Espresso and New York Cheesecake at Bros, Beans & Beats

We visited recently opened Bros, Beans and Beats in Zürich Wiedikon on saturday with high expectations. The name already suggests that the owners are keen to serve high-quality Coffee, Made by a barista. I asked them. Each of the founders have their field of specialty: wine, coffee, and being good hosts are at the heart of their concept. I applaud those high aims. There should be more cafes in Zurich willing to meet consumer’ s needs of excellent coffee quality, and giving coffee the same amount of attention and care as wine or food. Did you know there are not just sommeliers for wine, but for coffee, too? Well, there are 😉

The team of Coffee, Beans, and Bros are welcoming and friendly, the ambiente is urban, modern and cozy. And – most importantly – the coffee is very good. It has been quite some time since I discovered a new cafe with such a good Espresso. They use Henauer’ s pure Arabica, consisting of Bolivian and Indonesian coffee beans, which is biological. Accompanying the Espresso, the New York Cheesecake was equally outstanding.

In pricing, the Cafe is at an acceptable level for Zurich. You pay 7 CHF for the Cheesecake, however, as I mentioned, it is excellent. What I do not understand is the price difference between Espresso and Americano (50 Rappen). There should be the same amount of coffee in both of them…

May the Bros, Beans and Beats continue their journey in this way, bringing some joy into Zurich’ s coffee world! I shall be back, to see whether they add a Single Origin Espresso to their menu. That would make it THE place to be!

8.5 out of 10 stars for the Espresso, and well-deserved!

Bros, Beans and Beats, now open.

Gartenhofstrasse 24,

8004 Zürich

http://www.brosbeansbeats.ch/

https://www.facebook.com/BrosBeansBeats/

Coffee and Torta Della Nonna at Café Glueck, Meilen

The Café Glueck opened last fall in Meilen and gave the town a Café which offers a cozy and stylish break from it all. Their Coffee is above average, I would even go as far as state that they have the Best Coffee between Tiefenbrunnen and Rapperswil. The Torta Della Nonna is one of my favourite sweets to enjoy with a Coffee and theirs is, though a little too moist, quite close to perfection. Prices are fairly high. And the biggest drawback is that they are not open on sundays! I sure hope this will change soon…?

The staff are very kind and attentive. Combining this fact with the quality of the coffee I award 8 out of 10 Stars. I’ ll return soon to make sure they keep up the good work!

 

http://glueck-meilen.ch/

Espresso Made with Rocket R58

I was visiting a friend who showed off his fabulous Coffee Machine. You can make hot water, milk foam and Espresso. The taste of the Coffee varies daily, depending on temperature, humidity and so on. Of course, this kind of machine requires a lot of experimenting and practice. I still dream of having one of my own one day…The owners of this marvellous Rocket R58 have been practising for a year and say it is only just now that they are happy with the coffee they make.

At last, they have found the right balance of which coffee, adjusted the fineness of grinding and know exactly how long it should take for the water to run through: no more than 30 seconds. This example shows how complicated and extensive the enterprise of having such a coffee machine is. The world of coffee is full of wonderful and dreadful experiences, which in the end result in the perfect coffee experience. To be enjoyed by those who ventured out to try new things. Isn’ t that wonderful? To me, it is!

By the way: this is my 100st post. I will try new things and approach every Espresso with an open mind and heart. We’ ll see what I encounter next. Thanks for following my journey. And as always, comments are very welcome!

 

Rome Series 2013: Nr. 3 – Espresso and Pasticceria at Panella, Roma

Breakfast in Italy is a lot different from breakfast in Switzerland. We have cafés with lots of choices, like müsli, boiled or scrambled eggs, lots of different bread with cheese or marmalade, etc. Croissants are also costumary, but they are usually empty.

In Italy, if you go for Breakfast, you have many variations of croissants with different fillings, and other pastries. Even tough this sweet kind of breakfast is not for me in the long run, I quite enjoy it while on holiday for a week or so. The coffee, on the other hand, is something I could get used to for every day. This is an example of a Café where you get good pastries and a great Espresso: Panella, the bakery. You can sit inside or outside, and choose from an impressive variety of baked goods. Their coffee machine is also very special. The Espresso has that golden Crema I love so much. It tastes as good as it looks, is well-balanced and has an intense body. Its flavour lasts quite long. 8.5 out of 10 stars for the Espresso.

Via merulana 54
00185 Roma

http://www.panella-artedelpane.it/index.htm

Rome Series 2013: Nr. 2 – Espresso at Papa’ s Cafe (Roma)

Papa’ s Cafe has the typical Italian charme. Altough located between Via del Corso and the Pantheon, it isn’ t very stylish, for it doesn’ t need any knick-knack. Its products stand on

Espresso at Papa’ s Cafe, Roma

their own, people come here because of the honest and good quality of their food and coffee. They use Dallucci Caffè, which is quite popular in Rome. The Espresso was well-balanced, and had a medium strength body, slight sour note and the flavour lasted for a bit after drinking it. I never would have dreamed of adding cream to that coffee, and I absolutely NEVER add sugar (regardless of how bitter the brew might be).

8 Stars for the Espresso.

Rome Series 2013 – Nr. 1; Espressi and Zabaione at Ristorante al 59, Roma

I visited my favourite city, Rome, again and am still daydreaming about the marvellous week I spent there: the culture, the language, the food – and – the COFFEE. So I thought it high time to dedicate a special series to this fabulous place where – admittedly – the streets have quite a distinct smell and the Italians still have to learn cleanliness, but when it comes to their food and their coffee, all of Europe can learn lots from them.

Rome, the eternal city, is fabulous in March – and every coffee lover’ s paradise!

