Relaxed vibe which won me over instantly. Lady at counter outspoken on many topics which I enjoyed and she made my latte to go quickly. Coffee tasted good! Great take away cups and decent size. Overflowing with delicious counter food. Cool Sunday morning start! Will definitely go back.

Nestled in the West Lynn shops the Monterey Coffee Lounge boasts a big name and followed it up with the bold statement with a picture of the Queen on the wall. There was a young family that consumed far too much time on ordering and the counter staff seemed overwhelmed already when there was no one else in the cafe. I was initially concerned about the coffee status when I saw an ad in their window looking for a Barista. I should have listened to my gut. Coffee average and the Barista took far too long to turn around two Lattes and without a smile. Lesson of the day: follow your gut feeling.

I love to talk about coffee and cafes. My mission every morning is to get a decent coffee that will enhance my mood, or better take me to a higher level. If my coffee is crap I cannot bounce back and the day is just another day. Today I walked half an hour to the newish Newmarket edition of Little and Friday. Having had a great time on my sojourn to their Belmont HQ my hopes were high. Massive Attack’s best album Blue Lines immediately impressed me along with the great space which calmed me after the intense morning traffic along Mountain Road including a crazy rant from a middle aged woman who nearly ran me down. The counter cakes were insanely beautiful but I was only wanting coffee. Coffee tasted good. Strong and steady and would go the distance to get me home and take me through to lunchtime. Could have been warmer. Happy they provided free papers too!