Visited on Broughton Street, Edinburgh
Those of you who have been following my coffee journey for a while might recall the Bruntsfield Place Artisan Roast review I posted a few months back; and the La Barantine review later in which I was planning on visiting the refurbished venue again. However, after ending up in the Broughton Street shop, I have decided not to venture to any Artisan Roasts again – their coffee simply doesn’t suit my tastebuds.
Nor does their style, on that matter.
I could repeat myself talking about the etno-hippie atmosphere inside, the open space venue with no sales-desk per se, with low and narrow cushioned benches and tables, old cafetieres and mugs serving as lampshades – and a barista that didn’t seem too bothered about anything really – the whole thing, probably to the liking of some (like the specific, very ‘statement’ kind of people that were there at the time) is certainly not my cup of tea. Not that I am a fan of over-the-top baristas, to be perfectly clear – but it is nice when they make a little bit of effort to make you feel welcome when you walk through the door, as opposed to the “do-what-you-want-I-just-make-the-coffee” attitude.
Against all odds, I was really looking forward to the coffee, genuinely believing that this acclaimed roastery, complimented by so many, has to deliver – despite my past personal experience – especially that every coffee I spotted looked great with the milk steamed to perfection, and with a latte art decorating every single cup. As I took my first sip, I appreciated the delicate texture of the mix; but that bitter taste I knew from before hit my tongue straight after, and wouldn’t let go for hours to come. Again, I’d blame the espresso, but this time I’d like to say I know better to accuse the poor barista making the drink for leaving the shots out for too long or for not calibrating the machine properly – I dare say, the fault is in the beans themselves, a question which I will attempt to investigate, in comparison with other famous roasteries whose products are available in Edinburgh.
I drank the coffee quickly, but with no pleasure whatsoever; and to make it worse, the lingering bitter taste stayed with me, despite downing a glass of water soon after. On top of that, the price didn’t impress with a shocking (even for me, being used to paying 30p extra in Starbucks) 50p add on for soy milk.
Whether it’s my skewed sense of taste or too much experience in the field, I have to say Artisan Roast is a no-no for me.
Judge freely.
A Black Spot 
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