On Tuesday last week, I got on a train again, this time heading to Surbiton and The Press Room, stopping along the way at G!RO in Esher. Both coffee shops had recently reopened for sit-in customers and I was keen to see how they compared to the likes of Notes and Attendant, which I had visited in London the week before.

I was last at what was then G!RO Cycles in 2015. Like The Press Room, it’s undergone quite a few changes since then. Some of these are clearly recent, allowing for safe reopening during COVID-19, while others, such as the large outdoor seating area, clearly predate that. There’s also been a subtle rebranding, with G!RO Cycles becoming G!RO, although you shouldn’t read too much into the dropping of the word “cycles” from the name. This is still very much a cycle-friendly café as well as a bike shop.

G!RO currently has an espresso-based coffee menu, plus batch-brew filter, although its extensive pour-over offering is unavailable for now. All the coffee is from Workshop, with a range of retail bags for sale. If you’re hungry, there’s a limited all-day brunch selection, backed up by sandwiches and a large range of cake.

You can read more of my thoughts after the gallery.

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43

Photo Carousel by WOWSlider.com v4.6

G!RO is on the north side of the A307, which runs through the centre of Esher, close to Sandown Park Racecourse. At the end of a row of shops, there’s a large outdoor seating area to the right, set back and slightly above the busy street. This is new since my 2015 visit, when the outdoor seating was in front of the windows. Now you’ll find cycle parking in front of the left-hand window, the space in front of the right-hand one left clear.

You enter via the central glass door and are immediately guided to your right, where there’s a large, open space between the window and the front of the counter, which occupies much of the right-hand wall. There are stickers on the floor showing where to stand when queuing so that you maintain the correct social distance, while a bottle of hand sanitiser stands on a pillar just in front of the counter. When it’s your turn, step up to the Perspex screen to order and pay. If you’re staying in, you’re asked to take a seat and the staff will bring your drinks and/or food to you when it’s ready.

There’s quite a bit of choice inside, starting with the two-person window-bar to the right of the door, although you’ll have a constant stream of customers going past if you sit there. A better alternative is the tall, square two-person cocktail table in the left-hand window. The bulk of the seating lines the left-hand wall, opposite the counter, starting with a four-person table and followed by two more tall, square two-person cocktail tables. Finally, there are a pair of long, thin tables, the first against the wall, while the second, which is beyond the end of the counter, has the space to run perpendicular to it.

Beyond this is a wide opening in right-hand part of the back wall, leading to a deep alcove, lit by a skylight. A four-person table is tucked in here, but, even better, a flight of stairs runs from right-to-left, leading to a raised room at the back. Here you’ll find clothing, cycling gear and bikes, but there’s also a long, thin, three-person table overlooking the stairs, the last of the indoor seating.

G!RO has undergone a major facelift since I was last there, so I’m not sure what changes are specifically for COVID-19 and what came before. The biggest difference is the seating: G!RO used to have multiple sets of sofas and plush armchairs, but these have gone, making way (pre-COVID) for more tables, part of a wider expansion of the seating.

Like many coffee shops that have reopened during COVID-19, G!RO has a reduced offering, starting with an all-day brunch menu featuring various toast, avocado on toast and porridge-based dishes. I had the avocado on toast, which was excellent, a generous helping of avocado on a single slice of toast, topped by a very healthy dose of greens. I was also pleased to see that G!RO is using proper plates, cutlery and cups.

Back in 2015, G!RO used Beanberry Coffee, but switched to Workshop about two years ago, using the Yacuanquer single-origin from Colombia while I was there. I started with a cortado which was served commendably short in an espresso cup. The coffee was really bright and acidic, which provided quite a contrast to the milk. Normally I prefer a cortado over a larger drink, but in this instance, I think the coffee might have suited a flat white better. I followed this with the Yacuanquer as an espresso, which I preferred, picking up more of the coffee’s fruitiness.

December 2020: G!RO was a runner-up for the 2020 Best Outdoor Seating Award.

If you liked this post, please let me know by clicking the “Like” button. If you have a WordPress account and you don’t mind everyone knowing that you liked this post, you can use the “Like this” button right at the bottom instead. [bawlu_buttons]
Don’t forget that you can share this post with your friends using the buttons below.