World and Writing of Adam David Carter
I have done a number of post/reviews about coffee shops and I realised I have not done one about Waterstones1. Located on the High Street on the same building as the former Palisades and future largest Primark in Europe and near the Bullring.
So I wanted to go to 200 degrees Coffee Shop on Colmore Row. But when i got there is was rammed and had not a single seat free.
I swung round to 3 Threes Coffee shop on Martineu Place. And it was dead. But what really put me off was the place smelled of food but not coffee which i found unnerving. I have become to realise that i have become quite snobby about coffee. Oh well I just hope my bank balance can forgive me.
I thought I’d try the Updated Yorks Bakery near New Street Station. They had expanded in to the into the building next door.
It was also busy.
I made first impression by trying to use the old entrance the Coffee Shop which is no longer used1. Gathering up the tattered remains of my pride I continue my search down the only wall along which I had not travelled. And I found small enterance that seemed a bit to small be a main entrance but no it was the right one. The next thing i found was that 6/8 Kafe was not longer the only Coffee Shop with a Basement in Birmingham. York’s Coffee Shop had imaginatively called ‘York’s Basement’. The decor was rustic wood and artisanal signs. As expected from the business is Yorks Artisan Bakeries LTD
I ordered a flat white2 and a lovely cake called a ‘Smores Tart’. The Flat white was very nice. Possibly not the best flat I’ve had but leagues ahead of the last coffee I had in there when it was smaller3.
But what was more impressive then the coffee and cake4 was the staff. They remembered what drink I was having and offered to make me a new with out prompting. Which blew me a way.
All in all I shall be return to York.
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The Quarter Horse Coffee1 shop is an odd one. Located on the Bristol Street road which is on the Queensway dual carriage way through Birmingham.
I say odd because it is slightly out of the city and not the place normally connected to Indie Coffee shops. No footfall of office or shop workers. And another odd thing is that they have their own roaster on the premises. I guess it must get hot in the summer months when that thing gets going.
Now I have not had a coffee there as I am suffering a bout if insomnia. As it was about three pm when I got there I had a Chai Latte. It was perhaps the best chai latte I have had in a long time but I cannot tell you what the coffee is like. I will add an addendum to this post when I have had chance to get one.
The plus side with it not being in the city centre is coffee shop was nice and airy. I sat at a simple wooden bench at a simple wooden table. If I had to use one word I would use the word ‘Minimal’. White walls, high ceiling and plenty of windows lead to it feeling spacious. Calm and quiet which is very nice to write in. One down side is the table where I sat rocked slightly. Quite nice all around though.
A side note that Quarter Horse Coffee was originally opened in oxford. When looking to expand they decided on Birmingham and to have enough space for their roaster. Which might explain the location.
As I write this I am currently enjoying a nice latte at sixeight Kafé.
It is located near Pigeon Park (Or St Philip’s Cathedral of Birmingham. located on Colmore Row. I have no idea why it is called Pigeon Park). It is just behind House of Fraser on Temple Row by the Grand Western Arcade.
Not that I say this lightly but it has some of the best coffee in Birmingham City Centre, which no small feat. What I like about it is there is a consistency to the coffee that I do not get in other coffee shops. One of the reason I avoid the High Street chains is whether you get good coffee can change from person to person. I used to like the coffee from Nero’s in the Bullring but the person who made coffee left and since then the coffee has not been as good.
But my favourite bit about sixeight kafé is the large basement underneath or the speak-easy style as they call it. It is nice and cool which nice on a hot day like this. It is also very quiet as well which is very good for writing. They also have a great selection of local sourced cakes.
The only down side is they don’t take ApplePay/AndroidPay but take contactless payment but with a 25p surcharge. It still on par with the High Street chains for a coffee & cake so I am happy to pay for the much better atmosphere.
If I was going to try hosting a writers group, I would do it here.
Cheers Peeps
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So we had the Openreach engineer out again and he took one look at the number and said he “Could not install the line” as it was a Midland exchange number. As I am on the Central exchange that was not going to work. A nice guy called Gary has been chasing up BT Openreach and keeping me informed on what was going on. Due to his hard work I finally feel like I am getting some where. Which is a good feeling. An engineer is coming out on Friday to fix the line and as it a Central number I feeling good about my chances.
I am currently writing in the basement of Coffee Lounge just opposite New Street Station and Grand Central. It is possibly the largest independent coffee shop in Birmingham. To be honest that might include the chains as well. I had a Flat White
Costes Cafe Bar is where I’m currently writing today. It is just off the Business Quarter near the Ring Road. It is possibly the biggest coffee shop on one floor and best decorated but definitely has that compromised design that you get when a building serves two masters. The best way I can describe it is a ‘Pub Grub’ family restaurant during the day and ‘Aving it Large’ pub at night. In the end there is a compromise to do both and well rather than do one brilliantly. I Didn’t write as much as I had hoped as my neck was aching but that can happen.
I had a Flat White