Rangefinders and Roasts – Exploring Liverpool’s best Coffee Spots

Liverpool’s speciality coffee scene has evolved from scarcity to subtle sophistication. With independent roasters like Neighbourhood refining the local palate, the coffee culture has become somewhat gentrified. So I took to the street with a Minolta Hi-Matic 7 rangefinder to discover my favourites.

Open Coffee

For discovery of speciality coffee.

Photography by The Analogue Collective

Open is a recent arrival and is already a hidden gem. The layout of Open Coffee is dual purpose: coffee shop in the front and design studio in the rear with artwork scattered giving the feel of a modern creative space.

The Cappuccino at Open was a shorter drink, which is my preference as it allows you to taste the coffee through the mask of the milk. The coffee was one that I could instantly recognise as speciality, giving notes of blueberry. I would recommend here if you enjoy light roasts and want to discover new flavours of artisan coffee.

Ditto

For the music lovers.

Photography by The Analogue Collective

The story behind Ditto’s Coffee stores is rather unusual. Ditto was founded in 2005 as a music distribution platform and has had much success working with 150,000 artists. Their diversion into coffee was born as an effort to bring music discovery of small artists to the high street.

Ditto music has its headquarters in Liverpool and they started their coffee journey here too. The Liverpool store was their first and they decided to work with the local roasters, Neighbourhood, to supply them. The interior of Ditto is a relaxed atmosphere with records, band posters on the walls and frequent live music.

Ditto feels honest. Warm. Like it belongs in Liverpool’s soundtrack.

Rough Handmade

For perfectly imperfect fresh pastries – made onsite every day.

Photography by The Analogue Collective

A lot of smaller coffee stores do not have the facilities to make their own pastries, Rough is the opposite. With a layout of 60% baking area and 40% seating it’s immediately clear how seriously they take their produce.

As you enter Rough you are presented with a pastry counter and a direct view of the bakers creating those addictive pastries. The Cappuccino was well made and had chunks of chocolate instead of the usual dusting. While maybe not sticking by the traditional rules, Rough Handmade is a decadent experience.

Rococo Coffee House

In an era of minimalist cafés and flatpack furniture, Rococo remains as a quiet rebellion.

Photography by The Analogue Collective

Past the noise of Church Street, a narrow staircase hides in plain sight. At the top many ‘living rooms’ with chesterfields stand on wooden floors. Rococo feels like a countryside home and instantly brings your heart rate down. With quality coffee and comforting spaces Rococo is a reward to those that pick character over conformity.

Mother Espresso

For co-working in a modern, calming environment.

Photography by The Analogue Collective

Modern, open and perfect for co-working. Mother Espresso has an open scandi style interior with a pine fit-out built for focus. The coffee counter is away from the tables ensuring the sound of steam wands is muted when you are on Zoom calls.

Mother Espresso is undoubtedly the best spot on the list for working and you could comfortably set up here for the day.

Bold Street Cafe

For the social hangout with friends and family.

Photography by The Analogue Collective

A busy spot located among the vintage stores on Liverpool’s hip Bold Street. I was impressed with the Cappuccino from Bold as like Open, it was a shorter drink letting the taste of the coffee shine through. A dark roast, yes–but still alive with hints that only come from fresh speciality blends. This flavour profile leads itself well to the masses who might not enjoy a light roast but while still being interesting enough to keep everyone happy.

Hearty breakfasts and limited seating mean this spot fills up fast, but it’s an atmosphere that is alive and perfect for the social meet-up spot. And if it is full Mother Espresso is just around the corner.

Closing

Whether you visit Liverpool to explore its creative rebirth or relive industrial history there are now many offerings to satisfy your caffeine cravings. If you visit one, please drop a comment on our social media, I would love to hear your take.