Black Lab Coffee

Witnessed the opening and success of this cafe. Also, I witnessed the extension of the venue for indoor dining. However, correct me if I am wrong that I have a gut feeling that it has been changed management since my last visit eight months ago.
Having said that service, food and beverage keep their consistent standard. Even though they are just flat white and plain croissant with jam & butter. If it can source a better croissant, full mark may be achieved in the future.🤔
Previous rating: Jun 2019 4/5; May 2018 4/5

This is an awesome looking place but the coffee quality is a bit of a let down. Please double-down on the barista training (and possibly a change of beans) and this could be an absolute gem. Hoping since it is new it will keep improving.
EDITED: I revisited recently and the coffee is so much better! Great selection of treats as well. Definitely recommend.

I was among the first customers to come in and experience this place. So let me go ahead and say while it is currently a work in progress, from day one - or even beforehand - they showcase a sort of place to be that has been lacking from the area for quite some time. That is a quality espresso bar to gladly call "the local" for residents on this side of the highway. From the first view of this shop area having a makeover, I was excited.

For the past number of years, this was not the best located area nor the best designed either. That is set to change completely. The ergonomics are well thought out; the counter is off to the side from the perspective of going in the door, upon the opposite wall a small bench has been set up with stools and there is an astroturf carpet inside and outside the cafe. Out the front are a few milk crates as seats for seating; an added bonus about this place is that it is dog-friendly. Heck, it gets its namesake because of a dog which is more or less the mascot (who is sometimes even there).

I have saved the best aspect of the design for last. On the outer wall, they have broken a hole in the outer wall and set up a walk-through window. This is nothing new that I have seen, but I always like this touch. The machine faces the street, and the barista can hand you the coffee right through the window. This is a streamlined version of the already quick purchase, and it can always add character to a place.

What is also working for it is the crew that they have. They seem like a little rag, tag team and each one of them is very friendly and approachable. A great deal of care for their product is apparent from the beginning, as they are making themselves known about where they are and advertising well. At the helm of the espresso machine the times I went was an Italian guy named Carlos. It is guaranteed that every time he is in charge of making the coffee, you are going to come out with one that is par excellence. The owners seem to be geniunely friendly and appraochable lads, with one of them being a pastry chef. What is already apparent is the detail of care that they have for what they can provide.

As of writing this review, they are mainly doing coffee with a few pastries available to go on the side. More is bound to come, so just keep an eye on it and you might be surprised.

The first time that I came here was basically from scouting the area on the way home from work. With what must be some of the best luck out there, they had a coffee ready and made I acquired it without any cost. On the first sip of this coffee, and I am talking about the very first instance it touched my lips, the word "perfect" had already entered my frontal lobes. Hundreds, if not thousands of coffees from around town I have tried and some of them have been fantastic, while the average is still pretty good. This coffee would have been in the top 10 or 5% of those coffees, it was that good.

Let's stop mincing words for a moment and begin describing the coffee they sell. Di Bella is the brand they have chosen to use for their coffee. This has normally been a bean that is around the mid-card, and it varies upon who the barista is. What is consistent about Di Bella is that it is a weaker bean, and often requries an extra shot to do it justice (no worry for me, an extra shot is always requested).

Why this first coffee I had was so good came down to the lithe texture. It was silky on the tongue, not too bitter and a slight bit sweet, and it was served at the perfect drinking temperature. Even in getting used to coffee and having so many great ones over the years, this was one that hit me really well and got me excited for that they had on offer.

Since then, I have one three more times - one time in the period before they were officially open, I was there with my dining buddy on the opening day, and one time I needed some sustinence before weight training and this looked like the best option at the time. Everyone of those, I had a doppio. Everytime as well, it has been very good; I could taste the fruity notes in the espresso and every time it was the right amount of strength (it certainly is noticeable, and will pack a punch for novices) and not too hot. The key to this has got to be Carlo, as he has got that Midas touch with the coffee.

Lots of people must have heard about the opening day, because there were a fair few customers lined up to get their coffees. Plenty were sitting out the front with the mascot dog, and the turnover was going quite smoothly. Again, this can be attributed to the good team whom are very talented. Each coffee that day came with a complimentary dog-shaped shortbread. It was soft and moreish, and topped with a layer of dark chocolate that was also tasty.

That opening day, and at another later time, I sampled the almond croissant. These are a generous size, filled with a tasty, smooth almond butter and the pastry surrounding it is flaky, quite buttery in parts and is simply delicious. It was robust both times, was the right kind of taste profile for me - not really sweet, had a unique flavour and went down a treat - and proves itself ot be one of the best pastries to exist.

As of writing this review, it is early days yet for the Black Lab. They have hit the ground running, and plan to grow this place organically to figure out how they can get the best out of this place. I will be supporting it for sure, as I find them to be genuinelly pleasant

This 4.0 mark is to indicate that their product is well above average, especially regarding the coffee. Getting it higher is something I would like to do, but I don't want to give too much expectation away just yet as it is merely coffee and pastry at the moment. In time, when more is introduced to the menu this place will well be a contender to get a much higher mark.