Housing Units, Hollinwood

A quick little visit to Housing Units of Hollinwood ended up in the inevitable visit to the cafe for a coffee and a spot of lunch.
The quality of homeware and furniture in the store is exceptional (and the prices reflect this), and it is a pleasure to browse such quality products, get ideas, and make up an imaginary wish-list. On this occasion we did not come away with anything, but made some mental notes for when we move into our new home (hopefully quite soon).
The cafe was busy (normally a good sign!) so we left our lunch until after we had looked around, and managed to time it just right, as the main lunchtime rush was over by the time we got there.
I ordered a steak and cheese pannini with a cappuccino (no surprise there), and my wife went for a "Half-and-half" soup of the day and sandwich with a latte.
I have to be honest, the standard of food and drink in the cafe did not reflect the quality in the rest of the store. The cappuccino came with plenty of froth, but the coffee was not at all inspiring and chocolate powder was sprinkled with the finesse of a grit spreader. The pannini was rather too well done, which made eating with a knife and fork rather hard work. Fingers it had to be (not a major complaint as I prefer to eat sandwiches that way). My wife's soup was not particularly hot, contrasted with a tuna sandwich that did not give the impression of the Tuna having been chilled right up to preparation. Slightly disconcerting, and the psychological effect detracted slightly from the overall enjoyment.
The cleanliness was without question, and the standard of service and turnout of staff was in keeping with the Housing Units. I can only assume that we caught them at a bad time, and it will not necessarily mean that we do not go again.

Chocolate Alchemy, Loughborough

Tucked away in a quaint little alleyway in Loughborough is a very special little chocolate shop that serves very tasty coffee as well as a whole array of hand-made chocolates.
They also offer chocolate-making courses as well.
I had an Americano, which does not quite fit the bill for this blog, but thought I would give them a mention as the whole experience is one worth passing on.
The smell as you walk in the shop is enough to satisfy the chocolate fix on its own, before you start to taste anything. They offer a smooth sipping chocolate which comes in a small expresso-style cup, and it is the smoothest, sweetest, creamiest.....etc., etc.
I complimented my Americano with a hazelnut and praline tart, of which I did take a picture. It was too good to share. Apologies to my wife who had to miss out, although she was enjoying the sipping chocolate!

Fat Birds Cafe, Royal Leamington Spa

During a recent few days away with my wife, we dropped into Royal Leamington Spa for a little walk around, taking in the charity shops and coffee shops.
We could not resist looking in on this one, with a name like that.
A good choice it was too...
Very pleasant surroundings, very friendly service, and a cappuccino that ranks right up there with the best.

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

Frankie & Benny Cappuccino

Went for a sneaky tea at our local Frankie & Benny restaurant with my good lady recently and, despite running out of time, couldn't resist having a quick cappuccino fix.
The froth was legendary, as you can see from the photo....made me want to minimise myself and go running in it.
One of my little issues with cappuccinos on offer at many establishments is that they are almost no different to the lattes, just served in a different shaped cup, and with a sprinkle of chocolate on top. This could not be said of the F&B cappuccino.
As we all know, a cappuccino should be noticeably stronger than a latte, and this one certainly fitted the bill. Not bitter in the slightest, but rich enough, and strong enough to let you know you were being hit with a definite coffee fix. A great after-dinner coffee.
After being introduced to Calzone for the first time (Chicago Grinder!), and enjoying it very much, the almost perfect cappuccino rounded the meal off nicely.

Tags: Rochdale, Frankie & Benny, Calzone, Cappuccino

Coffee House, Horse Carrs, Rochdale

A new coffee shop opened recently in Horse Carrs, Shawclough Road, Rochdale, OL12 6LG.
Based in a lovely old house, the counter is in the hallway, at the foot of a grand staircase, and the seating areas occupy two of the rooms leading off the hallway, which are very tastefully decorated in period-style colours, with log-burning stoves (great for wintery days).
The menu is simple, but the quality excellent, and certain of the ingredients, and the cakes (!) are provided by Slattery's of Whitefield, so the quality is without question.
I went for the curried vegetable soup, which was exactly as imagined. Just the right consistency and not too spicy, just enough to tickle the taste buds at lunchtime on a sunny autumn day. The coronation chicken sandwich was very nicely presented and tasted terrific.
I had to try the cappuccino, as this is the subject of this blog, and I was not disappointed. Very nice looking froth, with a good texture, covering a very tasty coffee with a good strength.
Sat in the window, looking out at the trees, leaves nicely turning to their Autumn hues, it was all in all, a good lunchtime! 

Tags: Rochdale coffee, cappuccino, Horse Carrs, Open Door Church, Slattery,