Sheffield blog

I voted for Fusion! Pah.

Museum-Sheffield (Cafe Azure) Take-away in Millenium Gardens (bottom of escalator. Best £1 Belgian Hot Chocolate to go.

I second cafe Azure in the Millennium galleries… nice coffee and friendly service!

Also Coffee Revolution is owned by the University of Sheffield Student’s Union, so its unlikely to expand any futher (there may even be plans to sell off the Ecclesall road branch).

Seriously, if you want a proper coffee – decent cups, well made, fantastic crema and unbelievable foam then you must try Gusto…..served by very friendly and professional baristas.

I heard Zooby’s is alright in millenium gardens too. Not been yet tho.
I don’t Sheffield as a whole is a big coffee drinker: more likely Yorkshire Tea and a scon :0)

Gusto is nice. PJ Taste is very very nice for lunches though never had coffee there. Actually, I like most of those mentioned.

I find it difficult to believe that revolution came top. It seems to take for ever to get a coffee to take away. Most of the time the staff are in the kitchen talking and you have to wait 5 minutes just to have your order taken. It also doesn’t have that real coffee shop feel. It is just a place to go and get coffee, it doesn’t have it’s own personality, everything seems quite generic. All Starbucks may be the same but at least you know you can get a coffee and a comfortable seat, Revolution is the same but with out as many comfortable seats. I am not sure there are any original coffee shops in Sheffield. I am looking for a warm comfortable, cosy place that is open late ( I mean proper late not 7pm) has a cool barista who you are convinced does nothing else but read their book and work in the coffee shop. I think for staying open late and having some personality Nonna’s (on a week night) would get my vote. Any one know of any cosy independent late night coffee shops.

I second Ash’s comment on Coffee Revolution.

I third Rob’s comments. I wish there were somewhere open late for coffee sometimes (well, not just coffee! I’m a tea drinker!) for when you don’t want a night on the beer.

Also that Revolution are the worlds SLOWEST staff.

I would put in a word for Cafe Euro- nice place, bit off the beaten track perhaps, but excellent coffee- http://www.cafeeuro.org/

I fondly remember Nonna’s from my days in Sheffield (worked as a lecturer at the Uni 1997 – 2000). I lived on Bannerdale Road and both Nonna’s and Coffee Revolution were on my path to work. Nonna’s was a terrific places to hang out with a copy of the Times on a weekend morning. I also liked dropping by Coffee Revolution when I was feeling homesick for the states.

For the coffee, I’d put Nonna’s at the top.

BB

Coffee rev is OK, I started off with a plain addiction with it, though now I find Costa coffee better. Of course, I always end up asking for an extra shot wherever I go (I do Americano’s). Starbucks, well, Starbucks, even if I aks for like 4 extra shots, the coffee still tatses like murky pond water. Again, Costa coffee is the place for me, I really like the coffee and the atmosphere. However, all in all, like I said I have to always ask for an extra shot or two, but at Nonna’s I have never needed an extra shot. I have always had a second one, simply because the coffee is fantastic, but I have realised that there one guy is particular who makes the perfect cup. I think I know why Nonna’s do good coffee, the coffee in all other places gets diluted out, the one at nonna’s is always thick and strong with a real after taste. Abiet the concentration maybe the same, the dilution with too much water makes it taste, well….crap..esp at Starbucks

Bragazzi’s – amazing crema, never over extracted. Can be bitter for beginners. Delicious. Guy that runs it is Italian. They are brought up to understand coffee. Never a bad cup.

Spoilt for Choice – they tune their grinder depending on the weather. Really understand coffee. Strong but nice Lattes

Marcos – nice tasting coffee. Can be a little weak, but usually well made. Ask for an extra shot.

Cafe Neros – I was a big fan in London, but the one on Eccy Road can’t seem to get it right. I don’t understand what they are doing wrong as Nero beans are beautifully aromatic. I keep giving them the benefit of the doubt, but they disappoint me every time. Weird.

Cafe Latino – only been in once. Nice tasting coffee, a little weak for my tastes though. Order extra shot.

Coffee Revolution – weak, burnt tasting. Typical old school coffee house that keeps going purely because it was one of the first on the market, during a time when cafe lattes and capuccinos were new and exotic. Survives entirely on former reputation and because Joe Public doesn’t have a discerning palette. Coffee tastes awful to the initiated, but Coffee Revolution has a great location, plenty of customers and they probably don’t care.

PJ Taste – Gorgeously roasted beans shipped in from Lucca italy, but inconsistent. Depending on who makes the coffee you will either get the finest cup ever to grace your lips or you’ll get something that tastes like filthy dishwater.

