Nude Espresso Pop-up Café

Hot on the heels of my Stumptown pop-up experience, I am now at my second pop-up of the month: Nude Espresso at Rapha Cycle club.

Rapha Cycle club is a cycling clothing manufacturer and, due to the Giro D'Italia, has opened a temporary store in Farringdon, with Nude Espresso setting up a Wega-powered espresso bar in-situ for the duration (May-July).

I suppose I was expecting a similar experience to Stumptown but, unfortunately, it's not quite in the same league.

Let's start with the good:

• The coffee isn't the issue: it's made to Nude's usual high standard and the food offering has all the necessary basics delivered to a high quality - brownies, sandwiches, friands, etc.

• The place is minimalist and über cool with an old Citroen van in the centre, big LCDs on the wall, and sparsely placed clothing racks.  The main space is taken up with a big, long communal table which I quite like as it encourages people to interact.

• As there is no plumbing at the rear end of the store, the water comes directly from a water cooler container (via a pump) meaning great quality water is used in every extraction.
• Your first coffee on your first visit is FREE! Thank you Nude!

The not so good:

• The space doesn't lend itself to an very intimate atmosphere. I can't blame the Nude staff because...
• The bar is in the rear left hand corner and there is no seating near where the action happens.

• Everyone is here for the Giro D'Italia and is staring at the TV on the wall.  We initially had to sit on the TV side of the table and felt a little in the way so, as soon as seats became available on the far side we relocated.

Nude are doing the best that they can with the design restrictions that are placed on them, but a few seats near the bar to create more of a café experience would improve things massively. 

As the first coffee is free, leave a tip! It's always great to have another place to get a good coffee and, even with its current issues, I'd recommend a visit.

Nude Espresso Pop-up is in Rapha Cycle Club: 146 Clerkenwell Rd

Comments

[Coffee Drinker]

Like your post. I agree that the coffee is the best thing going in this place. Nude espresso make some awesome coffee - consistently good.

The trouble with the setting is that suddenly you're sitting in an exclusive cycle club, instead of an exclusive coffee club. You feel like an imposter - terrified someone might ask what kind of tires you use, and your cover will be blown.

It's worth sneaking in for the coffee though.

[montreal flowers]

It's very nice cafe. Espresso is really beautiful.