Just down the road from the Kilimanjaro Coffee House is the Black Medicine Coffee Co. In a much more formal looking building with a small wooden log outside advertising if it is open or not, resides a very comfortable and relaxing atmosphere. Even though the place did look like it was intended to be more upmarket, it was certainly more than the few i had previously been to. It may not have been as cozy or as high profile as the other coffee houses but i have certainly heard good things about the place and it lives up to what has been said. With a lot of the furniture built out of driftwood, it gives the place and open and airy feel to it, even though there are no sofa's or such. All the seating is in one place with no nook's to hide away in and comes right up to the windows, so everyone can see everyone and everyone can see outside.

The house has wifi access as well, though we didn't need it. The menu's consisted of the black board's hanging around next to the counter or pinned to the walls, and there was no problem reading them or what they offered, and the cakes and other usual sandwiches seemed to be stored in a chiller cabinet out of the way (that was just getting emptied and cleaned for the day we were that late in). The custom was varied, from having students in, a business man or two a group of mountain and rock climbers and your average Joe dropping in for a quick cuppa, even this late in the day the two staff members were chirpy and on the ball.

The order this time was a peppermint tea, a regular cappuccino, single espresso and a coke and you ordered and paid at the counter and collected it Starbucks style at the other. The coffee's were just delightful. The espresso was golden on top, full bodied and very smooth to drink. And the cappuccino was a lovely in between size, not after the fashion of the Italian small and not quite the larger sized American small. There was the look of a Rosetta poking out from underneath the chocolate topping and the cup was filled to the top with dense micro foam. Personally i would have liked a little bit more foam, but it was an excellent cappuccino, the more earthy and heavy notes in the espresso were mellowed out by the steamed milk, and the chocolate on top was not to bitter and not to milky, a perfect balance. A very, very drinkable coffee, and i could have spent much more time there if i didn't have to retire to bed early. The shortbread on the side of all the drinks was just right if you had a slight sweet tooth, all butter and soft it worked a treat compared to chocolate or tablet.

Black Medicine must also be commended on there book swapping shelf, which looked like it was getting on fabulously, great idea guys, and one I've not seen in years.

A most definite 4/5 beans for these guys. Bean Monkey liked this place a lot.

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p.s. the opening times on a Saturday are the same as for Monday to Friday