Plus, I’ ve got my 100st post (!) coming up soon, and I do not feel like always praising the same swiss cafés when they are not really willing to go with the consumer’ s wishes and look at alternatives for cow milk, other than soy milk or that disgusting stuff called oat milk. My repeated request to at least give sheep’ s milk a try still has not reached swiss Barista’ s ears, so I say it again: try sheep’ s milk! It has such a sweet and neutral taste, it is similar to cow milk, but I even like it better. You can buy it in the supermarket (Migros) or fresh from a farmer, whatever. I am looking for Cafés which always try out new things the costumer might like, and lately I missed that innovative spirit in Swiss Cafés. Prices are rising, but Quality still varies greatly. I do not mean to decry them in general, I am very excited for Thursday’ s TNT for example, and I hope they do think of those people who are lactose intolerant and would still like to try one of their Cappuccinos.

So to celebrate the countdown to my 100st post, I will present you with my hotlist of Roman Cafés I tried in 2013. I hope those Cafés are an inspiration to every coffee afficionado, whether you own a Café or just want some tips as to which Cafés in Rome might be worth a visit.

Espresso and Zabaione at Ristorante al 59, Roma

Enough with the preliminary remarks, from hereon out it’ s all going to be about the fascinating Ristorante al 59. It is a true gem. We were surprised it is so good and the waiter is so charming and familiar also because of its vicinity to Via del Corso, which is THE shopping mile of Rome. We had a delicious dinner, and the waiter was very friendly and interested in Caffé Amore. I was very curious if the coffee could keep up with the fantastic food. We also had Zabaione with chocolate sauce for desert, which was as good as the rest of the food. The coffee was, to my delight, just as good as the desert. I award it with 8.5 stars! This is what I’ m hoping to be able to write everytime I try a coffee. If yours is as good as that one, everyone will be happy:-)

Here is the adress of the Ristorante:

Ristorante al 59, Via A. Brunetti 59, 00186 Roma

Meringue-Kirsch-Cream-Torte, Espresso and Caffè Lungo at Bäckerei Hug, Lucerne

Sachertorte, Meringue-Kirschrahmtorte, Espresso at Conditorei Hug, Lucerne

In Lucerne, so far I’ ve had a hard time trying to find a café that serves coffee even worth mentioning here in a positive sense. The silver lining for me are the bakeries. At least you have a good pastry or gateau to make up for the average coffee. That is the thought when I try them out. Then I walked into Café Bäckerei Hug.

They have a great assortment of cakes, pastries and gateaus, and their coffee is quite good, too. I’ ve taken a fancy to Kirsch-Cream Torten with Meringue toppings, and the one at Bäckerei Hug is very tasty. Plus, their terrace is right above the river Reuss, you can see the Chateau Gütsch and the Wasserturm. So of all the bakeries I tried in Lucerne so far, Hug is the one with the best coffee (there’ s still room for improvement, check out my “best rated cafés” category). 7 Stars for the Espresso, and some bonus points for the delicious baked goods.

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“Italian Espresso” at Conditorei Schlüssel, Menzingen

We were on a family trip in Zug one day and went to the Conditorei Schlüssel in Menzingen. Even on the darkest winter afternoon, their pastries have a way of cheering you up! The waitors are very friendly, and the ambiente is nice. They even serve “Italian Espresso”, which was surprisingly good for a pastry shop (for their specialties usually are their baked goods).

Patisserie at Confiserie Schlüssel, Menzingen

Here, I was positively surprised. 7.5 stars for the Espresso, and a bonus point for their great assortment of cakes, pastries and truffes. I am sure to return one day!

Il miglior Caffé del 2012: at Trattoria Da Maria, Capalbio (I)

It has been a while since my last post, and I apologize. I have been incredibly busy and could not spend as much time as I would have liked for my blogs and other passions which bring me great joy but no money:-)

Semifreddo di Mandorle e il miglior Caffé del 2012: at Trattoria Da Maria, Capalbio (I)

I was also slightly crestfallen at the average level of quality for coffee in our country. More often than not, I am forced to add cream to my coffee, or worse, am compelled to eat a sweet with it to bear drinking a coffee which is unbalanced to say the least, and bitter, to be blunt. There are exceptions to this unfortunate conclusion, like the Cafés I complimented on this blog before and which you are more than welcome to check out in my “best rated cafés” category. Those Cafés are still an exception, however.

Fortunately, I spent a great holiday in Tuscany which gave me the opportunity to enjoy some marvellous coffee, and one true gem, which I will introduce you to right now:

Pappardelle al Cinghiale (homemade Pappardelle with wild boar)

The Trattoria Da Maria in Capalbio, which is in the southern part of Tuscany. It has become a family tradition to stop by the Trattoria on our way home after our holiday on the Isola Del Giglio. They make their own pasta, there is even a window in the kitchen so you can watch them do their magic. And following a delicious meal, we enjoyed the best coffee of 2012! They have their own “mischela”, which is being roasted by a small family roast house in Viterbo. 9 stars for the Espresso!

It is also the exception to the rule which says that, most unfortunately, every restaurant I enjoyed a delicious haute cuisine meal in would have had a great rating for the food, if you did not include the coffee. It turns out to be of little importance to the managers of these restaurants, in total opposite of the food, which is of the utmost importance and no expense is spared to ensure its freshness and quality. The managers of these Restaurants might be familiar with the term “Barista”, but they are still not interested in hiring one to make sure their coffee is on the same level as their food.

So the Trattoria Da Maria is a very welcome exception to this rule. May there be many more to follow in their footsteps!

