# Workshop Holborn Coffeebar - 60A Holborn Viaduct



## kazemik (Nov 17, 2013)

I have visited this new branch of Workshop coffee twice now as it is across from my office in London. It is a welcome change for the area as it is surrounded by the usual big chains.

The Coffee shop has a lovely clean and minimalist feel to the interior with a stand up bar in the front and some seating in the back. They have very friendly staff who demonstrated great latte art on my friends Flat White. However I found their Espresso a little sour both times. I did not know a way of politely saying anything about it so I just drank it.


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## Mrboots2u (May 10, 2013)

That's a real shame .

Ive had the cult of done made for me by a forum member on here recently and it was one of the nicest espressos I've had . Sweet and orangey ,delightful, not a hint of sour but Different circumstances , and different palates , we all taste the same thing different ways ( one of the things that makes coffee such an interesting past time ! )


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## kazemik (Nov 17, 2013)

Yes it is true. They do roast some great coffee indeed, I tried that a few years back and remember it being delicious. I think they change the blend every 6 months or so the blend my be completely different to when I tried it last.


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## jeebsy (May 5, 2013)

They change the blend all the time. Cult of Done is normally delicious.


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## Glenn (Jun 14, 2008)

It's worth feeding back to the barista that you thought the shot was sour.

They may tweak their extraction and repour it for you.


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## fatboyslim (Sep 29, 2011)

I've lost interest in the Workshop cafes in general. I used to be a frequent visitor to the Clerkenwell store but they have shifted their style and overall attitudes to attract a different clientele as well as changing from the craftsman's Cynesso Cyncra to a volumetric La Marzocco. They have also uped the costs of a flat white to £3 and an espresso to £2.40 which is pretty darn expensive. The food started to be not quite as special and the whole magic of the place (was definitely my favourite cafe ever) slowly slipped away.

Recently visited the Holborn store and had a pretty good espresso but wasn't anything special. The beans are still top notch but I've become a bit disenchanted by the cafes themselves. Sad really.


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## jeebsy (May 5, 2013)

They aren't cheap, that's for sure. Breakfast, couple of coffees and a bag of beans would be £30+. The service went downhill fast too IMO.


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## fatboyslim (Sep 29, 2011)

Such a shame. Hopefully they'll continue to roast and sell excellent beans


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## garydyke1 (Mar 9, 2011)

The Linea PB isnt exactly a shabby machine, its good enough for Tim Wendleboe. The rest sounds like a shame tho. Used to love it when it was St Ali


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## kazemik (Nov 17, 2013)

It was certainly much better when it was St Ali, the food was really good back then too.

@Glenn - Next time I will certainly try to find a polite way of providing feedback.


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## philwbass (Sep 4, 2009)

Stunning place, seems to have been very much designed with the immediate area and potential trade in mind - clever stuff - e.g. cushioned rail to lean on while waiting for takeaways, high quality bulk brew etc. Very spacious, almost an opulent use of space to give that wealthy, corporate kind of feel.

The coffee I've had there on half a dozen occasions has been consistently good: the Cult of Done excellent and the batch brew very good the first time and better each subsequent visit.


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## lookseehear (Jul 16, 2010)

I've been to the Holborn viaduct for coffee a couple of times (once with Mark (fatboyslim)) and it has a really different feel to the Clerkenwell cafe. I'm really enjoying their beans at the moment, having been through a bag of the new Cult of Done (which was excellent when well extracted) and their filter offerings from Kenya, Ethiopia and Colombia recently. They are on the verge of being unaffordable though with a 350g bag being north of £11 most of the time.


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## Hairy_Hogg (Jul 23, 2015)

Has anyone been there recently? My wife wants to get me a Barista workshop as a crimbo present as part of a day out in London (she chooses the show in the evening) and as the Dept of Coffee and Social affairs is sold out this was the next choice. Bit worried about it after reading the above and as she has not ordered i could still veto it. Details on the course here http://www.workshopcoffee.com/collections/masterclasses/products/our-espresso-technique


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## Mrboots2u (May 10, 2013)

I'm not sure a poor cafe experience is anything to worry about regarding this class . They will have the skills and knowledge to show you how to make coffee . Some of those comments come from 18 months ago , so you know may not be relevant now .


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## Hairy_Hogg (Jul 23, 2015)

If we were not combining it with a day out I think I would go for someone off the forums showing me how to get the most out my own kit but my wife wants to make it part of a day out.


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## Mrboots2u (May 10, 2013)

One one one won't your own kit is good . Chance to play on stuff at workshop tho ..


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## Phil104 (Apr 15, 2014)

If the baristas in Workshop are anything go by then you will have a good experience.


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