Espresso Library

If there are two things that you should know about me, they are that (a) I like writing, and (b) I like change. Since the start of this competition, I’ve become one of those mainstream bloggers who produces most of their content at the tables of aesthetically pleasing cafés, and, because I don’t like going back to the same place over and over again, I’ve made my way through quite a lot of the coffee shops in my hometown, Cambridge.

Today, as part of my first proper trip outside since dental surgery late last week, I decided to check out Espresso Library. Located at the central end of East Road, this hipster dining spot is easy to overlook, nestled between various apartment blocks, and hidden away behind trees and bike racks. However, it is very much a place that shouldn’t be missed!

The menu

I had my wisdom teeth removed six days ago, so my diet is still slightly restricted. (I can’t, for example, go near crisps, which pains me greatly. ) However, rather conveniently, it was a gooey chocolate and raspberry brownie that took my fancy in Espresso Library. I’m not particularly fussy when it comes to sweet treats – anything that contains even a gram of sugar is probably going to delight my taste buds – but I do tend to have a slight aversion to very rich foods. Luckily, this item was both subtle and not too filling: 10/10 from me!

While I was at it, I thought I’d also test out the drinks menu. If you’ve read some of my previous café reviews, you’ll know that I’m not a coffee enthusiast, but that you can almost always find me ordering a hot chocolate to accompany my afternoon snack. True to form, I did just this, and was pleasantly surprised again by the lightness of it. I think that this was largely owing to the beverage’s quite frothy consistency.

Both items cost £3.20 (€4), bringing my bill to a grand total of £6.40 (less than €8): not bad, especially given the quality of the items I consumed. As for presentation, I definitely managed to get some Instagram-worthy shots of my order!

The atmosphere

As soon as I walked into Espresso Library, I knew it was going to be a great place to settle down and do some work. There was music playing on an overhead speaker, but all the tunes were very gentle (think Train and Ed Sheeran), and not in the least bit distracting. Something that definitely helped me to concentrate was the fact that I had people on all sides doing the same thing. Demographics-wise, most of my fellow customers were in their late twenties and early thirties, so I had the impression, at the very least, that I was surrounded by professionals who had their lives together – something to aspire to!

The interior design

Espresso Library really is a coffee shop that’s got ‘hipster’ written all over it. All the surfaces are made of light-washed wood, a lot of the stools are quite quirky (some are yellow; others cow print), and there are bicycles hanging from the ceiling. On top of this, there are all sorts of leafy plants dotted around the place.

The staff

I can’t say that I spent an awful lot of time getting to know the members of staff in this place, but the few interactions I did have with them were nothing but positive. Service was also very quick, although I did rock up at a less busy time of day, so I’m not sure that this is always the case.

The Wi-Fi

Yes: free Wi-Fi is, I regret to say, one of my criteria when it comes to coffee shops, and I only actually remembered that this place existed after Googling ‘café Wi-Fi Cambridge’. The connection speed was great the entire time, and it was easy to renew my session when, after an hour, the first one expired.

Overall review

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed my afternoon at Espresso Library. The refreshments were second to none, the atmosphere was peaceful, and I miraculously got quite a lot of blogging done. As I said at the beginning of this post, I do like to switch things up on a regular basis, but next time I need to get some work done, I’m pretty sure I’ll be heading back here!