Espresso at Alpineum, Luzern

The Café Alpineum is located just next to the Gletschergarten near the Lion Monument in Lucerne. The ambiance is really nice, they also serve little meals. They use coffee roasted by Rast Kaffee, which is quite good. It is a bit on the bitter side for my taste, but the Espresso has a strong body and a little acid note. They offer lactose free milk, though no Sheep’ s milk.

8 Stars for the Espresso.

Peru Arabica Fair trade Espresso and Chocolate cake at Café Noir

I discovered a new Café in Zürich, one I had heard about from several people, and found it was time I checked it out: Café Noir. They also roast their own coffee and some of the Cafés I featured on this blog use their freshly roasted black gold, among them the Café Miyuko.

The Espresso seen here is their special Bio Fair Trade Arabica from Peru. I also tried their house roast blend, which I found agreeable, though different. I actually preferred the house roast to the Fair Trade Peru. They are both well-balanced, the house roast has left a more distinct memory of what it tasted like, the Fair Trade is less special. Price: Fr. 3.80.

I spoke to the Barista and asked him what they offered in terms of lactose free products. He said they sometimes have lactose free milk, but not always. I suggested they try sheep’ s milk, and he said they will consider it. I will return to learn if they have actually tried it. I hope so!

By the way: The chocolate cake was very good: moist, and not too heavy, but real chocolate taste! Just as it should be!

The Espressos get 8 out of 10 Stars!

Espresso at Café für Dich, Zürich

Espresso at Café für Dich, Zürich

Originally uploaded by the real Caffeamore

I’ ve been incredibly busy working, so I apologize for not having posted for so long. However, this café is a new discovery, shown to me by a friend of mine. It is called Café für Dich and is located at the Langstrasse, near the Bäckeranlage.The Café combines everything I look for in such an establishment: friendly staff, beautifully decorated interior, you can sit outside when it’ s warm enough and are not disturbed by the noise, for the tables outside are in a little side street. And, of course, most importantly, the coffee is good. They also offer their lattes, Cappuccinos etc. with Soy milk, which is essential.

7.5 Stars for Café für Dich!

What do you think about this Café? Have you been there? Please comment below!

The queen of Macarons: Luxemburgerli

The last few days have been monsoon-like, there was no trace of summer. Until today. Macarons are great with coffee, they lighten up the day or improve it even more if the weather happens to be good. Those on the picture aren’ t just random Macarons, they are the best there are: Luxemburgerli by Sprüngli. If you’ ve ever tried them, you won’ t forget their unique taste and look. They also have special editions, this time they had a Bellini-flavour (you know, Venice’ s official drink, consisting of peach puree and prosecco). It’ s delicious!

Luxemburgerli (clockwise, starting left): Marc de Champagne, Caramel, Citron, Abricot, Chocolate, Raspberry, Vanilla, Bellini (in front)

For those who prefer the creamy flavors, let me make a few suggestions: marc de champagne (my favourite),  chocolate and caramel with fleur de sel. Delizioso! So now that summer apparently has arrived, a coffee with a Luxemburgerli on the terrace sounds like heaven, doesn’ t it?

Check out the sweets page for more ideas as to what sweets you could try with coffee.

Strawberry tarte and Cappuccino at Christen Beck, Beckenried

Strawberry tarte and Cappuccino at Christen Beck, Beckenried

Originally uploaded by the real Caffeamore

And to complete the collection, here’ s my other favourite baked good from the Christen Beck: the Strawberry Tarte, with 5 layers: puff pastry, then dark chocolate, vanilla pudding, whipped cream and strawberries. Just like my Birthday cake. The only think I don’ t like is the (unfortunately common) layer of fruit gelatine. For a review of the coffe, check the previous post.

Kirschtorte, Espresso and Cappuccino at Christen Beck, Beckenried

 

Beckenried is a beautiful village at the shore of Lake Lucerne. It is the perfect place to spend a sunday afternoon, and you can get there by a mundane paddlesteamer. But it gets even better once you’ ve arrived: there, the Christen Beck awaits! Their baked goods are so tasty I don’ t even know what to recommend most, but I picked two of my favorites: one, the Kirschtorte, a swiss specialty. It’ s exquisite! Two: the strawberry tarte. And, of course: the coffee is great, too! The schiuma of the Cappuccino looks pretty good, and I’ m told it tastes as it looks. The Espresso is well-balanced and altought their strong suit is the baked goods, the coffee is well above average. 7 Stars for the Espresso and cappuccino, 9 Stars for the exquisite baked goods!

Pascucci Coppolini Espresso on their mobile stands: delicious!

Pascucci has started the mobile coffee project called “Coppolini”. They have stations on various train stations in Zürich, such as Stadelhofen, Oerlikon, Enge and are also present on Letzigrund stadium. For a complete and updated list of stations visit their website. They use the Pascucci coffee, which is very high quality. I tried the Espresso, which is very well-balanced. The barista was friendly, too. 7.5 Stars for the Espresso. It cost CHF 3.50. That’ s reasonable for Switzerland, and a bargain for Zürich. The only thing missing for me was something small and sweet, like Amarettini, Tartufi, Bacetti, Cantucci or the like. That would make it the perfect spot for my coffee to go!

Go check it out!

What did you think of Coppolini? Do you like their concept? Where do you drink your coffee? Take a second to participate in this poll

or comment below.

A good example for an Espresso con Panna: COE Ruanda Burmera at Henrici

Espresso con Panna COE Ruanda Burmera at Henrici

Originally uploaded by the real Caffeamore

I promised you a positive example of a Caffè con Panna, which is an Espresso with a LITTLE whipped cream on top. The ratio of cream and coffee is very important. If there is too much whipped cream, the Espresso is cold by the time you get to it. I miss the Ruanda Burmera Cup of Excellence (COE) at Henrici, by the way. Hope Tito discovers equally good coffee gems in Costa Rica! Can’ t wait to try them.

