Cold Outside, But You Don't Gotta Be

One of the first things I do when getting ready to visit someplace new is look for a quality specialty coffee place. Although for our recent trip to Brasov, I wasn't too stressed about it. With the city's economic flourishing over the past years, I knew I was guaranteed to find one easily - and true enough, as soon as we arrived, we were spoiled for choice. Well, almost as soon as we arrived. There's still a bit of a bus ride into the city center itself once you disembark at Brasov train station, but just enough time for us to pick the one that sounded the best. After two and a half hours on the road, caffeine was definitely in order.

We ended up settling on CH9 Specialty Coffee for multiple reasons, and none perhaps good reasons at all, who knows. For one, it's right in the heart of everything, even offering a view to Brasov's charred, beautiful Black Church. Nestled in the white-wash wall opposite, you hardly notice it for the gaggle of tourists standing with their butts to it, but we were quite determined we smelled good caffeine.
Secondly, we really wanted some nice hot beverage before heading up the mountain.

It seems we weren't the only ones. The place was packed as soon as we walked in, and while it was a fairly nice day, my relationship with winter is such that I really cherish a nice, thick wall between us. Luckily, they told us they still had one or two tables upstairs (which turned out to be a tiny nugget of good luck, since we'd seen the 'upstairs' checking the place out and were more keen on that, anyway).

While I would've liked to get a customary V60, the girl behind the counter asked me to get something else, since they were insanely busy and a V60 takes a bit of work. And me, being the sweetheart that I am, naturally acquiesced.

And so, up we went, to wait for our coffee and warm up a bit.

Oof, look at that #worldmappin represent.

What's lovely about Ch9 is that, although it's nestled right in the middle of the touristy old town, its clients were, I'd say, 80% locals. You knew it by the way they dressed. By the way they hunched over their laptops, wondering about some work dilemma (or perhaps a dirty email, who knows).

I spent a while listening to the conversation at the neighboring table (sue me, I'm a writer. I'm allowed. Or at least, that's what I tell myself.). It was some random chat between friends around psychology - very healthy, very progressive. I couldn't help but approve and be happy you can sit down somewhere random and hear snippets of conversations like this one. They weren't always here.

Of course, I absolutely adored the old beam ceiling, the inherent coziness it conferred on the upstairs. Also, I kinda liked being able to peer down at the other patrons and imagine their lives a bit. That's what happens when you leave me alone and without a nice coffee in hand.

Thankfully, the coffee arrived in the nick of time. A respectable filter, and a nice, demure long black (which @godfish so kindly let me sample). Though they were brewed from the same beans, they couldn't have been more different, to me, at least. While the filter was intensely fruity and nutty (more like a tea than a coffee, in my view), the long black came in acidic and aromatic, inviting no mistake that this was a strong cup of coffee. Less fruitty yet stronger scented, the long black turned out to be the day's winner for me (but then again, not being a boy, I did not get to sample the special secret coffee offering of the brewery we later visited). My filter was not too acidic, very mellow and chill, which would've been in many ways appropriate. Being peculiarly wired as I am, I love strong, acidic coffee, even though it often makes me sick. Kinky or just psychotic. Question for another post, maybe.

All in all, it was the perfect place - cozy, intimate and with nice, good coffee - to start a day of wanderings. Definitely worth mentioning in CCC, I thought.

They even had tiny chairs!

V60 has been my go-to order when visiting a cafe this year. While I still go with my beloved flat white, I've found unless it's a real good specialty place, they tend to be a lot more same-y. To me, at least. Do you have a go-to coffee that you order while out at a coffeehouse, and why? :)