The pleasure I derive from visiting coffee shops is only partly based on the quality of the coffee although that is clearly important. Less and less have I been forced to endure a burnt or overextracted coffee. This is indicative of standards that are high and rising – at least in the independent coffee shops which are the ones I prefer to visit.
My wishes when it comes to my daily coffee are not extravagant. A long black is my preference as I am concious of what I put in my body as I get older. If I wanted milk and sugar I would get a milk shake.
I like to drink it seated and not in a disposable cup. Seating does not have to be formal and a table can be simply another seat. A glass of water is a necessity with a long black.
This is the time for me to read the newspapers so they are also essential to the experience. The Australian and the Financial Review are my preferred reads although the former will do and if desparate I have been known to read the Courier Mail.
When it comes to noise level, roominess or otherwise, decor, location, parking and most other things I am quite eclectic. The character of a coffee shop is made up by the differences in all these things and the different mix in any given shop usually adds to the sense of getting away from the sameness of the office or the home where most of my time is spent.
I had a rather extravagant long black on Friday at a cafe close to my office and not far from the city. It was a large rather sumptious looking shop with a beautiful display of food and a quite refined looking clientele of the type often described as ‘ladies who lunch’.
Whereas normally my long black is taken in the morning I had to delay it until lunch time on this occassion and by dinner time that long black and half a can of baked beans for breakfast was all I had that day. Still, I did not feel hungry and I enjoyed the rather nutty after taste of the coffee for some time.
I was able to read the Financial Review and the Australian. This was a treat and probably a function of the profile of the customers the business was aiming for. The financial review is an expensive daily paper and most places do not bother getting it.
Water was available on a separate table that was pointed out to me. Perhaps this sort of place could bring you a glass of water with your coffee. Getting your own water is typical of most coffee shops but seemed a bit out of place with this one.
All in all it was a lovely experience with a touch of sophistication. When you think about it a coffee, two of the better newspapers, a glass of water and a choice of indoor or alfresco setting where you could look at the crowd while seated in comfort was a bargain for $3.50.