8 Stars for the Ruanda Burmera COE.

Espresso e Espresso con Panna at Ristorante da Ernesto, Lucerne

Espresso e Espresso con Panna at Ristorante da Ernesto, Lucerne

Originally uploaded by the real Caffeamore

I have a new territory to discover coffee-wise: Lucerne. So far, I have not found anything worth posting, and this coffee isn’ t exceptional, either. I think it’ s time to show you what the average Espresso in Switzerland in one of the most frequented cities still looks like. When I don’ t know the hot coffee spots in a town, I have some rules to avoid the total disaster. I mostly go for the Italian Cafés and Restaurants, figuring they have at least had good coffee at home. This Espresso is a little above average in quality, and way above average in Price. 5.90 for a caffè con Panna. And this ratio of panna compared to the coffee is disastrous! Not only is the coffee covered entirely with cream, the coffee was cold when I had managed to drink off the cream. For a positive example of a caffé con panna, check the following post

I don’ t mean to be harsh, but I was really upset by the relation of price and quality of this Ristorante. It was the Ristorante da Ernesto in Lucerne. It is located directly at the Reuss, which explains why they get away with such mediocre products. People pay for the view. It’ s just like the Rathaus Café at the Limmatquai in Zürich. Same difference! 6 Stars for the Espresso and Espresso con Panna.

Please, if anyone knows a decent Café in Lucerne, let me know! Comments are very welcome!

Related articles

• Espresso con Cornetti da Gabbani, Lugano (caffeamore.wordpress.com)
• Single Origin Espresso from India at Cafe Trussardi, Milano (caffeamore.wordpress.com)
• Caffè Americano (sixpointnineme.wordpress.com)

Cinnamon Cappuccino with sheep’ s Milk

Cinnamon Cappuccino with sheep’ s Milk

Originally uploaded by the real Caffeamore

In winter, when it’ s cold and stormy outside, there are certain spices that can make your Cappuccino even “warmer”, which are for example chili, ginger or, most popular with me, cinnamon. Chili and ginger are more suitable with chocolate, I think. I’ ve got a grinder with sugar and cinnamon mixed. So after you fill your cup with coffee, you add some cinnamon and, if you like, also a little vanilla, and then add the foamed milk (for those allergic to lactose you can always take sheep’ s milk, as I do). As is clearly visible on the picture, I am no pro at Latte Art and I do not have a professional machine with high pressure to produce great foam. But the brikka still makes excellent coffee! What would I do without it? Those studying days would be so much harder 🙂

What winter-related coffee recipes do you know, or at which place have you tasted such a creation? Please comment below!

Espresso con Cornetti da Gabbani, Lugano

The other tuesday we were in Ticino to catch some sun. The pasticceria Gabbani caught our eye because of the gorgeous-looking bread and pasticceria they had on their shelves. Then we noticed they had a Café, too. Naturally we had to try the coffee. It was delicious, and the price-quality ratio is exceptionally good! 8 Stars for the Espresso. It cost only CHF 2.40. To add to that, they offer 20 percent off on every tuesday on everything you buy to go, and that included the pasticceria. Their cornetti truly taste like the good ones you get in a classic Italian Bar. We will definetely return!

Les Gourmandises de Miyuko: 3 kinds of scones, delicious homemade sweets and good Caffè

The café Miyuko (located at the Beckenhofstrasse, near the tram station “Beckenhof”) is one of the gems I recently discovered in Zürich. There are not many cafés I would describe like this. Miyuko, however, stands out from most of the other cafés with very carefully chosen and prepared sweets and snacks, you can even have a light lunch (they offer soups and warm and cold sandwiches). As I’ ve told you before, I LOVE scones. The ones on the picture are very close to perfect, and they are gluten free, lactose free and vegan. (you can also have them in normal, for those who don’ t suffer from those allergies). There was one with pumpkin seed, one with raisins and one with sencha (green tea). They were served with guava and strawberry jam. Although it takes some getting used to at first, those exotic flavours really are delicious and the combinations form a good symbiosis. I also tried the Espresso, which they get from Café Noir (a small roasting facility in Zürich). I liked it, it’ s quite well-balanced, a little on the sour side (which doesn’ t bother me), but the taste is not as long-lasting as it could be. 7.5 Stars for the Espresso. The homemade pralines they serve with it, especially the one with cinnamon and dark chocolate, is extraordinary! So is the engagement of the owners who also run the place. I’ ll be back!

http://www.miyuko.ch/

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2011 in review

The WordPress.com stats helper monkeys prepared a 2011 annual report for this blog. Thank you again for visiting my blog! See you in 2012!

Here’s an excerpt:

A San Francisco cable car holds 60 people. This blog was viewed about 2,200 times in 2011. If it were a cable car, it would take about 37 trips to carry that many people.

Click here to see the complete report.

Single Origin Espresso from India at Cafe Trussardi, Milano

Happy New Year, dear coffee lovers! To celebrate the beginning of 2012 (which, I hope, will coffee-wise be a diversified, tastewise interesting year), let me introduce you to a coffee gem I stumbled upon: the Single Origin Espresso from the south of India. I enjoyed this outstanding Espresso at Café Trussardi in Milano. It has a strong, balanced body and its taste lasts long. It truly was a positive surprise! 8 Stars!

