Or Espresso Bar
Iced Double Espresso with a Chocolate
Toasted Banana Bread
Carrot Cake
Pistachio Cherry Crumble Cake
Part of a slowly growing local Coffee culture sorely needed throughout Europe where Nescafe has inexplicably become the ‘standard,’ Or Roastery has now spawned three locations in Brussels, Gent and Etterbeek, the Rue Auguste Ortsstraat shop playing host to a Monday morning caffeination stop that also featured three of the Café’s Americanized experiments in baking.
Undoubtedly the most ‘hip’ spot seen during eight days in the city, the vibe downright Brooklyn or Portland right down to the décor and music, Or Espresso Bar is actually born from a roastery started as far back as 2001 and growing through the combination of education, hard work and passion the OR story reads much like that of its stateside brethren, the team going so far as to visit family farms in order to establish relationships while also assuring single-origin quality and exclusivity.
At this point a known entity in terms of wholesale while also running an Atelier not unlike La Colombe through which the team experiments and perfects their roasts, it was after some indecision that the choice was made to try the shop’s Single origin Ethiopian Beans by way of a double espresso over ice, and with a robust nuttiness that slowly dissipates to fruity notes the years of practice have undoubtedly yielded as superior product, the vacuum-packed beans by the bag tempting though passed up for fear of harassment when returning through US Customs.
Admittedly surprised by the bean, nothing of this ilk experienced during visits to France of Spain, one could not help but wonder whether baked goods could match the quality of the coffee and although admirable in its attempts to do something a bit different than the typical Brussels patisserie the three items ordered were only fair-to-middling, a toasted slice of Banana Bread not only dehydrated but excessively priced at €5 while the Carrot Cake and Pistachio Cherry Crumble were admittedly somewhat better…but at the same time nothing worth going out of the way for when taking into account the rest of the city’s great pastries.
https://www.orcoffee.be/en/bar/espresso-bar-brussel