Spilling the beans - who really does make the best cup of coffee in Liverpool?

After spending all of my hard earned cash in Primark I needed a good coffee. But a good cup of coffee in Liverpool has proved elusive since I started working in the city in January. In the great city which has so much of everything, initial surprise soon turns to frustration. Heck, all I want is a cup akin to the coffee I relish back home in Newton-le-Willows.

Relief comes when I learn I'm not alone - there are others out there that feel they get "all froth and no substance" when they go into one of the big chains like Starbucks, so as a group we decided to act. And fast to determine which place serves the better cup of coffee - one of the household names or an independent. Jeez some people will do anything in search of the perfect cup of coffee won't they? So, armed with a five pound note in our hands, four eager caffeine starved drinkers went round the city on a warm Tuesday afternoon in search of the perfect cup of latte and this is what we found:

Clementine Neild went to Costa Coffee in the Met quarter. "Overall it was a good experience but the table wasn't clean which was a bit off putting. The coffee was strong but needed sugar. The price isn't cheap but the end product itself was very good."

Emma Bispham went to Fracelli Deli in Whitechapel. "It cost £2.20 for a regular latte. The shop itself was very busy but I think that's mainly due to its central location rather than coffee quality or atmosphere of venue. Antonio the little waiter was sweet and made me smile but apart from that it was a very forgettable place."

Jetta John Hartley went to Café Nero on Castle Street. "This was a nice relaxed setting situated in a perfect spot for business men and women. The latte is a good size for those in need of a short yet sweet sit down and energy boost. I would have to conclude that the coffee could have been fuller in flavour. It was a bit too watery for my taste."

(me and Jetta)

I went to the Mocha Lounge on Sir Thomas Street. "The latte here was excellent, there was a nice atmosphere and a good range of food but all in all it was a bit pricey for my taste."

We then met up an hour later to compare notes and concluded that we had all just experienced an "average" cup of coffee and coffee house experience, there was nothing really special to write home about until we stumbled upon a fairly unknown gem near the Queen Street bus station called @ Latte and decided what the heck "let's review one more place" but this time as a group.

You could taste the difference straight away from the first sip and I'm not just saying that and Jetta was one who immediately backed up my thoughts when she said: "This was a very good quality coffee and the heart shaped decoration just topped it off."

Each cup was personally brought to our table and we even got a hello and an introduction from the manager Phil Cotton. I had to ask why is a good cup of coffee so hard to find in Liverpool town?
"It boils down to using good coffee, roasted in the right way and made properly with an espresso machine capable of a consistent brewing process," he said. Cotton makes it sound like a science as he talks about milk preparation, surface skimming to get the micro-foam and coffee extraction time. Resteamed milk is a no-no, the right amount of froth is an art form. "Novice baristas imagine you can press buttons and the machine does the rest. But there is nothing hey presto about it," he added.

"We do stuff here that no other coffee house does, we clean the hopper everytime the coffee runs down plus the fact that we don't have the pressure of up selling our product offering like a lot of the big chains do."

And boy can you tell the difference. Every cup tastes like it has been specially made for you not mass produced. One thing is for sure we all agreed that we will all be going back to the independent coffee house that is @ Latte. The regular latte is very competitively priced (£1.95), every table is cleaned as soon as the customers sitting there leave, newspapers and magazines are in abundance and there is a nice relaxing atmosphere something that the other coffee houses should take note of. It's not always about the coffee, ok in this case it is and it certainly exceeds expectations. Thank god we didn't give up and go home.

@ Late Cafe boasts the following benefits:
Free Wi-F
TV
Outdoor terrace
Central location
Fresh pastries and sandwiches made every day
Daily drinks offers
Sustainable coffee blend
Over 18s only
Open 7am-7pm Monday to Sunday
Live sports on a Sunday

@ Latte Café
0151 702 7610.