

Poppies, Old St, Clevedon

 

Poppies used to be a Spanish-style cafe which was re-badged, but it still has the feel of a Spanish-style cafe (there is Paella on the menu).  It's not a venue in which I felt particularly relaxed.  No real comforts are afforded in the form of nice seating and music so unless the coffee is any good, it's not somewhere I'll rush back to.

Small black Americano ordered.  It looked like instant coffee to be honest.  The taste was very bland with no interesting flavour at all.  It's hard to perform a comprehensive review of something that has so little character to comment on.  All I can say in it's defence is that it was better than the coffee I had a Corrister & White.... I rest my case your honour.

Jim's Americano - 3/10

On to the espresso; first thing that was apparent, it was big for an espresso (though not as big as the perspective in the photo makes it look!). This isn't necessarily a good or bad thing, depending on the flavour but is unusual. Crema looked good but looks are not made the most of because of it being served in a normal sized coffee cup. This espresso was executed well and tasted fresh. Flavour wise it lacked character and was one dimensional. I would say this is due to the beans, supplied by Miles, being an old fashioned bean, dark roasted until interesting flavours are lost.

Nigel's espresso - 5/10

Limehouse, Hill Rd, Clevedon

Tepid news in Clevedon as a new establishment opens up a stones throw from your host's workplace.  Limehouse has the look of a trendy bar from it's fascia but inside it is a characterful and diverse mix of shabby chic and shabby shabby.  But we loved how it looked.  We sat in some comfy armchairs next to an ashes urn on an occasional table and placed our orders.

 

I ordered my usual black Americano.  Delivered in a rather nice green stoneware cup with saucer, white interior (most important), it looked a little sad.  Dressed up in a lovely exterior, the actual content looked rather ordinary and nasty looking.  I have to say, however, that was where the negatives ended.  The taste of the coffee itself was great. 
Very fresh tasting with an acidic edge, but not overly so.  It was quite different to the generic Starbucks/Costa taste.  So, poor execution of what could have been a fantastic coffee.  I'm knocking off two marks for the execution so I will be back to see if they can improve on this and scale the dizzy heights of a 9 or 10.

Nigel here.. so Jim was a little disappointed with the quality of his brew. I'm pleased to say my  experience was different. A lovely looking espresso in my eye in a fetching little cup. The crema was not too thick. A rich complex aroma led to the first sip. It was delicious, smooth with a bright start, flavour of hazelnut and the taste lingering for ages. I agree with Jim that this is on the acidic side and I found the acidity building during the cup, bordering on sour but it never became too much. Limehouse are serving Clifton Coffee and they are doing a good job of the espresso. I'll be back to try it again. 9 out of 10.

M: The coffee came in a lovely looking cup, I was however disappointed with the foam, there were just two clumps of white foam which was certainly not micro foam.

These clumps disappeared quite quickly, the coffee taste was for me was too acidic, however other people may like.

Jim's Americano  -  7/10
Nigel's Espresso - 9/10 
M's Flat White - 4/10

I re-visited Limehouse today with m'colleague Nigel and i'm please to say that they nailed the execution of my Americano on this visit.  We both really like this place for atmosphere and now I can match the rating of Nigel's espresso.

Jim's 2nd Americano - 9/10

Old St Pantry, Clevedon

When a new cafe opens up in town our team start to anticipate the warm thrill of checking out the coffee. There are a few now open or in the pipeline in Clevedon so check back and expect some fresh reviews coming your way.

Here's one, the Old Street Pantry, opened where the sandwich shop used to be. There are already a few cafes in this stretch of road so good luck to this new operation, and to the ones already there.

First impressions were an old fashioned sense of ordering. I asked for my espresso at the counter on my way in but was told to take a seat first. Then I was asked again what I wanted when the waitress came over. I'm sure it'll settle down with time. 

To be honest I didn't expect a good coffee. There is nothing that stood out as saying "bad coffee beware" but at the same time nothing to say "Good coffee, come and get it!".

So it is with pleasure to say that the espresso was very nice. Smooth, a little acidic and not too bitter. They serve Extract Espresso http://shop.extractcoffee.co.uk/product/original-espresso

Check out the Old Street Pantry for yourself and let us know what you think.

Nigel's espresso 7/10
M's flat white 6/10

Murrays, Hill Rd, Clevedon

 

Jim's Americano

Served in a lovely cup and saucer and just the right volume of water.  You can probably see from the photo it is probably only 3 times larger than the espresso cup and I like this.  The coffee on arrival had an appearance that filled me with anticipation.  The whole thing; coffee, cup and all were 10/10 for presentation.  The coffee flavour was very good indeed.  A nice strong taste that didn't linger for too long and gave just enough edge without crossing the line to bitterness.  I want to give an extra half mark to this coffee for the presentation, but I don't do half marks.... so there.

Nigel’s Espresso

A good espresso this one, rich, smooth and well balanced. Without excess bitterness or sourness. The coffee used here is the Mokaflor Blu, a blend of 50% Arabica and 50% Robusta, from these Italian roasters http://www.mokaflor-italian-coffee.com/caffe-mokaflor/mokaflor-line/mokaflor-blend-linea-blu-50-arabica-50-robusta.html

Rated

Nigel’s Espresso 8/10
Jim's Americano 8/10

Coffee #1, Station Rd, Clevedon

Starting top left, clockwise: Flat White, Black Americano, Single Espresso

Starting with the name of this coffee shop, it is making a statement about its coffee! The website goes further with the http://www.coffee1.co.uk/about/our-coffee/ section. It talks about how much they love coffee and are “super passionate” and “a bit geeky”. So, after the promise, how does it taste?

Our dedicated team headed down to the Clevedon town centre this lunchtime on a mission. We each had a different style of coffee and reviewed our own. The results are surprising for the different responses from the same source espresso.

M's Flat White 

The coffee was very pleasant, the milk was textured nicely and at a good temperature but I prefer a more full bodied coffee flavour. 

 

Jim's Americano

A sunny day is a nice excuse for a wander to go and find some coffee in Clevedon.  A group excursion to Coffee #1 allowed me to sample my usual black Americano.  Service was slow, ok, nothing to do with coffee taste but it was only a small queue and took quite a while to order.  Anyhow, it’s the drink that counts.  First mistake, don’t give me an Americano in a tall mug.  Nowhere else does and there is a reason for that…. It’s wrong.  The appearance of the coffee was ok, nothing exciting.  The crema was a little grainy and more worryingly on a quick stir, disappeared completely leaving me with what looked like instant coffee.  First taste impressions were decidedly average.  A rather weak tasting coffee with no complexity of flavour (a bit like an instant you could say).  The most disappointing aspect of the coffee, though, was it actually got worse as I drank it.  Halfway down was enough for me.  It wasn’t that the coffee was undrinkable….. certainly no grounds to return it, but it wasn’t actually enjoyable.  It was a functional caffeine hit that lacked any grace or pleasure.  So in summary, poor flavour and boring. 

 

Nigel's Espresso

First, before we get to the coffee itself, Coffee #1 provide water jugs and cups for customers to server themselves and I like this. Espresso and a glass of water has become a standard for me. As well as making the drink thirst quenching it also extends the experience. Especially useful if like today I am with friends.

The espresso was mellow, easy and pleasant. It had an after taste that went on and on. It’s no adventure however and the flavour didn’t develop or change. Safe ground, probably designed for the lattes and cappuccinos.

Ratings

M's Flat White 7/10
Jim’s Americano 4/10

Nigel's Espresso 6/10