Thanks to everyone who has visited my blog and thanks especially to the active users who have taken the time to comment! I truly appreciate your input and I’ m looking forward to the new year, hoping to see you all on my blog again! Til then, happy new year everyone!

Cialda golosa al Cafe Trussardi, Milano

Happy Holidays, dear coffee lovers! I thought I ‘ d update the “sweets” page on this blog, and I found a nice addition in this delicious wafle with vanilla ice cream and chocolate sauce. I enjoyed it with an exquisite Espresso at the Café Trussardi in Milano. Read more about the Espresso in the post above.

Marocchini e Torta Della Nonna at Bar Grossi, Milano

The perfect sweet to enjoy with a strong Espresso or Macchiato is the classical Torta Della Nonna, which is made with pignoli. It also has a slight note of vanilla and lemon. Try it next time you’ re in Italy! For more sweets, check the page  “the perfect sweet to enjoy with a coffee“.

 

 

Marocchini at Bar Grossi, Milano

There are quite a few coffee specialities I have never introduced you to, one of the classic ones is the Marocchino: it is like a caffé Macchiato, only with some chocolate added to the coffee before pouring the milk foam on top. Now that I enjoyed such a great Marocchino as the one on the picture, I thought it is high time to share this exquisite speciality with you. I enjoyed it at the Bar Grossi in Milano. We had a fantastic Torta Della Nonna with it, which made it even more memorable. 7.5 Stars! E tanti saluti ai Baristi del Bar Grossi! A presto!

Single Origin filter coffee “la cascada” brew-it-yourself at Henrici, Zürich

Henrici Filter Coffee
Originally uploaded by the real Caffeamore

For a couple of weeks, Henrici has been offering the filter coffee, which is brewed by the customer at the table. They use a single origin coffee which might change from time to time, at the moment they offer the “Cascada” single origin coffee from Guatemala. It has a solid, rather mild body and a slight acid note, ending with a smooth aftertaste. I congratulate Henrici for their innovative spirits and think it is great that the costumers can experience the brewing of the coffee. However, for me it would be a bit too complicated to brew my own coffee everytime I visit Henrici, and I’ m looking forward to the single origin Espresso which they haven’ t offered these past weeks, but which should be back soon (they promised). 8 Stars for the “Cascada” filter coffee!

Caffè e Occhio Di Bue at Bar Da Rosa, Giglio Porto

Espresso e Occhio Di Bue al Bar Da Rosa
Originally uploaded by the real Caffeamore

Here’ s the other Occhio Di bue. I leave it up to you to compare it visually to the one from the Bar Da Fausto (see previous post). The two Bars are about 50m apart, so I would recommend to try both. In my opinion, this Occhio Di Bue is better, the pastry is thinner and there isn’ t too much marmalade on it. And the Caffè is better, too. 8 Stars for the Espresso!

Macchiato e Occhio di Bue al Bar Da Fausto, Giglio Porto

Macchiato e Occhio di Bue al caffè “Da Fausto”, Giglio Porto

Originally uploaded by the real Caffeamore

It’ s time to share with you some great coffee experiences after some rather disappointing ones. This Macchiato and Occhio di bue (“bull’ s eye”) were enjoyed at Giglio Porto al Bar Da Fausto. Even though the Occhio Di Bue isn’ t especially good, the Macchiato really is ok. Porto is good if you want to enjoy the morning sun. There are some beautiful beaches there, too (Canelle for instance).

7 Stars for the Macchiato!

Espresso at Tibits: ill-balanced price-quality ratio

Espresso at Tibits: ill-balanced price-quality ratio

Originally uploaded by the real Caffeamore

This is an example of a mediocre Espresso as there are loads in Restaurants. They focus on their food and don’ t want to spend money on coffee and also on people who have knowledge of what makes a good Espresso. How very sad! The Espresso was way too bitter to drink without a sweet. That’ s not a good sign. The Price of CHF 4 is also quite high, considering it is a self service Restaurant.

6.5 Stars.

Mediocre Espresso at Café Rischart, Munich

This is one of the typical examples for the average coffee you get in the centre of Munich: it is overpriced and the staff can’ t tell in which direction to turn the grinder so the coffee machine’ s coarseness setting is adjusted in favor of the bean and the taste of the coffee. In fact, ignorance in terms of the grinding of the coffee can have an almost equally devastating effect on the taste of the

product as the quality and roast of the beans. Because of the fact that most of the staff of these cafés-I call them tourist cafés-don’ t know how to get the best possible result out of the coffee and machine they’ ve got to work with, I’ m grateful if they give me some whipped cream with the coffee. Luckily, they did 🙂 The Espresso cost €2.30 and gets 6 out of 10 Stars.

Best value for money coffeemaker for students

Bialetti Brikka is being christened

Originally uploaded by the real Caffeamore

As a student who loves coffee you have to compromise between affordable, but still taste-wise satisfying coffee. It should also be a coffee maker that doesn’ t make a mess or takes half an hour to warm up – who has the time for such things? Certainly not a very busy student like me. So when I was looking for a coffee maker that would provide me with good italian coffee and make the night shifts easier, I did not want to drink filter coffee as is still a very common custom in germany, but I also couldn’ t afford a high-end coffee maker and didn’ t have the space for a bean to cup coffee maker. So there was only one option left for me: the Bialetti Brikka, the best Mocca coffee maker there is. It is very inexpensive, and still makes great coffee. It has a special valve to hold the coffee in until enough pressure has built up to create a wonderful crema. The rest depends upon the coffee you use. Also, don’ t heat it up at the highest heat level, try the smallest flame if you have a gas stove or a low temperature level on your stove (out of six levels, I always use level 2). Good luck with the fine tuning, but once you figure that out the coffee and the crema will make it worth your while!

caffè per 1€ a Maccagno!

caffè per 1€!

