Monmouth Coffee

[gelandenwagen]

Having been up against it at home with major building work made harder by an abstinance from coffee, milk and sugar (I am a philistine) I thought I'd treat myself to day in town and sample some better espresso brews at the above.

Any suggestions? I'm trying to wean myself from milky sweet drinks.

For drinking there and also, as I'll be off the wagon by then, something forgiving for a farewell run through my Gaggia.

[Gouezeri]

Er, I'd say current TMC fave for espresso is Flatwhite (Berwick St. just make sure you get the right address, and if anyone says "hello darling" to you, keep walking ). Monmouth gains all the credit for SO in single cup drip.
On the subject of Monmouth, just noticed a cafe on my high st. has just started selling their wares.... really not sure whether I want to try it though, for fear of being disappointed, and then facing the "Wrath of Jim" for not giving them a lecture as to why everything they are doing is wrong, all wrong (with footnotes and bibliographical references in MLA format)

[Steve]

OH nooo I'm going to agree with DOM (help , help help!!)

[Gouezeri]

Which bit? Not stopping around Berwick St? Getting freebies by claiming to be Jim's best mate? Come on mate you know I'm right most of the time
Still not tried the "local" monmouth, though I suppose if it is no good, I know enough people to get the message back to the Monmouth guys and for the next order to be delivered with a few hints

[gelandenwagen]

Well, I went to both Monmouth coffee and Flatwhite.

I readily admit to being a novice and possibly even Philistine in my
appreciation of coffee so please read the notes with this in mind.

I'd have to say these were the first two espresso's I've had prepared by
professionals.

Didn't really feel comfortable asking lots of questions in busy stores based on no experience so took the house blend.

Had a cup of water in each and then the drink, a 'shot'.

I've made the occassional shot in my Gaggia Classic with more crema than in both of the shops but maybe the quality of mine was thinner, I've no idea. Anyway, there was not much 'head'.

Taste was nothing special; I hesitate to use the term but Monmouth's was 'cold', not the temperature, but flat or lifeless. Not bitter, not smooth or sweet but nothing really. There was an aftertaste but neither pleasant or unpleasant, just coffee-ish.

Did some shopping for an hour or so then:-

Flatwhite was different in as much as there was flavour in the
drink, likeable but 'hard.' It lingered better and was more pleasant
but not a pleasure.

Interesting. More research needed.

Just a few of things that stood out large;

1. Don't the baristas making the coffee work hard? It's a boring repetitive job and the satisfaction one would get is never seen as the drinker, I guess, usually goes off somewhere else to drink. Then possibly nine out of ten, myself included, are not up to appreciating the work anyway.

2. I got no buzz from the espresso, it was a drink with no caffiene kick
afterwards. Strange at that was my first coffee for a month.
I read somewhere that espresso has less caffiene than tea but it
was on the internet and I don't always believe what I read there.

3. Biggest dissapointment? I sat on the bench outside Flatwhite and nobody said "hallo darling." I was there long enough to start to consider saying "hallo darling" to someone myself but thought that might bring me to the attention of the constabulary. Then the shop staff said if I stayed there any longer they'd bring me to the attention of the constabulary themselves.

I left with more questions than I'd arrived with.

[phil2spill]

After a period of abstinance (sp?) coffee can taste weird until you're back in the groove . . .

[CakeBoy]

I believe you are correct about tea containing more caffeine than coffee.

[gelandenwagen]

I believe you are correct about tea containing more caffeine than coffee.

Though I think that's true only of espresso which loses some because of the process.

[Bertie_Doe]

gelendenwagon wrote

Though I think that's true only of espresso which loses some because of the process.

I believe robusta contains more caffeine than arabica and instant coffee uses robusta.
So, in theory, a cup of instant, should be higher caffeinated than an espresso. However, instant is not 100% coffee bean.
I'm guessing ; that instant has other indredients added or it's a concentrate (like wine kits) and then dry-processed. Therefore instant may end up with less caffeine?
Gel. nice incite into Monmouth and Flatwhite, I will try one when I next visit London.
Quentin

[Gouezeri]

Seem to remember Jim (our roaving reporter) mentioning Snow and Rock in Mercer St. too (but I walked passed there yesterday and it's closed at the moment)
D

[Steem21]

I'm off for a wee trip to London at the weekend. Apart from Monmouth and Flatwhite - any other suggestions to visit for a good brew? You mentioned Snow and Rock is closed Dom - is that a sort of "permanent" closed? Or just closed on a Wed?

Steve

[stuartlee]

gelendenwagon wrote

Though I think that's true only of espresso which loses some because of the process.

I believe robusta contains more caffeine than arabica and instant coffee uses robusta.
So, in theory, a cup of instant, should be higher caffeinated than an espresso. However, instant is not 100% coffee bean.
I'm guessing ; that instant has other indredients added or it's a concentrate (like wine kits) and then dry-processed. Therefore instant may end up with less caffeine?
Gel. nice incite into Monmouth and Flatwhite, I will try one when I next visit London.
Quentin

I'm sure that espresso has less caffeine because of the way it is brewed.

Water extracts the caffeine and espresso has less contact time with the water. Consiquently the instant, before it is freeze dried, will spend quite a while in contact with water, hence the higher caffeine content.

[nickr]

I think Rock and Snow opens again today 11/08/06

I would also recommend 1886 (I thinks thats right) on Charing Cross Rd. Can't remember the number but its the lower half - nearish to Leicester Square

I had a beautiful double in Monmouth yesterday - better than anything I had in Rome and Spoleto last week

[nickr]

For 1886 read 1882

http://blog.davidkaspar.com/archives/20 ... london.php

[Paragon]

....Hmm...1882 I didn't like...espresso wast flat..... The new snow n rock was also a dissapointment (at least like a month ago)..... Maybe it depends on the barista.....

.... you know what. I'm not a coffee drinker.... except 2 days a week, when I'm off and go to Flat White and Monmouth (yes, always BOTH), because I'm financially not capable to get really professional gear and I don't drink coffee for the cafeine..but for ..something else.... for...an idea? ....for the Great Coffee.....

anyway, yesterday was a SAD SAD day....somehow I managed to get an underextracted coffee from Monmouth.........I mean , I hope I'm stupid and didn't recognize it was okay...but then again...I'm a barista for some years....and I was to FW before and got a really hearthwarmingly good espresso.....so maybe it this time wasn't me.... The girl seemed new... ...but I wasn't brave enough to complain..... I just went out and sat to the bench...and was sad...........
Don't know why....maybe because of the Idea of Great Coffee? ........


...it's good to be back here...