Coffee Cantata - Destination Europe 2012

Coffee Cantata is poised to take off next week on a European tour of discovery, 
with "The Window Spotter" in tow.

First stop - PARIS

Courtesy of my taste buds  I'll be spilling the beans on the best coffee pit stops in France, Portugal, Morocco, Spain, and Italy    

Coffee Cantata will unearth the best places to enjoy a memorable cup of coffee.
"The Window Spotter" will seek out goods that deliver that leading designer edge, but with a realistic price tag attached. You'll be in safe hands, on my travel budget thrift is a must.

To re-cap - What is Coffee Cantata all about ?

As my contribution to the pleasures of the palate Coffee Cantata is intended as an 'open ended' blog where coffee tragics (my daughter's take on my habit) can tap into my sources, and hopefully add their own favourite haunts to the collection.

Coffee Cantata is about making comment and giving bouquets (1 for bad to 5 for brilliant) to cafes that come up with a cup of coffee that's worth going back for again and again.I'm not a coffee purist, nor do I claim to be a blends and beans expert, but I do recognise a good cup of coffee when I taste one.

Forty years of globe trotting on at least one cup of coffee a day represents a minimum intake of 14,600 cups (horrors). Some have been sublime, enhanced by the settings and surroundings I chose to enjoy them in, others less than perfect, and by far the biggest percentage could only be classified as well on the downside of average. Not many of the 14,600 cups have reached my required level of perfection, but some have come really close. In some places the cafes have been more enticing than the coffee they serve. To score on both the ambiance and the coffee  is a bonus. In Prague there are cafes that are so elegant that if necessary you could excuse an inferior blend. It's not necessary (check out Coffee Cantata - Prague - January 13, 2012). In Paris, the constant promenade of elegant locals makes up for some of the most expensive cups of wish-wash coffee I've experienced anywhere. At a hole in the wall cafe in the small Italian coastal town of Amalfi I discovered the  true nectar of the Gods - no need for expensive decor or streets paved with gold there.

Coffee Cantata - Five Ways, Paddington

Gusto Deli Cafe at Five Ways, cnr Broughton Street

To get me zone ready for the pavement seated, people spotting mind set of the Parisians I headed for Cafe Gusto at Five Ways, Paddington. It's ideally located on the up side of a roundabout where five small roads meet. Quaint, with that London Mews look, on a sunny day it's bliss to sit outside. French was my intention so I ordered a Soy Cap ($4), not French at all, but  redeemed myself by ordering an Almond Croissant. No self respecting French Patisserie would be seen to be selling  the cow pat sized croissant that accompanied my coffee. A plus though, at $4 it would be ideal to share. The coffee had plenty of thick froth on top, but in the small cup it was served in there wasn't much room for a decent shot of coffee.
Score: 3.5 Bouquets

Coffee Cantata - Prague

For your morning constitutional I suggest that you  take a walk, or run (the locals are very fitness friendly) over the river to the Mala Strana side, to explore the lovely old apartment buildings, stately homes, Baroque Palaces, and in contrast, the cosy neighbourhood cafes that embrace the role of social hubs during the long winter months.
For a truly wonderful experience that will take you back a couple of centuries head for the  Savoy Café - on Vitenza, just across the Most Legii (Bridge).The Savoy oozes lashings of old world charm, sophistication, and atmosphere – take special note of the beautifully embossed and painted ceilings with their elegant Chandeliers, and impeccable waiter service to match. Morning coffee and a pastry are served on a silver tray accompanied with a glass of sparkling mineral water (a nice touch). Lunch here can be as simple as three frankfurters served floating sedately in an elegant lidded bowl and served with a choice of three different types of mustard, three slices of bread and a small bowl of grated cheese. Excellent local wine compliment the food.

In the same street, just up the road, there’s a great bakery, Paneria, where you can enjoy your first of the morning sweet or savoury pastry with a particularly good blend of strong black coffee.

Cafe Edel-Ungel in the lane on the left hand side of the Tyn Church is the perfect place for a sightseers mid morning caffeine fix.

http://thoneyfield.blogspot.com