Putting WrocLove on the coffee map

Overall the coffee in my hometown was always OK. Some places would serve a decent espresso, others wouldn't care if the beans had been sitting in the machine for a year or so. Today, 7 years after I left it, Wroclaw is finally making a mark on the coffee scene and opening coffee shops with a distinct character and inventive coffee menu. During my recent trip home, having not been back for a whole year, I discovered some gems that make me feel WrocLove yet again!

Magic tricks in a pop up 

   

Cafe Sztuczki normally operates from the Institute of Art History on Szewska street but for the summer ventured out to a mad installation just outside the Museum of Architecture. Customers sit, perch or lie on the big wooden construction surrounded by trees with the vine-covered museum building as a backdrop. The menu boasts different brewing methods from espresso through drip to aeropress made with beans from various roasters (all of them were Polish at the time of my visit). Cold brew is a prominent feature too (it is a summer pop up after all!) cooling the caffeine deprived crowds on the hot summer days. Coffee is not the only drink on the menu: there is also a selection of local beers and soft drinks. And a little bear-shaped piggy bank collecting money 'for the new grinder' which is a cute touch and I loved the rabbit in a hat logo on the takeaway cups.

Chickens fly and an amazing ceiling 

  

Lot Kury is located in the centre on Ofiar Oswiecimskich, a street just off the main road and as such has a very relaxed and cool vibe. I visited for breakfast and wasn't disappointed with a traditional Polish 'cottage cheese' (but not as you know it!) served with toasted bread and side salad. Lot Kury, literally meaning Hen's Flight (the owner's surname being Kura), is a colourful space with an incredible original wooden ceiling and art pieces covering the walls. All of the paintings and photographs have a story behind them - just ask the baristas and they will be happy to tell the tales. Happily, the coffee here isn't an afterthought to the great space and the comforting food selection but an expertly prepared delight and a big feature on the menu.

Books and coffee

Based on the hip and ever so popular Wlodkowica, Cocofli is any coffee-loving-bookworm's dream. Books are the focal point of this cafe (and quite rightly so!) which also doubles up as a bar. It's a great place for any freelancer as the space is ideal for the creative types - it is hard not to be inspired in those surroundings. Quirky latte art also deserves a mention - little Lilly of the Valley kind of pattern topped the cup gracefully and the coffee tasted great drunk outside in the sunshine.

I'm told there are more wonderful cafes in Wroclaw and it is yet another reason to come home more often. Watch this space as I explore further Lower Silesia's jewels.