frame
After the old forum software breaking in a way that we were unable to fix, we've migrated the site to a new platform.

Some elements aren't working as we'd hoped - some avatars didn't survive the transition, and we're still having issues with attachments that weren't added as inline images, but we're hoping to have that all sorted out soon.

Does Coffee Make a Meal?

edited June 2006 in Have your say
How many times have you been to a 2 or 3 hat restaurant, Eaten food prepared by the Gods of cuisine ;D, only to have your meal spoiled by the nasty, no crema, over extracted, scum sucking, pustulating bilge water the restaurant incorrectly advertises in its menu as coffee :-X. Is it not true that its the last thing you participate in, is the thing that most vividly sticks on your mind :o? If restaurants are serious about making your evening an 'experience' rather than just a meal, they should take on board the need to have good coffee.

Comments

  • Merlo, I think this topic has been tackled in another thread, but I totally agree with you. I can go to the best restaurant but I will assume the coffee is crap. If a restaurant is not serious about coffee, serve drip/filter/etc and leave the espresso machine to the cafe. P
  • I'm in two minds about this. Of course, great restaurants should serve great coffee too ... but then, does everyone finish their meal with a coffee, and if most people do, what are their standards? I imagine the majority of post-meal coffee drinkers would probably order a milk drink, and add sugar. With sugar, everything tastes nice! Not many would order a doppio ristretto, or an espresso correto after their meal. On that note, for our first anniversary, we went to a popular, expensive, nicely located restuarant at the Rocks in Sydney. Food was fantastic. Expensive, but so so so so amazingly good. I don't know much about wine, but the fact that a sommalier came to the table and asked what we were eating and whether he'd like us to recommend a wine, which he promtply got from wall of wine bottles (tasted good!) was great. Dessert was too good for words to express. The service was wonderful - we felt like royalty, but the staff weren't annoying. Then came the coffee. Big brand name, often ridiculed here (not the company our hacker-friend allegedly worked for), but surprisingly ok. And that's an 'ok' from me ... I drank it, and thought it was alright, for a ristretto made from evil-big-brand-name coffee. I didn't cringe, I didn't spit it out, I didn't chase it down with a big glass of water. Mind you, it wasn't the kind of coffee that had me getting friendly with the barista and asking for another one. I enjoyed the ristretto, but not enough to want another one. Maybe the coffee they serve is good for the average customer. Maybe they could do better. Maybe I could just have coffee when I get home.
  • These 1/2/3 hatted restaurants would not employ an untrained cook to do a chefs job at the stove. So why allow waiters/waitresses with little or no training play with an espresso machine. Food for thought!!! Commercial stove $6000 to $20,000 Espresso machine and grinder $6000 to $20,000 Greg
  • Coffee can sometimes stand in for a light meal, especially when paired with milk, cream, or added calories, but on its own it usually lacks the balance of nutrients a proper meal provides. Looking at a full drink list in cafés, there are options like smoothies, protein shakes, and fortified beverages that deliver more substance and can better replace food when needed. Coffee fits more as a quick energy boost or a complement to something small rather than a complete meal, so its role depends on how it’s prepared and what, if anything, accompanies it.

Sign In or Register to comment.

Coffee Forum

@ 2026 The Coffee Forum, All rights reserved.

Policies

Social