Calico Coffee

At Calico Coffee, I thought how much is too much for a cup of coffee?

For people with deeper pockets (and less tight fists) than me, the sky is the limit.

With excuse for potentially offending people with use of vulgarities, I’ve tried literal shit coffee before (that is where an animal eats it first, pre-digests it and then you grind it up),  metaphorically shit coffee (nothing to save HER from their closure, no animal excuses there) and alliterated somewhat shit coffee (the majority of coffee in London).  Although there is some rather good coffee in London as there is coffee that tries to take a more scientific bent to the brewing method (Omotosando Koffee) and those that are just exceptional (Monmouth coffee).  Those are to be applauded. Then there are those places that take it to a extravagant degree but scrumptious degree like Sketch (sadly out of budget range now).  Although perhaps it is all about the atmosphere.

This coffee place in the shadow of Waterloo station is seriously trying to make coffee great again.  Must have been listening to the recent American election too closely…

Matcha latte.  Careful (although fairly usual) latte art. The matcha wasn’t that strong or tasty, so detracted somewhat.  Although my friend, who’s coffee is not featured here, had a better brew on account of paying for the premium blend.  So maybe this is a case of being too cheap being really too cheap (you get what you pay for).

Latte.  As for the expresso drink, it was just alright. Didn’t have sour notes (although some like fruity), burnt flavour (signs of running a machine too hard) or lack of coffee flavour (someone skimping on the dosing or just buying shit (in the other sense) beans.  To my own fussy and needlessly picky palate, it was acceptable, although could have done with a stronger coffee taste.

In this place’s defence though, maybe my lack of euphoria was because I went for the more pocket friendly option at GBP4.  There were little signs advertising their £15 a shot drip coffee based on exotic beans.  Maybe I shouldn’t have skimped again.  So n this place near where all the world was a stage (a stone’s throw away from the Shakesphere’s Globe), maybe I should have gone for something better.

A quiet eating 7.5/10.

Coffee was GBP4 excluding service.

Calico Coffee (no website)

Unit C, 101 Lower Marsh
London SE1 7AB