Special Guests, Marylebone, London
Midpoint of the year, and what a year so far for the Odyssey Coffee blog. We launched the blog and social platforms as well as gained hundreds of followers on each platform.
I bring you a special one today, another from the capital and a nice part, too. A busy store with exceptional coffee.
Be my guest and check this one out.
The Coffee
First of all, the coffee was brilliant. Perfect milk texture and near-perfect latte art. I couldn't have been more impressed with the first coffee. This had taste notes of blueberry, brown sugar and bergamot. Personally, I was getting a strong orange flavour with a hint of brown sugar, which makes sense.
As special guests are known for their rare coffees, I had to get a pour-over to take away; it was great with taste notes of blueberry, blood orange and florals. Though it was a great coffee, I was expecting a punchy flavour, but I only got a subtle blueberry taste.
Special Guests Archives
Founded in 2022 to push the boundaries of what is possible. All their coffees are selected by two-time UK barista champion Paul Ross. Their goal is to stay current with coffee trends while highlighting hidden gems, small lots, and the unusual.
They employ the best barista who want to master there craft, pushing themselves to competing in some of the most prestigious competitions.
Although they currently only have one location open, it is obvious that they have spent a great deal of time planning and running it.
Decor
Unfortunately I was unable to get any photos of the interior; that was because they were majorly busy, and I didn't want to take too many photos of people. Located on what was a market street on the day with plenty of stalls selling fresh fruit and veg. The interior was modern with heavy concrete and wood finishes. The bar was concrete and in the centre of the room with seating on either side.
One drawback was that there were only five tables, all of which were occupied by people using laptops, despite the pleasant atmosphere created by groups of people conversing outside and by the window.
Value for money
Special Guests is the most expensive coffee shop I've visited to date. Nonetheless, the quality is extremely high. The flat white was £4.50, and the pour-over was an astonishing £14.
The prices do vary, as some coffees on their filter menu were £6, but others were £24. Their standard menu was priced appropriately for the high-end area where the shop is located.
Summary
To summarise, Special Guests is a great coffee shop, and I would recommend it for people to visit, but only as a special occasion, as the price is very high. The quality is exceptional, and I will be buying a bag of their coffee for Roast Records in the future.
Create Your Own Website With Webador