A conscious, ecological and necessary coffee
Imagine the scene: any neighbor wakes up and finds himself in that hateful state of dozing off, between the dream that still longs for the sheets and the eyes that get used to the light of the new day asking for more. What do you need? What does your body ask for? COFFEE . But any coffee? No. An excellent one that helps us start the day (or end it) with a good taste in our mouths and with the feeling of having invested in an experience. This is what it offers us hello coffee , the new space in Lavapiés _(33 Doctor Fourquet Street) _ dedicated to coffee art. Pablo Caballero and Nolo Botana it is the two brains and the coffee roasters and tasters who make sure your cup is not a simple Cup of coffee : be an excellent cup of coffee.
Upon entering, a map of Madrid in 1975 greets us. How much has Madrid changed since 1975 and how much has Lavapiés changed? Now, on the old layouts of districts and dividing lines of neighborhoods, they are reflected, as a letter, prices of different types of coffee and the variety that they serve at the moment (according to the season that marks the land and the coffee). This map is what remains of this place that had been empty for ten years in the Doctor Fourquet Street . Now, a new neighbor shines on the street, sharing space with Esta es una plaza, the Asaltodemata ecological store and its numerous art galleries (such as Helga de Alvear, Casa Sin Fin, Galería Liebre...).
One of the corners decorated with Elena's plants, from Planthae
THIS IS NOT JUST ANY MUG
“We want haute cuisine but from coffee”. Ambition is what the barista, trainer and roaster exudes, Nolo Botana , when we ask you to define Hola Coffee. “ make it handmade , yes, but that everything is very measured, very controlled from roasting to all the extractions, weighing absolutely everything so that the recipes always come out the same…”, he qualifies. Paul Knight , winner of the Spanish Barista Championship in 2016. And this ambition for what is measured and balanced is not at odds with the carefree and fun character of Hola Coffee which, from its design (by Miriam Persand) shouts that whoever has opened these doors “ we belong to the 90 pure and hard, to those of Beavis & Butt-Head ”, Nolo points out; “We don't want to be snobs, we've been doing what we've always done: we provide a service ”. But a sublime service.
Hello Coffee, designed by Miriam Persand
Sublime even in the ceramic in which you will taste this coffee, the work of the Korean potter Ju-hyun Baek ( La.On Pottery ). Deep navy blue, simple in oriental cut design (by way of a tea ceremony cup), the cups are made with the first coffee roasted by Hola Coffee (a Ethiopia Nensebo Washing ) which, ground, was mixed with the clay before being fired. The literal example of a perfect metonymy: “drink a good coffee”.
Hello Coffee counter
WHAT TO EAT
"Why are we going to make orange juice if we are not going to do it better than anyone else," says Nolo. This is the level of demand at Hola Coffee and the reason why the food prepared here is a “mere” (pay attention to the quotes) accompaniment to coffee. coffee as a totem , coffee as a planet around which other elements orbit that improve or complement it. But everything has its point of excellence, it spins fine in Hello and even the toast has its own name: panic's bread , organic tomatoes from the neighborhood market, butter from ** Cantagrullas **, yogurt and fresh milk from ** Los Combos **... and the plants that decorate the premises, from ** Planthae **, a venue designed by Carbajo Brothers . Everything stays “at home”, quality products from nearby producers, from neighborhood businesses: make neighborhood, create community.
Wood and Planthae: all you need to enjoy a good cup of coffee
WHAT YOU'RE DRINKING: BE AWARE
"Not only is coffee special: the atmosphere, the music, the food, the company... that's what makes a good coffee," says Nolo. But this obsession with creating the total coffee experience , goes beyond the doors of Hola Coffee: it reaches the producer, the origin of everything and leaves Doctor Fourquet to sneak into the coffee machines of various establishments in Spain.
where it comes from:
At the moment, Hola Coffee roasts three varieties (which will change according to the season): Ethiopia Nensebo Washing, Colombia Inga Aponte Honey Y Brazil Sao Judas Tadeo Natural , “the pattern of lost causes”, points out Nolo Botana. They came to them through many tastings and through almost direct contact with the producer: "coffee comes to us through importers who care about the traceability of the product and who have direct dealings with farms or cooperatives in the place of cultivation, with a very small production and that is paid above the fair price of coffee , thus ensuring the good conditions of those who work in the different coffee processes and the quality of the product in a much more ethics ”.
Nolo Botana
where does it go:
At Hola Coffe they have been roasting their coffee since December 2016, and taking their caffeine (that is, promoting specialty coffee) to HanSo Café, Retrogusto Coffemates in Valencia, Super 8 cine&café, Rosevelvet in Mallorca and Atmans in Barcelona…
Ethiopia Nensebo Washing
IS THERE LIFE BEYOND COFFEE?
Yes, coffee is king, but there are other kingdoms for those who do not consume caffeine: teas, chocolates, homemade soft drinks... And, following its incessant search for what is different, handmade and cared for, everything that appears on its menu has its history: the teas come from ** P & T Paper and Tea ** , a German company whose motto is “ Life is short drink good tea ”. Nothing more to add. Their chocolates arrive in this corner of Lavapiés from Melbourne by the hand of mork , a chocolate brewerie that emphasizes the ethics of its product. The soft drinks, on the other hand, belong to the house, when Hola Coffee becomes a laboratory, a creative and imaginative space. This is how they were born apple crisps or your Ginger Beer that goes in as easy as lemonade to leave your throat leaving that lasting but healing ginger itch. They tell us that, displaying Nolo's Galician origins, they have already launched a liquor coffee test with Hola's coffee and the excellent advice of **Narciso Bermejo de Macera **. From there only magic can arise. Will we try it soon?
WHY GO?
Because here coffee snobbery is left at the door : here you come to enjoy cups prepared by coffee lovers and for anyone who wants to open the door of Doctor Fourquet 33. And for conscious consumption, without hesitation: "We are expensive because we want to improve the conditions of the people who work with us."
Hola Coffee's is not just any cup of coffee
ADDITIONAL FEATURES
If you're in a hurry, this is your place: order a coffee to go directly from your window. If you come with time, relax, sit in their stands and sign up for one of their courses? Every Monday, when Hola Coffee closes to the public, it opens for its barista pupils. Pablo is an authorized trainer of the ** Specialty Coffee Association of Europe ** and teaches barista and latte art courses, as well as tasting courses (inquire and book here).
USEFUL DATA
Address: Calle Doctor Fourquet, 33
Telephone: 910 56 82 63
Schedule: from Monday to Friday from 08:00 to 18:30; Saturdays and Sundays from 10.00 to 18.30 (closed to the public on Mondays, the day the courses are held)
Half price: coffee only €2; sliced €2.30; with milk €2.50/3.20; American €2; filter €4/7.
Web: hello coffee
Follow @maria\_fcarballo
No, still not
Hola Coffee toasts