Originally uploaded by the real Caffeamore

I was in Maccagno on the east coast of Lago Maggiore recently, which is in Italy but quite close to the Swiss border. You have a bit of the swiss precision and accuracy, but you also have great Italian stile di vita, which includes coffee. This Espresso, or caffè, as the Italians call it, cost €1 and tasted fantastic. I admit it doesn’ t look too elegant in the plastic cup, but the taste does make up for it completely. I enjoyed it at the Bar next to the Campeggio. 7.5 Stars!

Cappuccino con Panna and Rhabarberstreusel at Café Löwenburger Hof

Cappuccino con Panna and Rhabarberstreusel at Café Löwenburg

Originally uploaded by the real Caffeamore

Since I’ ve never featured a Cappuccino con Panna on Caffè Amore before and I rather enjoyed this one, I thought this is the opportunity to introduce this italian speciality to all of you who don’ t know what it entails exactly. Normally, a Cappuccino con Panna consists of Espresso with foamed milk (like a normal Cappuccino) and the panna (italian for whipped cream) is added on top. This one was created just with coffee and panna, so it is actually more of a Mélange, like the Viennese drink it. Since I can’ t drink milk anymore (but cream is ok every now and then) I decided to try this coffee just with whipped cream. The coffee was rather strong, but quite well-balanced. The cream gave it that soft touch. The Rhubarb crumble was also very good. I enjoyed this afternoon break coming down from the Löwenburg in the Rheinland (near Cologne), at the Restaurant Löwenburg. Prices were acceptable. A 6.5 for the Mélange!

Macchiato in front of Gina’s Raspberry Dream Cake

Macchiato in front of Gina’s Raspberry Dream Cake

Originally uploaded by the real Caffeamore

It’s Raspberry time, which means my favourite season because I’m absolutely in love with berries as they are sweet and are the perfect topping to a cake! And they sweeten your tongue for a strong Espresso or a Macchiato with sheep’s milk, such as this one. It’ s a perfect combination!

Espressi (house blend and Single Origin Ruanda Burmera CoE) and white Mocha at Henrici

Espressi (house blend and Single Origin) and white Mocha at Henrici

Originally uploaded by the real Caffeamore

Who knew an afternoon with a friend would turn out to become a coffee revelation? My gal had the white mocca with oat milk (lactose intolerance really is a common problem), which she, as a lover of really sweet coffee drinks, awards with 8 (!) Stars for its balanced, harmonic taste!I ordered the special single origin coffee Henrici offers, which changes every now and then, and I got the normal house blend by mistake, too. So what did I do? Compare the two, of course. The one on the left, with the dark crema, is the house blend, which tastes ok, but in comparison to the Single Origin, which is from Ruanda and belongs to the Cup Of Excellence 2010, it had no chance! I’ m no (certified) coffee expert, but I would agree with the judges that the Single Origin coffee is extraordinary! 6 Stars for the house blend, 7.5 Stars for the Single Origin! Oh, and a smile to that charming barista 😉

Espresso and Americano at Eiscafé Orange, St. Augustin

Espresso and Americano at Eiscafé Orange, St. Augustin

Originally uploaded by the real Caffeamore

Whenever I’ m in Germany and in search of a good café I go for the ones that have an italian touch, because-let’ s face it-Italians are the masters in preparing coffee, it’ s in their blood. There are also a lot of Ice cream parlours in Germany, and most of those are run by Italians. Just like the one where we had the cafés on the photo. While the caffè were ok, but not extraordinary (6.5 Stars; prices: €1,70 for the Espresso, €1.90 for the Americano), the Ice cream was exquisite and we could have told that it’ s homemade just by tasting it. So improve your coffee, but please don’ t change the recipes for your ice cream! I’ ll return for sure!

Il miglior caffé di tutti: al bar 127 a Roma

Il miglior caffé di tutti: al bar 127 a Roma

Originally uploaded by Oriana Zängerle

They also serve good macchiatos as you can see:-)I think this café deserves the honour of a double post: Tazza D’ Oro isn’ t my favourite café anymore, here’ s the new winner: Bar al 127, via Giulio Cesare 127, Roma.Forza caffé italiano!

You won’ t believe it until you drink it: at Bar 127, Roma

You won’ t believe it until you drink it: at Bar 127, Roma

Originally uploaded by Oriana Zängerle

I’ ve never had such a perfect, strong, yet not bitter or sour coffee in my life! Tazza D’ oro is nothing compared to this! It’s true what I always thought: you get the best caffè in a quiet via, looking unparticular and unadvertised, the barista is up to his job and doesn’ t need any kind of promotion besides his coffee to prove it. When asked he confirmed he makes his own blend of coffee and his wife bakes the pastries they sell. It’ s simple, and it works. The cherry on top is the price: €1,20 for the Americano, which is what they call a caffé Lungo in Italy. Here’ s the address to this place of coffee heaven:Bar al 127, Via Giulio Cesare 127, Roma. It’s right down the street from the Metro Station Ottaviano near the Vatican. 9 Stars for this marvellous caffè!

Lactose free Cappuccino and Americano at Einstein Cologne

Lactose free Cappuccino at Einstein Cologne

Originally uploaded by Oriana Zängerle

I enjoyed this lactose free Cappuccino at café Einstein in Cologne. They use the Brasil Santos coffee, which is also available at other high standard cafés, like Schwarzenbach. Einstein has coffeeshops in Germany, Belgium and Egypt. I went to try one out finally because I had heard their coffee was good, and I agree. Although I am against supporting big coffee chains, I would visit one of Einstein’ s coffeeshops again if there wasn’ t another exceptionally good café in the vicinity. I did not like the lactose free milk, though. I wish cafés would offer cappuccino with sheep’ s milk! Many Baristi haven’ t even tried out this option, and I think it’ s high time they did! The prices were ok: €2,50 for the Americano and €3,10 for the Cappuccino.

