Press Coffee

I’d visited Press Coffee on Buccleuch Street on a couple of previous occasions, but only for coffee. Today I popped in for lunch.

In the same ownership as Kilimanjaro, Project Coffee and Wellington, it showcases Squaremile as their coffee bean of choice. This is accompanied by a good selection of savoury and sweet treats.

I kept things pretty simple with some red Thai chicken soup followed by a veggie panini. The friendly and attentive counter woman was quickly about the task of passing the order on to the kitchen, helpfully asking if I wanted soup and panini together or consecutively, with my response being in favour of the latter.

A small bowl of very tasty soup was promptly with me. It was delciously aromatic and zingy, packing real punch. I was impressed.

The panini wasn’t quite so good. The elements – tofu, roast vegetables, mozzarella and pesto – were all of decent quality, but the pesto didn’t pack enough kick to really bring things together in an invigorating way. It was OK but a little bland.

I rounded things out with bright and refreshing espresso.

So overall, I enjoyed my visit to Press. The simple and elegant cornicing of the smart little room make for a relaxed and stylish cafe setting. Their soup was very good, but there was some room for improvement on the sandwich front. I’d be happy to visit again, next time I’m in the neighbourhood.

Scores
Blythe scores Press Coffee
3.5/5 for food
3.5/5 for presentation
4/5 for setting
4/5 for service
giving an overall 15/20

I ate: red Thai chicken soup; veggie, tofu, pesto, mozzarella ciabatta

I drank: water, espresso

I wore: gherkin tie

Total bill: £9