Coffee places: Cafe U Dvorištu

Several days after visiting 42 Coffee Co., I paid a visit to one of the older (though still relatively young) specialty coffee places in Zagreb: Cafe U Dvorištu, at the address of Jurja Žerjavića 7.

Its' name - meaning "Cafe in the yard" is well-earned. Despite its' location near the center of Zagreb, it's situated in a less-touristy area, in a quiet backyard sitting in the center of a building block. Immediately next door, there's a small roastery - Cogito Coffee Roasters - where thee coffee used by the coffee shop immediately gets roasted.

Out of all specialist coffee places I've been to so far in Zagreb, Cafe U Dvorištu seems like the most traditional Croatian cafe. There's identifiable tables, table service, and a large selection of drinks which are not coffee - and on top of that, smoking is allowed. Still, there's a huge blackboard which lists two sorts of coffee, a large La Marzocco machine, and coffee making equipment displayed.

The interior of this cafe seems vivid, and every table seems unique. I ordered a coffee with milk, which arrived soon. The taste was... umm... exactly the same as I tried in 42 Coffee Co. So just re-read that review, and pretty much everything listed there applies here.

Further investigation revealed this to be true - 42 also orders their coffee from Cogito Roasters. Of course, YMMV - the coffee there will change according to what's fresh, so you might not get the same result as I did - or as you did last time you visited one of those coffee shops.

Which still makes it one of the best coffee places in Zagreb. And if you get hungry, it's also connected (and often cross-marketed) to the "Piknik" food place next door.


Naturally, they also sell their coffee - either in bean, or ground version. Interesting trivia: Cogito Coffee blend is called "Tesla", because their location actually used to be a lightbulb factory.

Next time I go there, I should probably try their espresso... or aeropress coffee, which their also sell.

Drinking Costa Rica HTM Tournon from Teneo

I've spent the last two weeks drinking Costa Rica HTM Tournon coffee that is sold by Teneo Coffee shop in the whole bean form.

It's a medium roast coffee, and its' smell is not too remarkable. It has a taste which is mild and slightly acidic, but very full bodied and not at all bitter. Leaves a very pleasant aftertaste. Tastes good with and without milk. No sugar needed.

I tried making it in several different styles:

• French press - needs some experimentation regarding grind size, temperature and steeping. I made my best and my worst cup of this coffee in a French press.
• Turkish - almost foolproof. This coffee tastes excellent as Turkish. Personally, I'd put it not far behind my best cup of FP.
• Moka pot - my least favorite result. But my wife liked it above others. Your experience might vary.

Overall: medium-priced single origin specialty coffee (39kn / 200g). Personally, I like it better than espresso mix. But as with everything else, freshness of the roast is most important.

Coffee places: 42 Coffee Co.

I heard a lot of good stuff about recently opened 42 Coffee Co. so last month I decided to pay them a visit. This coffee shop is located in the center of Zagreb, at the corner of Vlaška and Draškovićeva streets just a few minutes from the central square. It got its' name from its' address (Vlaška 42).

The interior is new, and it's designed in the industrial fashion. Lots of pipes and glass everywhere. Instead of the traditional tables, there's a huge glass table in the center that can sit a lot of people. The huge blackboard with prices - seemingly one constant thing unusual in regular cafes around here but common to all Zagreb's craft coffee shops - and a La Marzocco espresso machine dominated the central counter. And just to be sure, in case you didn't notice the machine brand on the machine itself, it's proudly advertised on the cabinet the machine is sitting on.

The 42 had some items for sale - both coffee making gear, including aeropress and grinders (most of the stuff was from Hario... it was not yet on sale when I was there as prices haven't arrived), and some coffee merchandise. They also sell the coffee beans they use.

There was one thing that was missing in the coffee shop... Toilets. There are none. You need to go to the pub next door. The guys said "it's OK, we have the same owner". But yeah, still not the same as having them on the premises. It's also a smoking-allowed place, unlike Eliscaffe and Teneo. This might influence your decision to go there.

But enough with the interior. How's their coffee?

Well, they change it on the regular basis. It's freshly roasted. Your experience might vary from mine, since you'll probably get something else.

They had two on the menu: regular blend and a single origin. I ordered a regular coffee with milk. It was perfectly made, with wet microfoam that was poured as a tulip-shaped latte art.

The coffee tasted very delicate, way gentler than the coffee in Teneo or Eliscafe. It had a mild chocolaty flavor that worked very well with the milk. It had a natural sweetness, and was not bitter at all.

I had two friends with me, who tried their coffee as well. They ordered cappuccinos, which looked almost the same as my coffee with milk - only slightly whiter. However, they didn't like the coffee as much as I did - they automatically dumped the two sugar packs in it (like most Croats will do) and they found it too "weak".

One note about coffee "strength". The mild taste and the lighter color actually hinted that it is a rather light roast. Despite their mild taste, lighter roasts often have more caffeine than darker roasts. There is a disparity between the taste of the coffee and its' actual chemical composition. I certainly felt the caffeine buzz later in the evening...

The coffee I had was best described as "delicate", and it would taste best with no sugar and as little milk as possible (I haven't tried it as an espresso... I will have an espresso there the next time I visit). If that sounds like the coffee you would like - go ahead and visit them, it is made perfectly. Of course, once again - your experience might vary. They change their blends according to availability and freshness, so you might get something tasting different.

Will be back soon - drink some coffee :)

I haven't been active in the past two weeks. Rest assured, this blog will continue with a new batch of articles soon - I have simply been occupied with other obligations in life. But in that time, I have been enjoying some coffees that I'll write about soon.

In the meanwhile...

Layering a latte macchiato or a mocha

Latte macchiato is a popular drink in many parts of Europe. However, most traditional cafes in Croatia don't offer it, and might not even know how to make it. Instead, you could ask for a similar drink: bijela kava (white coffee).

Note the difference between latte macchiato (which is milk "stained" with coffee) and espresso macchiato (which is an espresso "stained" with milk). They are separate drinks, and you should never confuse them. If you order a macchiato, you'll get the latter.

However, unlike most drinks latte macchiato is usually presented as a layered drink, in a tall glass. Making one is easier than it seems. Latte macchiato is mostly about milk, so milk should be given a priority. Follow the instructions for cappuccino, but the milk goes in first and there should be more milk than foam.

Then you touch the top of the foam with spoon... and slowly, gently pour coffee over the back of the spoon. The coffee will get settled in the middle layer, between milk and foam.

If you're making a mocha, you can make it in four layers: put syrup in first, than milk (gently), and then coffee. If done right, you should get a four-layer drink.

Coffee is a sensory experience. A well-presented coffee can have a huge effect on someone's enjoyment of coffee.

Still, it usually tastes better when stirred. So I suggest you do that before drinking :)