Coffee houses

[barber olly]

As someone who likes black coffee, call it an Americano if you must, but is not too keen on espresso, too strong a bitter hit of caffeine, I find that the problem with most coffee places is the queues of people having their frothy concoctions prepared. How can it take so long? Meanwhile I am waiting (im)patiently for my humble simple, no milk, no sugar, straight black coffee which will contrast and complement the sweet, preferably home-made slice of cake I have selected. So few places have proper pastry forks to make the experience complete.

[MrGongGong]

It's not AMERICANO it's BLACK COFFEE FGS
and half a pint of hot milk (or so called "latte" ) with a hint of coffee no no no

[barber olly]

It's not AMERICANO it's BLACK COFFEE FGS
and half a pint of hot milk (or so called "latte" ) with a hint of coffee no no no

Precisely! However I'd be happy to call it anything if I could get one in France, Italy, Spain or anywhere the other side of the Chunnel!

[MrGongGong]

I always insist on calling it Black Coffee (unless i'm in France,of course !)
and as for the stupid size thing
SMALL, MEDIUM, LARGE seems to have worked for many years

[Nick Armstrong]

Precisely! However I'd be happy to call it anything if I could get one in France...

Just ask for "un double" at a café in France. You will get a black coffee which is longer than an espresso.

The key thing in France for me is not to ask for anything "au lait" as they insist on using UHT milk which ruins the whole thing. The French reluctance to use fresh milk is something I've always found inexplicable in a people supposed to have discerning palates.

[barber olly]

I always insist on calling it Black Coffee (unless i'm in France,of course !)
and as for the stupid size thing
SMALL, MEDIUM, LARGE seems to have worked for many years

In france it's always very small and very strong!

[Nick Armstrong]

In france it's always very small and very strong!

Cross posted! I don't find that - in Paris at least. In italy - yes! The average espresso in an Italian café is spectacularly short, barely a sip

[barber olly]

Just ask for "un double" at a café in France. You will get a black coffee which is longer than an espresso.

Yes, longer but still too b...dy strong.

[Chris Newman]

I always insist on calling it Black Coffee

Ditto....or whatever the equivalent is in the country I am in. "Americano"...lot of cobblers. The places I regularly use ask me if I want a black coffee.

[Nick Armstrong]

I do agree that the 'Americano' name is a particularly irritating affectation.

[Flosshilde]

If we're talking chains, I'm definitely a Nero person: great ambience, excellent in house colour scheme, free wifi (a recent innnovation), the all-important reward card (it works!), mostly great staff and some splendid eatables for when one is in the mood. The coffee wins over the other chains hands-down, as it doesn't require x number of extra shots to give it a kick (as it always does in the wretched Costa, which I avoid visiting wherever possible).

Starbucks doesn't get much of a look-in, either. Undistinguished coffee, served in horrible mugs.

I agree - Nero's does the best coffee. Costa used to be OK, but then went off - perhaps when it got taken over by Whitbread? Starbucks doesn't do coffee - it serves what used to be called in the old GLC canteen 'milk with a splash'.

I go to independents sometimes, but there aren't many in the City Centre . We have Beanscene (do they exist down south?) which is a small chain that started in Glasgow (I think), Tapa, an organic bakery which started in the east end of Glasgow & then opened a branch on Southside, & there are a number of independents in my area. Byers Rd in the West End is full off them - Heart Buchanan is good, Kember & Jones, & lots of others.

[Flosshilde]

Cross posted! I don't find that - in Paris at least. In italy - yes! The average espresso in an Italian café is spectacularly short, barely a sip

A 'cafe lungo' is what you want (possibly - see the wikipedia entry http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lungo)

[Chris Newman]

Costa used to be OK, but then went off - perhaps when it got taken over by Whitbread? Starbucks doesn't do coffee - it serves what used to be called in the old GLC canteen 'milk with a splash'.

Costa has got really bitter recently. A shame as the factory near Waterloo smells great as you wait for your train to go into the station . The coffee grains just don't travel as vinologists would say. Starbucks' coffee reminds me of Camp Coffee. We have better places locally than Nero: grubby.

[arancie33]

One of the best espresso coffees I have had in this country was in Debenhams in Canterbury. Try it if you are near, though it was about three years ago.

[hackneyvi]

I'd like to put in a word for Railroad cafe at 120 Morning Lane in Hackney.

Of the chains, I prefer Costa.