01/02/17 – Cafe Coho, 53 Ship Street
This was the first coffee shop in this little series of coffee adventures and they’ve set the bar very high! This shop is the epitome as ‘cute AF’ and I am definitely keen to return. It is a very aesthetically pleasing and soothing with a wide range of seating both upstairs and down.
I ordered a soya flat white (which I intend to order at every shop – got to prevent those confounding variables influencing my evaluations) and I did enjoy it. It was a little too frothy for my taste and didn’t have the greatest pattern but it had a really strong coffee flavour and was really rich and good quality. (7/10)
The staff were very friendly and efficient and I personally found it fairly priced (£2.80 for a flat white). There was also a variety of cake options (including a vegan one – yay for
inclusivity!), sandwiches and a breakfast/brunch menu which I hope to try soon.
I also good a few comments from friends who purchased other products to be a little bit more varied. The hot chocolate had really positive feedback and was thick and creamy. The vegan crumble also got good feedback but was deemed as expensive. The Oreo brownie was a highlight (although slightly rich!).
Overall I really did love this and I’m definitely keen to go back later in the year. Overall Score: 8.5/10
15/02/17 – Small Batch, Jubilee Street
Small Batch coffee co was recommended to me by a number of friends but unfortunately it didn’t live up to the expectations I’d assumed it would have.
This coffee shop is very modern and beautifully designed, although not as quaint and cosy as I’d usually enjoy the decor couldn’t be fault. It however was very expensive and they charge extra for dairy-free alternatives, which in Brighton is something of an outrage – it did however have vegan sandwiches and cakes on sale which was lovely to see so there is clearly some concept of inclusivity. My friend ordered the 
berry tea which was the highlight of the experiences as it was presented in the cutest set-up and to quote my friend Scarlett we “rate this tea”. My flat white wasn’t a horrendous drink but nor was it to the standards I’d usually receive (chains like Costa and Starbucks even in their manic periods supply better) and for the price I was paid I was very disappointed. My friends however did enjoy one of the muffins which had the perfect texture of ‘crusty on the outside and soft in the middle’. I do ponder whether we visited at a time that was just too busy so perhaps I’ll return in the future to try it again but for now I can only give it a 6.5/10.
22/02/17 – Al Campo, 84-86 London Road
On this particular day we decided to make a slight change from the regular, stereotypical coffee shops we’ve been visiting and visit Al Campo (a coffee shop/restaurant/bar) but it is by far one of the best places we’ve visited! My friends had visited previously and had deemed it a ‘Char place’ so naturally I was ever so excited to see it for myself and they certainly weren’t wrong. There is a beautiful ambience within the place with the dim lights, candles, photographs on the wall and wooden tables in the nighttime and bright well lite positive ambience during the daytime. There were such a wide variety of vegan options (meals, snack, drinks and cakes) which was a very pleasant surprise, especially as the prices are all so reasonable. And the quality is fantastic! It was without a shadow of a doubt one of the best flat whites I
have ever ordered and I’ve already planned to spend days here studying solely for the fantastic coffee. Some of my friends indulged in meals (vegan and meat-eater) and both gave good feedback so hopefully in time I’ll be able to work my way through the menu also. The ONLY downside, and believe me this took a lot of searching to find, was that the lighting at night time is not ideal for Instagram worthy photos! I will definitely be back here again. 9.75/10
365 days of Char 