Pint and burger: Good coffee in Lahti, is it even possible

25.07.2018 / Kirjoittaja olutpostimestari / Kategoriat: Olutposti

Okay, this time my guest to search something to drink or eat concentrates on coffee. I feel sorry for people, who have seen link of this blog at ”Olutposti” webpage and are waiting beer related— contents. I didn’t ask anyone to add this blog there (lame excuse), this was more about beer back in days when my doctor was still happy with my blood sample results, but nowadays it’s healthy or at least healthier living most of the days. So sorry, maybe you still want to read about coffee? I’ll still write about beer if I have something to say.

— Finnish coffee is usual— filter coffee, I can’t say much about it, because I’ve drank that all my life and keep it as ”regular”. I have feeling that foreigners think it’s bad. I don’t know.

I like cappuccino most and have tried to have a decent one in Lahti. Seems like a mission impossible, but while trying I went quite nice coffee houses. Main problems to my taste are that coffee is too cold (maybe milk isn’t warm enough?) and too mild. What if my taste is wrong? Could be the case, but I have to say that I like almost always coffee in Italy, France and Spain and have an idea that those countries can do cappuccino or cafe au lait/con leche.

Asemapäällikön talon kahvila (stationmaster’s house cafe) . If I understood right, this is an old stationmaster’s house. It’s near the railway station and very nice looking old house with old decorations and furniture.

It’s actually nicer looking place than this pic

Cappuccino was with lots of milk, too cold and nothing special. We took couple cake pieces and those were average tasting. Come if the atmosphere fascinates you or you are working at railways near this place. Finnish people are normally very quiet, but you can find loud ”I have this much money/opinions/whatever”-people here. My theory is that people who are going to travel are here before trip and are over-talkative and excited.—

Kahvila Oskari (kahvila means cafe). Again old house, this time middle of the city. Very popular among the local ”I go to fancy cafe”-people. That’s not actually a bad thing, I may belong to that group myself. Normal cafe in Lahti is full of old people, not happy ones. This isn’t a problem if you don’t understand what they are talking about, but it’s very easy to start listen, specially if you are alone, their complaining. Usually something was better at 50’s or before war (WW2), some product isn’t available anymore or Pertsa have died. Sad stuff.—

The queue system in Oskari has some faults, people were pushing against you when you waited your coffee/cocoa/whatever. This is the place to be, if you don’t like poor old people (who are sitting in almost every ordinary cafes in Lahti), or just like the old atmosphere. Cappuccino was little better, but far from perfect. Damn it, if the Nescafe capsule coffee machine does better job than local barista, there must be something wrong. Do bear in mind that many people are taking this filter coffee and cakes and things in that nature are more important to them. I’m complaining just because cappuccino usually costs about 4â‚¬ and that’s a lot. Or is it, am I just poor?

Oskari

Makasiinikahvila. Location is perfect at Ankkuri harbour, next to this is Kariranta, again old cafe (is this some thing round here?). Cappucino in Makasiinikahvila was mediocre, nothing special though. We took one small ball of ice cream that was quite big actually. I’d go here if I had to choose place for cappucino. Coffee is perfectly drinkable and location is the best here. I also have eaten weird mix of soft ice cream and filter coffee here… actually not so bad as it sounds.

Lake gives nice feeling at summer. I don’t know if this is even open at winter

Ciao Cafe is located in of Lahti center’s biggest shopping center, Trio. Very modest and small place, good selection of ice cream and healthy smoothies, cappuccino could be among the best ones in Lahti also. Somehow I don’t like this place though, it has wrong feeling or something. It’s ”middle of the mall” coffee house, people there are telling with loud voice what they just bought from H&M, children are angry. I think it was bigger couple of years ago and that could make cramped feeling to me. Standard cappucino is really small.—

Middle of the mall

Starbucks vending machine, Fellmannia campus serves the best cappucino in town. It is sad, isn’t it? Don’t be afraid of angry looking doormen, this place is open for public and Finns just are angry looking. Why smile if you don’t tell something funny?

You can easily drink cappucino in all these places though, don’t worry, it’s not that bad, but I have a theory that filter coffee is so popular that coffee houses don’t hire real baristas and you get the normal worker quality cappucino. It’s not perfect. Maybe current heat wave has made me extra cranky or I was waiting something else. But negativity is a Finnish thing, I’ll end up to cafe and found myself complaining how some product isn’t available anymore or how they can’t do decent music nowadays.