It has been my view for some time now that I am long overdue for a cafe review, and there is a cafe I have been meaning to review for some time, so here for your reading pleasure is my review of “Coffee @ Helen’s”.
Coffee @ Helen’s is a cafe which could be described as being in the Civic Bus Interchange, between the newsagent and the entrance to Fernwood.
I first ventured into Coffee @ Helen’s when my Friday meetings with my bus driver friend were a common occurence and I needed somewhere to have lunch between the time I arrived in Civic and the time my bus driver friend arrived. Being a small store at a bus interchange I didn’t expect much, so I was very pleasantly surprised by the friendly staff, the lovely coffee and the excellent pies, sausage rolls, quiches (we all know I like a good quiche), sandwiches and more. I was so pleased that I kept coming back each and every Friday, and then at other times when I was around the area.
During various visits, I have had a few different lunches at Coffee @ Helen’s, and I can thoroughly recommend the various quiches, which are solid but mildly fluffy, with a cheese that has just enough flavour and bite to leave an impression without overpowering the rest of the quiche. The pies are also excellent, as are the sausage rolls, but if you are in the mood for a toasted or otherwise sandwich, then this is the place to go. Prepared right in front of you, with either a preset blackboard filling or one of your own choosing, the sandwiches just don’t come much better than what you will find at Coffee @ Helen’s, it could easily be described as “heaven on bread”!
The coffee is (as the name would imply) something else which they specialise in. One thing I have noticed about many cafes and restaurants is that the quality of the coffee depends to a large degree on the person who makes it…this is not the case with Coffee @ Helen’s. I don’t know how they manage it, but every coffee made there, regardless of the person who makes it, is just perfect, admittedly some staff are more creative with froth than others, but that is neither here nor there. The coffee is fantastic here, and I would recommend it to everyone.
Another thing which, whilst not part of the edible or drinkable experience, adds to each visit, is the friendliness of the staff, who always seem to be happy, smiling, and willing to have a chat. During a quiet time you may end up having a conversation for nearly the entire duration of your visit (if you want to), which is not only good for staff morale, but also for customer morale. It is very nice to leave any cafe leaving both refreshed and uplifted, and this is, in my experience, what happens whenever I visit Coffee @ Helens.
Samuel