Espresso Republic
Originally uploaded by Mr Reasonable.
Review in Progress
11:54am
1st May 2006
12:03pm
Well a good start as I am connected to CafeNet and have uploaded the above photo!
Espresso Republic is located on Featherston Street, just opposite the Hotel Ibis.
I walked into the cafe at 11:40am accompanied by Alan and as there was no queue, went straight to the counter and ordered a Latte and a Panini. This was at 11:41am.
The coffee arrived 3 minutes and 26 seconds later.....
Hmm, colour was a bit on the thin side although the top looked creamy enough. First taste was a bit disappointing (damn I miss that Google task bar for spell checking). It is all in the milk and this was clearly not up to the usual standard here.
The nice throthy top covered a reasonable brew though and whilst a tad bitter very drinkable. Since I would actually drink coffee from the used bowl of a bulldog, not in itself a recommendation but not a bad cup nonetheless.
Quick look around. Alan has left me to go do some "work" and I am a lone geek....
There is a great piece of art in front of me. It is by Bill Burke - Using Opera lets me open a new tab and check out his web site. This piece is of a woman on a beach and strangely makes me think about Caroline. Everything else about the cafe is classic simple decor, lots of suits meeting with suits and an absence of kids. Not one. Good, I think having spent two days with mine!
12:31pm
Coffee finished. A small aftertaste, again a bit bitter. This is my benchmark coffee and is sadly a rather weak 6 1/2 out of 10. I have had clear 10`s here in the past so I am shocked. The panini was delicious though and the price for one latte, one Earl Gray Tea and the Panini was $16.00 which ain't bad. The delivery of the coffee was excellent and the food not long after. Alans tea arrived in about 2 minutes which is a great achievement. They clearly gear up for lunch with the aim of getting you in and out quickly. Just what you want really.
12:41pm
I'm ready to leave. My table has been cleared and I am guilty of taking up space with no food! I am amazed that everything on the technology side worked so well. I only had one issue when the wireless network from the Hotel Ibis rudely tried to take over my connection but in terms of speed and connectivity, this is almost as good as being at home.
We live in an extraordinary age - fully connected wherever you go (in and around the CBD) and with research portals and search engines like Google at your disposal there is nothing that you cannot know/do/find out. All we need now is a screen 3 times the size that can fold away and we are there.....
Tomorrow, Rise on The Terrace
________________
A few edits now completed for broken links etc. Also, I have copied some of the review here.
I'm hellishly impressed.
ReplyDeleteI've just got back from Espresso Republic (as I'm not staying for lunch) and have uploaded a photo of our fearless reviewer hard at work.
ReplyDeleteOh Martha, wish you were here! See I can e ven comment on the fly.....
ReplyDeleteThanks Alan.
If only I could have a real coffee rather than the virtual kind.
ReplyDeleteWhat was the verdict on the coffee?
oooh, getting there.
ReplyDeleteKeep up the good work Mr R. Have you thought about contacting the Lonely Plant or Rough Guide with your results?
ReplyDeleteHi Nick, not sure I'm at that level yet!
ReplyDeleteBTW, my brother was just out here and we talked about old times and your name came up. He says "Hi" and remembers the time that you shot him. He has forgotten the "trick stick" event I think but didn't want to bring it up......
For any other readers out there, the incident involving the shooting of Mr R's brother has nothing to do with my current archery activity. In fact it happened over 20 years ago and did not involve a real firearm. Anyway I claim self defense.
ReplyDeleteYah, not a real gun, righttttt. Good defense, kalashnikov Nick....
ReplyDelete