Artisan Roast, Edinburgh

Coffee is discovering an old friend somewhere new.

Except Edinburgh is anything but new. The city itself is medieval, centuries old. We’ve visited it many times before. Today, a craving for some caffeine to ward off the inevitable late afternoon slump has us seeking the best place for coffee in town.

That place according to Dr. Mouse, our local guide, is Artisan Roast. Sounds familiar, making us wonder whether it is related to Kuala Lumpur’s Artisan Roast. Well, wonder no more: Edinburgh’s is the original, as it was set up a decade ago by Kiwi coffee guru Michael Wilson and his Chilean business partner, Gustavo Pardo.

Once we enter, there’s a moment of vague recognition. As we saunter further inside, into the backroom with its padded benches — all dark wood and red cushions — we recognise Wilson’s signature space for lively conversations, the Mooch.

And then the coffee. The natural processed Ethiopia Shakiso coffee is deliciously sweet with blueberry notes. The popular Janzsoon house blend — a 7:3 ratio of Aceh Province (Indonesia) and Daterra State (Brazil) beans — is medium-bodied and chocolatey, making it a perfect base for flat whites. We can’t think of a lovelier pick-me-up.

Artisan Roast說是本地第三波咖啡館的先鋒也不為過，
新穎的咖啡概念，店裡頭裸磚、壁畫和自製的一些木質椅子，
對當時的我們來說都是相當新鮮的事。
後來慢慢地，我知道愛丁堡那也有著同名咖啡館，
而且那才是老店，心中便曾興日後去看看的念頭。

時隔多年以後，我們為了探訪友人而來到訪愛丁堡，
而在夏末的午後，我們終於來到這裡，
站在異地街頭看到熟悉的名字，
有種遇上久違老友的喜悅。

咖啡館的空間不算大，大量的麻袋裝飾，
木製家具和黑色的墻壁，讓人有種既陌生又熟悉的感覺。
這裡的食物選擇不多，不過到訪的咖啡客卻是不少，
我們和友人分別點了手沖黑咖啡和牛奶咖啡，
然後再點了一些糕點來分享，
在異鄉的午後，邊享用著香醇的咖啡，
邊和相識了幾十年的老友坐在這聊聊家常，無疑是件賞心樂事。