8 Stars for the Americano and the Cappuccino!

The Address of the coffee shop is: Breitestr. 169, 50667 Köln

http://www.einstein-coffeeshops.com

Spring is here: homemade Nougat-Latte Freddo

 

Nougat-latte freddo

Originally uploaded by Oriana Zängerle

What a beautiful time of year: spring! Here’ s a way to celebrate: create your own recipe, as I have done here. And since I tried it and thought it was rather tasty, I’ m sharing it with you: here’ s what you need for a Nougat-latte freddo:

• 1 Caffè lungo
• 2 pieces (ca. 10 grams) of almond-nougat chocolate
• 3 cubes of Ice
• 1 cl Macadamia syrup
• 1 cl white chocolate syrup
• a pinch of saffron
• 2 cl milk (you can also use sheep’ s milk, I did)

Preparation: brew the caffè lungo and melt the chocolate in it. Put the syrups into a glass and add the milk; stir. Add coffee, ice cubes and saffron. Decorate it with a straw. Enjoy! Please tell me if you liked the recipe:-)

Espresso at Bistro am See

Espresso at Bistro am See

Originally uploaded by Oriana Zängerle

The name of the café clearly is justified, as the lake is literally next to the café; it’ s actually situated at the boat station of Männedorf. The view from there is really amazing, so many people come here because of the location. The coffee is ok, but nothing special. I also go there mainly because of the location, or to have a nice hot chocolate or ice cream.
6 out of 10 Stars for the Espresso.

Cioccolate calde al latte di pecora

Cioccolate calde al latte di pecora

Originally uploaded by Oriana Zängerle

These Hot Chocolates were made with sheep’ s milk. Since I don’ t drink normal milk anymore, this is a great option for me. It tastes almost the same as cow’ s milk, I even prefer it. And it tastes great with the real chocolate I use. If you add some cocoa powder, it’ s  just how I like it: a perfect mix of bitter and sweet 🙂

Caffé Lunghi and Waffles at Eiscafé Tormen, Hennef

 

Caffé and Waffles at Eiscafé Hennef

Originally uploaded by Oriana Zängerle

Since I’ ll be in the area of Cologne and Bonn more often in the future, I’ ll have to keep my eyes open for good cafés there. After some truly disappointing experiences, for instance the fact that “Filterkaffee”, or the typical american coffee is still what you get when you ask for a cup of coffe in many Cafés that aren’ t located in the centre of a big town. This is one of the reasons why I was rather hopeful when I was made aware of the italian Eiscafé Tormen in the small town of Hennef. The Caffé Lungo really tasted good, although the crema was a little thin and vanished quickly. The gentleman accompanying me gave it a 7, I (since I compare it to the best I’ ve ever had and therefore it competing with several true Italian caffé) award it with 6.5 Stars. The waffles were really good, too. That’ s one thing I can say for the region: there’ s waffles on almost every corner (they’ re much harder to find in Swiss Cafés).

Cappuccino and homemade sorbet at Restaurant Piccard, Luzern

 

Cappuccino and homemade sorbet at Restaurant Piccard, Luzern

Originally uploaded by Oriana Zängerle

As the photo indicates, the homemade sorbet in couverture is the true discovery at Restaurant Piccard, which is located at the Verkehrshaus Luzern. It was the coronation of a truely delicious meal. With it, I ordered a Cappuccino (at the right, in the slightly curved cup) and was a little disappointed. I’ ve had this experience quite a few times before: Going to a noble Restaurant, feeling fancy and enjoying a delicious meal and being disappointed by the coffee. I think it’ s a shame that in many Restaurants, coffee is considered a minor matter than the food that is being served. The ingredients for the dishes are being chosen with the utmost carefulness, but the owner often does not even know what kind of coffe he’ s serving. They still have normal or even higher prices for their coffee, though.

For me, coffee is a stamp for a Café or Restaurant. If I don’ t like the coffee, I’ m not inclined to visit the place again. The alternative is accepting the fact that coffee is only being chosen and prepared carefully at cafés whith Baristi who are trained to prepare an exquisite coffee and not at Restaurants, and the consequence is to skip coffee after your delicious meal and go to a real café for that icing on the cake. What a shame!

Caffé Lunghi (medium roast in front, dark roast at the back) at Spettacolo

 

 

 

 

 

 

Returning to normal cafés after the heavenly experience of Barista Championships is hard..I find I’ m getting pickier by the week in choosing where I’ ll have my coffee if I’ m not at one of my favourite places. Anyway, my job is to find new ones that convince me with their atmosphere, friendly staff and good coffee creations. As is the Caffé Spettaccolo (a coffee chain, but a small one with italian charm). They have three different roasts of coffee: mild, medium and dark. The mild one also tastes as the name suggests, the medium has more body and a slightly stronger aroma, but the most intense in terms of taste and body certainly is the dark roast (at the back). The Tuna Sandwich is, as their other snacks, very good; so are their italian Amaretti!!!
They have local branches in several swiss cities, and with a Caffé Spettaccolo at Zürich Airport it is made sure you get a decent coffee before flying out or after landing. Without it, your alternatives are quite dull (I recently ordered a normal coffee at Starbucks-threw it away after one and a half sips!).

