We each paid for our own cups, nobody was told a review was happening, and every place was visited at least twice — once on a quiet morning and once at the worst possible hour.
The method: same order everywhere — one espresso, one flat white — scored on extraction, milk, consistency and the thing we ended up calling “would you walk here in the rain”.
1. The Roastery on Elm
The most consistent cup of the six weeks, and the only place where the second visit was better than the first. They roast in the back, they will tell you what you are drinking without being asked, and they do not mind if you say you did not like it.
2. Corner Bar Nine
The best flat white on the list, and the reason it is not first is that the espresso was different on each visit. When it is right it is the best cup in the city. It was right twice out of three.
Consistency is the whole job. Anyone can pull one great shot.
Our tasting notes, week four
3. The Window
Four square metres, no seats, and a queue that moves faster than places twice its size. The single-origin rotates weekly and the staff will happily talk you out of it if it does not suit what you normally drink.
It ranks third only because there is nowhere to sit, which is exactly why the coffee is so good.
The full table
| Place | Espresso | Flat white | Consistency | Overall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Roastery on Elm | 9.0 | 8.5 | 9.5 | 9.0 |
| Corner Bar Nine | 8.0 | 9.5 | 7.0 | 8.2 |
| The Window | 9.2 | 7.5 | 8.5 | 8.4 |
| Station Kiosk | 6.5 | 6.0 | 8.0 | 6.8 |
| Museum Café | 5.5 | 7.0 | 7.5 | 6.7 |
The argument that is still going
Half the team thinks consistency should be weighted double, which would put Elm further ahead and drop Corner Bar to fourth. The other half thinks a peak worth queuing for counts for something. We have not settled it, so the weighting is equal and the disagreement is printed here instead.
Why no chains?
They are consistent everywhere and interesting nowhere, which makes them a useful baseline and a boring list. The Station Kiosk is in the table for exactly that reason.
Nobody was told in advance, and nothing was comped. Prices checked the week of publication.
The Roastery on Elm
The most consistent cup of the six weeks, and the only place where the second visit was better than the first.
They roast in the back, they will tell you what you are drinking without being asked, and they do not mind if you say you did not like it.
Pros
- The same cup on every visit
- Roast date on the bag, not a best-before
- Staff who talk you out of the wrong beans
Cons
- Queue after nine in the morning
-
Espresso
-
Flat white
-
Consistency
-
Room to sit
Any chance of a decaf round-up?
The Window deserves first. No seats is a feature.
Putting the internal disagreement in the article instead of hiding it is why I read this site.
ciao