TFI, Brighton, UK

Bad coffee, great wrap, nice staff.


It was so poor and uninteresting in the taste that I can't even be bothered to write it up properly.

Sorry.


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The Real Patisserie, Trafalgar Street, Brighton, UK

This fantastic pastry shop has been in Brighton for years. On this visit I was very good and didn't treat myself but it was hard. This visit was all about the joe.

They use Red Roaster beans and the staff are always very pleasant. On this occasion we had a good chinwag about the positive state of independant rosters in Brighton before he tried to sell me some beans. I have a large quantity of Monmouth Espresso blend in the freezer so I politely declined.

This was a good coffee. It odly had no creama that I could see but was strong, smooth and flaversome without being overpowering. It was only marred slightly by a touch of a murky aftertaste but this was far outweighed by an initial sweetness.  

• Small Black Americano
• Very strong
• No crema that I noticed
• A good full bodied taste
• Sweet aftertaste with a hint of murk
• £1.20

This was a great tasting coffee which hit the right notes balancing out strength with smoothness of flavour. It would have been enhanced had I succumed to some treats but even without it had that rare sweetness. Well worth a visit.

http://www.realpatisserie.co.uk/
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The Perfect Pour: A Citizen's Guide

Sent in from my pal Rob. All the drinks. I never knew a long black and an Americano were different.

Frankies Grinder, Brighton, UK

I’ve cycled and walked past this shop many  times but never wanted to walk my coffee all the way to work but for the course I finally did it. It looks inviting from the outside and even has a side hatch for takeaways which I find very appealing.

On checking that the small was made with two shots I opted for that. The Joe came fast and was served by a stunning looking Barista. This alongside the hot caffine softened the negative aspects of going to work.  The coffee had a good strength but perhaps could have been a little stronger, it was good but a tad over espressed as there was a touch of gritty aftertaste. 

 

The beans came from a small batch place but I didn't catch the name. Will update.

• Small Black Americano
• Medium to strong
• Good taste marred slightly by a touch of over bitterness with the aftertaste
• Good Crema
• Small cup
• £1.30

Not a bad coffee by any means, competantly made and a good price. However not up there with the best.

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The Hilton Brighton Metropole‎, Brighton, UK

Large expensive hotels often make great coffee. My experiences have almost always been great but it often comes at a price (and with a biscuit).

My customer from the previous post also bought me a coffee here to make up for the bad experience previously. I had explained the blog and he wanted to make right and make he did. Unfortunately I was so thirsty for damn fine coffee that by the time I realised how good it was I only had a sip left. I savoured that last mouthful.

This had been well made and had all the flavours in balance. It had the strength and that elusive sweetness without that super bitter muddyness. It was a great coffee.

The next day I returned in the morning for another meeting and sank two in a row in the hope of the same hit but it did not happen. I had missed out by not enjoyng every drop of that first taste. A lesson learnt.

Regular Black Americano

Strong and smooth tasting

Fist had the sweetness

Nice Crema

Damn fine biscuit

£4.25

The first was excellent and the next two were just not quite the same. It shows the Barista can make all the difference between great and mediocre. If you get a chance have a coffee here and hope you get the right guy.

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http://www.hilton.co.uk/brightonmet

Regency Restaurant, Brighton, UK

I was kindly taken to lunch by a customer. He was unsure of where to go and as we were on the sea front I suggested we head west; I knew there were restaurants I had not yet discovered there.

We stopped at a good looking fish restaurant and sat down on a warm but blustery afternoon in Brighton. The Regency is apparently a well known place for tourists; the building is elegant and the location excellent but other than that I could not see what the attraction is. The Haddock was well cooked with a crisp batter, the chips were surprisingly poor. For a two product vendor getting it 50% wrong is unacceptable.

After business had been discussed and the world put to rights I settled down for a mug of the good stuff but it was not that good at all.

The coffee came quickly in an overly small mug of little charm and character. It looked and smelt like it had been languishing in a warming pot for too long. The taste confirmed this fact as well as someone having been frugal with the beans or over zealous with the water.

Regular Black Filter

Weak and watery

Overly bitter

So nondescript I can barely write anything

£? He paid

Get the fish, leave the Joe.
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http://www.theregencyrestaurant.co.uk/

...that other vice.

As well as coffee there are some other great drinks. One of my favourites is the excellent Bourbon, Makers Mark. I'm going to celebrate it here on this blog, right now.

Love it.