Coffee Fix, Gatley, near Cheadle

Prompted by a friend, and at cost of treating him to coffee and lunch (with another tagger-along!), I was introduced to a delightful little coffee shop in Gatley, near Cheadle.
And a very good prompt it was too. Small, but extremely welcoming, in the lovely village of Gatley, Coffee Fix was a pure pleasure to visit.
The menu was simple but accommodating, and the special for the day (lamb and pearl barley stew) proved to be the favoured choice for all three of us. And a good choice it was! Very tasty!
Coming to the coffee, there were a couple of special brands on offer (not something you see that often), consisting of Ethiopian and Indian options.
I started with a large cappuccino, in order to satisfy the requirements of this blog, but could not resist the urge to try and Indian coffee, as I have not had one before.
The cappuccino was presented with perfect froth (but no chocolate!) and was a good size (another bug-bear of mine, when they are too small). Then came the taste....This has to rate as one of the best cappuccinos I have ever tasted. Probably just in second place (see elsewhere on this blog), but right up there. Smooth as velvet, yet strong enough to be a proper cappuccino, with a hint of something special that just sets it apart from the run-of-the-mill. A very nice surprise, and one that will ensure I go back in the not too distant future.
Having tried the frothy one, I went for a second coffee fix in the form of the Indian special which, as two of us ordered it, came served in a jug (see picture). Sweet enough to almost not need sugar, it was rather different in taste to anything else I have tasted, coffee-wise, and was a rather interesting experience, in the best possible way. I considered my coffee experience widened, and enhanced.
Now I can't wait to go back, partly for the food, especially for the cappuccino, and also to see what special coffee offerings they have available to sample. Top little shop, and well, well worth a visit. Must allow time to look round the other shops too next time.
To visit their website, please CLICK HERE

Tags: Coffee Fix, Gatley, Cheadle, Stockport, coffee

Cafe L'Etage, Bury

Not the easiest to spot, this little gem of a cafe in bury, Lancashire (home of the famous black pudding stall!).
The name, L'etage, is a French expression, meaning "upstairs" (or possibly downstairs, depending on the context). In this case, it is most definitely "upstairs", as the cafe is accessed through a door on The Rock, which leads immediately to a staircase taking you to two levels of very tastefully decorated seating areas, in kind of slightly retro/homely style.
The menu offers a good range of options, suiting a variety of tastes, with a few little surprises. When I first visited the cafe, I was rather taken with the Crepes section, and have not managed to veer away from it since, as the crepes are so delicious. The latest visit revealed a new option of crepe, with a chicken, bacon and mushroom filling, in a creamy sauce. It had to be sampled, and was a right choice. 
The cafe serves freshly ground coffee, and does not disappoint in the slightest. I generally stick to a cappuccino (hence this blog's title), and am lost in cappuccino heaven at L'Etage.
Good froth, nice sprinkling of chocolate, and just the right strength of coffee below.
With regards to service, David runs a spotless, welcoming and quality establishment, the girls are always extremely polite and friendly, and the overall experience is one that leaves you wanting to return at every opportunity.
There are other cafes in Bury, and some that serve lovely coffee, but for a cosy, relaxed and pleasant lunchtime or afternoon tea visit, this one certainly would take some beating.

To find them on Facebook, click HERE