What "specialty" means at this bar
The word gets used loosely, so here is our definition. Every coffee we serve scores above 84 points on the Specialty Coffee Association scale, can be traced to a named farm or washing station, and is roasted for us by a small roastery in Belleville with whom we share cupping notes every fortnight. We serve espresso between seven and twenty-one days after roast — earlier than that the carbon dioxide makes the shot spray and taste hollow; later, the aromatics start to flatten. Filter coffee is given a little longer, up to five weeks, because a slower extraction is more forgiving. None of this makes a cup good on its own. What makes it good is a barista who tastes the first shot of the day and adjusts the grinder before a guest ever sees it.
The current line-up
- House espresso — a two-component blend of Brazil Cerrado (natural) and Colombia Huila (washed). Chocolate, hazelnut, a soft red-fruit finish. Built to hold its shape under milk.
- Guest espresso — currently a washed Ethiopia Guji from a smallholder cooperative. Bergamot, peach, jasmine. Best as a straight espresso or a short black; we will make it into a flat white if you insist, but we will say so.
- Filter — rotates most often. This month a Kenyan AA from Nyeri with blackcurrant and brown sugar.
- Decaf — Colombian, decaffeinated by the sugarcane ethyl-acetate process, which keeps far more sweetness than the older solvent methods. Available in every drink at no supplement.
Brew methods compared
| Drink | Recipe | Time | In the cup | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Espresso | 18 g → 36 g | 28 s | Dense, sweet, syrupy | €2.80 |
| Flat white / cappuccino | Double shot, 150–180 ml | 2 min | Rounded, milky, chocolate-forward | €4.20 |
| V60 pour-over | 15 g / 250 ml, 94°C | 3–3.5 min | Clear, aromatic, tea-like | €5.50 |
| Batch filter | 60 g / litre, brewed hourly | Poured on demand | Balanced, easy, consistent | €3.20 (refill €1.50) |
| Cold brew | 1:8, 16 h steep, served over ice | Poured on demand | Smooth, low acidity, chocolatey | €4.80 |
The question we field most is whether the V60 is worth €2.30 more than the batch. Our honest answer: if the guest coffee is a bright washed African lot and you have ten minutes, yes — the pour-over shows the florals that batch flattens. If you want a good black coffee with your eggs and do not want to think about it, the batch is brewed fresh every hour from the same beans and is very good value.
V60 pour-over — for
- Brewed to order; nothing sits on a hot plate.
- Shows delicate origin character — florals, citrus, tea notes.
- You can choose any filter coffee on the shelf, including retail bags.
V60 pour-over — against
- Three-to-four-minute wait, longer during Saturday service.
- €5.50 for roughly 230 ml.
- Not offered between 11:00 and 14:00 at weekends when the bar is at capacity.
Milk and alternatives
Our dairy is whole milk from a cooperative in Normandy, delivered three times a week; it steams to a tight, glossy microfoam because of its fat content. Barista-formulation oat milk is €0.50 extra and is the only alternative we stock, because it is the one that neither splits nor masks the coffee. Lactose-free whole milk is available at no charge. We do not serve soy or almond milk — soy curdles with brighter espresso and almond milk in our experience tastes of the carton.
"The grinder gets touched before anyone else does. First shot of the day is tasted, not served."
How we dial in
Every morning the opening barista pulls a shot, tastes it, and adjusts. Once a week we measure extraction with a refractometer and aim for 19–21% for espresso and 20–22% for filter. Water is filtered to roughly 7°dH, soft enough to protect the machine and hard enough to give body. The espresso machine is a two-group with independent boilers, set to 93°C for the house blend and 94°C for lighter guest coffees. None of this is visible to a guest, which is the point.
Beans to take home
Everything on the bar is sold in 250 g bags: €14 for the house espresso, €16 for the guest espresso and filter coffees. We grind to order for espresso, moka, filter or French press and write the roast date on every bag. If you drink a bag a week, the monthly pickup plan costs €48 for four bags of your choice, collected whenever you are passing — a saving of €8 to €16 depending on what you choose. Ask at the bar or use the contact form.