What makes a Great Café

Some things make this world a better place just by knowing that they are there. Places of peace and relaxation, that promise a refuge from our troubles and a moment to appreciate simpler things. While we reward our flesh with gentle pleasures. These are the coffee shops, the bistros, the cafés of the world that are the pride and joy of owner operators who take every customer experience personally. They are the craftsmen of the break, the purveyors of temporary refuge, and the feeders of the heart. Around the world they have one thing in common, the desire to make their café a home away from home.

• Great Coffee: A café wouldn’t be worth mentioning at all if it didn’t specialize in its namesake. Coffee is the staple, but often they will have a variety of beverages on hand. The difference with the best cafes is the pride taken in not only the preparation, but the selection of the varieties. There is no getting away with blends that hide the inferior with the premium. The owners have done their diligence researching coffee beans, coffee, coffee roasters and tested it all. They know without a doubt that whether you drink your coffee black, or blended, it will deliver everything you crave from the bean.
• Atmosphere: It is hard to know whether you love a great café for its coffee or for its atmosphere, because the two are so interconnected. But a good café is a place that when you step inside you instantly realize that this is a place where you can relax. The mood and the décor give you a hug and says, come, sit for a while, forget your troubles. There is always a variety of seating, and lovely things to rest your eyes upon.
• Food: Cafés are places to eat, but they are not exactly restaurants. The food is for comfort not for a meal, if that makes sense. Food is something you may or may not order, there is no pressure, no expectation when you will come or go. And the choices are simple signature items, lovingly prepared, and just right for the atmosphere of the shop.
• Manners: One thing that lets you know when you are at a great cafe’ is that, the behaviour of the patrons reflects their peace and respect for the space. Everyone is quiet and pleasant, as if the shop demands their deference. The quiet peace is shared by the staff.

Every detail of a great café is focused on the experience. The shop doesn’t advertise or have an ego. But when you enter, you feel the wonder of it.