7.5 Stars for the caffé at Spettacolo for consistent quality, italian charm and always saving me when I’ m at the airport!!

http://www.caffe-spettacolo.ch/

Latte Art at Swiss Barista Championships 2011

Latte Art at Swiss Barista Championships 2011

Originally uploaded by Oriana Zängerle

Just look at that Cappuccino and assume it’ s as good as it looks. Wouldn’ t you be in coffee heaven? I was. All those great and extremely talented Baristi creating their specialities and a well trained and competent jury judging every single one of their performance. We also asked some of the judges how they cope with the amount of the coffee they have to drink during such a short period of time. One answer I got was that the espressi were no problem, but the drinks containing milk were heavy on the stomach after a while. I definately understand that. And looking at the large number of talented Baristi in Bern, I’ m confident that the gastronomy will pick up on the high level of coffee served and demanded by that growing number of people who care what kind of coffee they are being served after a delicious meal in a noble restaurant, and that everything, from the age of the roasted coffee, to the coarseness setting of the machine and the machine itself and the Barista making the coffee, is harmonized. These factors strongly encourage more Cappuccino looking and tasting like this one. I’ m keeping my fingers crossed. And many thanks to Martin Egger, Swiss Latte Art Champion 2010 for this Cappuccino.

Latte Macchiato and Soy Caffé Bicerin at Henrici

Latte Macchiato and Soy Caffé Bicerin at Henrici

Originally uploaded by Oriana Zängerle

The Caffé Bicerin contains chocolate sauce (Gianduja) apart from milk and coffee. Unfortunately, not even the chocolate can make the soy taste of the milk less apparent. It’ s such a shame they don’ t use sheep’s milk as an alternative at Henrici. Apart from that, I’ m thrilled by their Baristi’s artworks and the taste of their coffee creations and food. I do admit it’ s subjective what milk you like, so I stick to normal coffee without any milk when I’ m there.

As for food, I tried their vegetarian Flammkuchen, and it tasted excellent! The atmosphere is very cosy, and sometimes they have Live music in the evenings.
Henrici also had a Barista at this year’ s Swiss Barista Championships on January 27th to 29th in Bern. She participated for the first time and chose the category Latte Art; I watched her perform and was impressed: the pressure is very high in front of an audience so well educated in coffee, and although she was nervous at first, she controlled herself and made beautiful coffee creations.

http://www.cafe-henrici.ch/kaffeemehr.html

Great Cappuccino at Adriano’ s, Bern

Cappuccino at Adriano’ s

Originally uploaded by Oriana Zängerle

This Cappuccino was made by a Barista who reached the finals of the Swiss Barista Championships 2011. I was there to find out all about the best coffee and was amazed by the variety of creations presented there. Coffee is such a complicated field of expertise, you can have thousands of different blends, created with coffee of various heritages, some mixing Arabica and Robusta and some emphasizing that the best coffee is authentic. The roasting process is very delicate, and also there preferences vary; some people like a dark roast, others prefer a lighter taste. It’ s key to always consume your coffee when it’ s freshly roasted, and store it at a place not exposed to the sun. You should only grind as much as you can consume within the next 20 minutes.
The cup of this Cappuccino says it right: “freshly roasted”- and it’ s also been in beans until a minute before the coffee was running into the cup. The taste speaks for this procedure. This Cappuccino was made with normal milk, unfortunately many cafés don’ t offer lactose free alternatives – yet. I hope this will change soon, after all there are a lot of people who are allergic to lactose.

8/10 Stars for the Cappuccino!

Espresso & Macchiato at La Stanza

 

Espresso & Macchiato at La Stanza

Originally uploaded by Oriana Zängerle

For almost four months I haven’ t drunk any normal milk now and I’ m getting quite used to drinking pure coffee-if the coffee is good, that is.
This caffé is italian by its look and taste, and it needs no sugar or milk! I enjoyed it at LA STANZA at Bleicherweg 10 in Zürich. It is very popular among the people working in the financial sector which is fairly strong in that area, for you can eat there at any time of the day and there’ s always a good caffé to give you a boost of energy. (Just so I’ m clear: sleep is still the healthier way to regain your strength) 🙂
LA STANZA has a magnificent atmosphere and a real italian charm, and it also radiates from the italian owners that work there.
7.5 Stars for the caffé and the Latte Macchiato.

http://www.lastanza.ch/

Winter Specialities at Henrici

Henrici’ s Baristi had the opportunity to create their own very special winter coffee speciality.

I tried them with my friend Lydia; she and I did our first cafe review many years ago, long before Caffe Amore existed. Back then we had a dreadful experience with the waitress of the Cafe we reviewed. She brought our Cafe Melange and we had to pay before we got a chance to try the coffee. It was overly expensive and, as we soon found out, they served horrible coffee. I never went there again.

Sandra’ s Power Shot (front) and Irina’ s Castagnetta at Henrici

Fortunately, our experience at Henrici was nothing like the first one at that dreadful café. I took her here because I knew I could rely on team Henrici to make our second coffee experience together a positive one. And I was not disappointed. I had Irina’ s Castagnetta, which consists of Espresso, chestnut puree, whipped cream and chestnut pieces. The only thing I missed there was the instruction to stir before drinking it, because the chestnut puree is at the bottom. If you drink it without stirring, the upper part is mainly espresso and whipped cream, and the bottom is too sweet. If you stir, the mixture is well-balanced. For someone who likes chestnut, like me, the drink is perfect in winter!

Lydia had Sandra’ s Power Shot, with Hazelnut Liquor, Espresso and topped with Whipped Cream, served in a shot glass. Lydia awards it with 8 stars, and I can only agree on Irina’ s Castagnetta.