Northampton Coffee

269 Pleasant Street, Northampton, MA 01060 (between Florida Ave. and Michelman Ave.)

(413) 587-8987

Perhaps an unoriginal name, but a really nice café. Recommended on a CoffeeGeek forum. For good reason.

Small (about twenty seats), well-lit café, nice relaxed ambiance, free/open WiFi access. A few laptops here on Saturday morning but most people are talking, even laptop users.

The barista is displaying very good technique, does elaborate latte art even on take-out drinks, and is quite efficient.

The espresso had an impressive amount of dark long-lasting crema. Aroma mostly in the nutty notes with maybe a bit of cherry. Flavors in the chocolate range with just a bit of fruit. Taste balance is more towards bitterness with a bit of sweetness, little acidity. Good body.

They get their coffee from Barrington Coffee and might do cuppings in the future.

La Marzocco machine using bottomless portafilters. They use two "Rio" grinders. Any coffee can be made in a French press.

The espresso is $1.62 ($1.70 with tax). Drip coffee goes from $0.95 to $1.90. Small French press is $3.00, large is $4.00. They also do tea, hot chocolate, chai, and fresh-squeezed orange juice, along with iced drinks. No food besides pastries.

They sell coffee beans from Barrington Coffee and a range of loose leaf teas, including several organic ones.