The Gathering, Edinburgh, Scotland, UK

The gathering is I assume a chain and the one I visited was in Edinburgh Airport departure lounge. It was a disappointing coffee that looked and smelt the part. I had, perhaps due to travel dementia entered a fantasy where I had stumbled upon some well kept coffee secret. This could have been a coffee house with Monmoutheon proportions of quality. 

Sadly it was the same old story, over espressed, watery and overly bitter in after taste. The restaurant looked very attractive, modern, well lit and well designed. It was the coffee made large on their sign that drew me in and when it came out fast and hot with thick crema, I got excited. 

• Black Americano
• Strong
• Water taste with bitter after taste
• Good Crema
• Medium cup but felt a little large (too much water).
• £1.95

This Joe was deceptively strong and even had an oily gleam, I can't help but feel this was a coffee that had potential but the barista fell short and he fell poorly. Perhaps Nero's would have been better.


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Reid’s, Perth, Scotland, UK

It took some finding in Perth but finally we found a couple of places that looked like quality establishments. Reid's was busy but it was only once we were seated we realised they had a huge turn around going on. People were moving through faster than in a burger chain but without feeling rushed. The speed of service was excellent, the staff friendly and the food top notch. 

Speed was certainly an aim of the place with the French onion soup being topped not by a flamed slab of cheese but cubes off cheese on toast popped in afterwards. This concession didn't take away from the taste, likewise the baristas were fast but well trained. They were careful in how they tampered the coffee and how they made it although it seemed they may have got a little carried away with he hot water pipe. The coffee was strong, smooth but perhaps a tiny touch burnt leading to a little bitterness.

Two cups off coffee, soup, a chicken roll and a slice of lemon meringue pie we felt pretty full. The coffee was good, it had strength, it had flavour. Oh and did I say they had cakes?

• Black Americano
• Medium strength
• Smooth, good flavour, a slight tinge of over bitterness with the after taste
• Good Crema
• Medium cup
• £1.85

With care taken over the coffee preparation, a more than solid effort in the final Joe and a super slice of lemon pie this coffee has to be rated highly.


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