Alex Does Coffee

Details from the sign hanging on the door of Alex Does CoffeeAlex Does Coffee, part of Bristol’s growing speciality coffee scene, has graced Old Market Street, just  east of the city centre, since June last year, where it’s been joined more recently by 25A Old Market, which sits across the road. Located in spacious surroundings on the ground floor of Two’s Company, a creative hub and studios, Alex Does Coffee pretty much does what it says on the tin, with Alex doing coffee from an espresso machine on a counter at the back of the main space.

Alex Does Coffee has a concise espresso-based menu, focusing on doing a few things well, rather than trying to be all things to all people. The coffee is from the local Extract Coffee Roasters, while there’s also tea, hot chocolate, cold brew and soft drinks. If you want something sweet with your coffee, there’s a small selection of cake, including cookies, waffles and pastries.

You can read more of my thoughts after the gallery.

  • What's this on the south side of Bristol's Old Market Street? Two's Company?
  • On closer inspection, it's also home to Alex Does Coffee and some bright outside seating.
  • The door is on the right, giving access to both Two's Company and Alex Does Coffee.
  • The doors lead to this little lobby.
  • The sign on the shelf is reassuring...
  • The sign on the door is giving mixed messages (in fairness it says open on the other side).
  • The A-board confirms you're in the right place. It was hiding from the rain during my viist!
  • Not sure which way to go? This handy sign points you in the right direction.
  • Let's go in shall we? The door is about a third of the way in, on the right hand side.
  • The counter is at the back...
  • ... while there's a solitary table in the centre, with artwork on the wall behind it.
  • The table in more detail.
  • Alternatively, you can sit at the window-bar and watch the world go by outside.
  • Alex Does Coffee is a very green spot, with these plants lining the window-bar...
  • ... along with this bigger one in the corner.
  • Some of the works of art on the left-hand wall.
  • There are also magazines here.
  • More of the art...
  • ... plus an explanation of Two's Company, a creative hub and studios.
  • So to business. This is Alex behind the counter, doing coffee.
  • The menus, meanwhile, hang above her head.
  • An espresso-based coffee menu to the left...
  • ... with tea and other not coffee drinks in the centre...
  • ... and the cold drinks on the right.
  • There's also a range of sweet treats, including cookies and pastries.
  • The heart of the operation is the espresso machine at the back on the left.
  • My espresso, in a rather lovely cup.
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Our story starts with Two’s Company, the creative hub and studios which set up home on Market Street in 2015. The owner, Steve, wanted to do coffee, but knew that he didn’t know enough to do it himself. Fortunately, Alex’s partner was one of Two’s Company’s tenants, while Alex was looking to branch out on her own. Thus Alex Does Coffee was born.

Two’s Company occupies a tall, glass-fronted building that looks slightly out of place, sandwiched between the older, brick buildings that make up Bristol’s Old Market Street. Alex Does Coffee has a simple space taking up much of the building’s ground floor. Access is through a door on the right-hand side, leading into a small lobby, although you can sit outside at a small table on the pavement next to the busy road.

A door at the back leads upstairs to Two’s Company, while Alex Does Coffee is off to the left. When Alex is in the house, the door should be open. Stepping inside, you enter on the right-hand side, about a third of the way back. To your left, three windows run the full width of Alex Does Coffee, occupied by a four-seat window-bar with wide, comfortable stools. The only other seating is a single, small, square table right in the middle of the room, with four low, round stools.

The counter’s on your right, towards the back (it actually cuts the space in half, running its full width). Beyond this, everything is part of Two’s Company, although the counter is fully mobile, so it can be removed, turning the downstairs into a large function space. The espresso machine is on a separate counter against the left-hand wall, side-on to the main counter so that you can watch your coffee being made. The menus, meanwhile, hang on whiteboards above the counter.

There’s a simple décor with a concrete floor, wooden furniture and counter, while the walls and ceiling are painted white.  Artwork from the studio adorns the left-hand wall, with various plants lining the window-bar and a low shelf the runs along the left-hand wall. The generous windows mean that it’s a bright, light-filled space, even on the gloomy day I was there.

Alex currently only has one grinder, so offers Extract Coffee Roasters’ seasonal blend. Having started the day with an Extract flat white at 25A Old Market, I switched to espresso, receiving a lovely, well-balanced shot, served in an equally lovely white cup. As good as the coffee was, probably the best part of my visit was standing at the counter chatting with the friendly and engaging Alex. If you’re in the area, do pop in and say hello. She’d love to see you.

61 OLD MARKET STREET • BRISTOL • BS2 0EJ
http://alexdoescoffee.com +44 (0) 7922 727545
Monday 07:00 – 15:30 Roaster Extract (espresso only)
Tuesday 07:00 – 15:30 Seating Table, Window Bar; Table (outside)
Wednesday 07:00 – 15:30 Food Cake
Thursday 07:00 – 15:30 Service Counter
Friday 07:00 – 15:30 Cards Amex, Mastercard, Visa
Saturday CLOSED Wifi Free (with code)
Sunday CLOSED Power No
Chain No Visits 30th March 2017

If you enjoyed this Coffee Spot, then take a look at the rest of Bristol’s speciality coffee scene with the Coffee Spot Guide to Bristol.


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