Nonnas – Depends on who makes it. Great beans and I’ve had some truly truly award winning espressos, but some of them do tend to over-extract when they make lattes and capuccinos. Occasionally I get a take-out that I have to pour away, because of the bitter taste following overextraction.

Starbucks – bitter coffee but plenty of milk makes it drinkable. Also you know what you are getting from SBs as the machines are idiot proof. Scores well for consistency. Press a button, espresso shoots out. Only trouble is I’ve found that because everything is done (in machine) that if it isn’t cleaned properly then the coffee can taste dirty. From experience I’d say the machine is cleaned mid-week or before the weekend.
Another point to mention is that, because its all done in machine, if get your coffee made directly after they’ve done a decaffinated cup you’ll get that horrific decaffinated residue and pukey aftertaste mixed in with your drink.

Costa – a big chain but very drinkable coffee. They’ve started introducing idiot proof machines, but machines with separate grinders and ground holders (it stops them from needing cleaning as often as starbucks) so the taste is more consistent. You know what you’re getting with no mess. I’m a big fan. Especially of the Sheffield branches. That’s because the Waterstones Orchard square Costa used to have a regional barista champion. It’s clear she had plenty of involvement training the staff as 99% of the time the coffee tastes like it was made by angels.

Cafe Nova – Worst experience ever. Went in there shortly after they opened. Maybe the girl hadn’t been taught properly but she made the one inexcusable espresso mistake and I’ve never been back. She hit the dispense water button twice. Hit one – nice expresso thick crema, all the oils. Hit two – flushing water through used beans flushing the burnt tasting over-extracted water based rubbish into my cup. Joe Public probably thinks they’re getting more coffee for there money. What do they know?

These are the ones that immediately sprung to mind. There are loads I’ve missed.
Hope this helps you coffee lovers out there.

I know, I know … I’m a geek.

Ooh, not heard of the Rude Shipyard. I only know the coffee shops I walk past on a regular basis.

Just googled them and came across your review. Book cases, old furniture, homemade food, and coffee. Sounds fantastic.

I’ll pay them a visit and let you know what I think of the coffee. To be honest the place sounds so inviting that even if I had a cup that was less than stellar I’d be willing to give them the benefit of the doubt.
I’m much more critical of the big faceless coffee chains with manufactured atmosphere. If you’re in a rush for a take away cup you know exactly what you’re getting, but if you’re sticking around there’s a lot to be said for the feeling you get at a warm and inviting independant coffee shop.

I’ll try and get round to visiting them this weekend.

What a great place! It almost feels like someones house. Books lining the walls. An ecclectic collection of furniture. Pleasant atmosphere, welcoming staff AND Good coffee. Next time I go I might add an extra shot as I prefer my coffee slightly stronger, but the taste was good and that’s what matters.
Veggie lasagne was delicious – In fact I’d go so far as to say it’s the best veggie lasagne I’ve had. Peppery, thick chunks of squash and mushroom.
Carrot cake was deliciously moist with subtle flavour to the sponge combined with rich icing.
I will be frequenting the Shipyard on a regular basis. Two thumbs up.

Coffee rev probably don’t care? If they’ve come top of the list, then despite what has been mentioned they probably do. No other coffee shop could cater for hundreds of customers a day and pull it off… We’re not talking 5 in the shop at a time, we’re talking 50. Staff are slow because they care about quality, and never serve slower than ten minutes after the order. Not in my experience anyway. Also, Why should takeaway drinkers get their drinks faster? Get in the queue like everyone else. As much a I’m sticking up for it, I can say with great enthusiasm that bragazzi’s is the best around bar none. Put your views into perspective.

The old popularity argument. Lots of people go to Coffee Rev, so it must be good.
Lots of people eat at McDonalds so it must be the best restaurant.

Coffee rev comes top of the list in the same way that Lambrini would come top of the list of most bought wine by students.
Lambrini is wine flavoured and it gets you drunk.
Coffee Rev sells hot brown liquid which gives you a hit of caffeine.

I’m a coffee connoisseur. I own all the professional equipment, I buy fresh beans, grind them, configure my machine and pour perfect ristrettos. I’ve attended barista courses, and I know “good” coffee.
And I’ve built up a taste by drinking a lot of it.

If you only go out for a coffee once a week as a special treat and it all tastes similar no matter where you buy it from, then that is fine, you fall into the majority of the general public. I suspect most people think Coffee rev tastes OK, which is why they still do business. But if you are one of the few with taste, then you would know better.