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.