La Colombe: The Platform 9 3/4 Experience

Time Cupsoul @ La Colombe

To begin, this particular DC La Colombe coffee shop is in an alley. A legitimate alley, okay? It’s on their address. Blagden Alley.  When Time Cupsoul first read the address, we thought of Harry Potter.

Finding the alley made us feel like part of some secret club, or as if we finally had received a letter to Hogwarts and were now finding Platform 9 3/4. Once you know where La Colombe is, you definitely have your ticket on Hogwarts Express…

First drinking coffee at La Colombe’s location in Philadelphia, Time Cupsoul had extremely high expectations for DC’s newest coffee shop. In Philly, La Colombe sits right on the Rittenhouse Square, buttressing the city hall. The open space and wooden tables were so gorgeous, La Colombe at Rittenhouse Square stayed in our minds for years. Though we don’t currently have pictures of that location, the wooden interior design was superb. That coffee shop is basically why Time Cupsoul fell in love with coffee shops all over again after living in Argentina.

So, on to La Colombe in Blagden Alley.  It’s rumored that this space was formally a horse stable. The space is unique, long and fairly skinny as you can see from the pictures, with a long coffee bar flanked in lightly grained wood.  The interior is very open to the customer. You can basically peer over and see what the barista’s are making. The customer service is usually friendly, and the arrangement of tables along the wall make it easy to look up and see the baristas interacting with new customers. It’s an open space with acoustics to hear your neighbor sitting next to you and the baristas, too. With this openness is a large window with light spilling in. Time Cupsoul always notices natural light when reviewing a coffee shop.

Besides a frothy latte, we couldn’t resist one of the many flavors of macaron. Both the coffee and macaron were delicious. The coffee had some well-done latte art in it, and the taste of the coffee was delicious; the bright roasting notes really came through.  We appreciated the quality and taste of the macaron, and love the detailed touch at the end of La Colombe’s bar: sparkling or still water on tap with tiny glasses. The water fountains were at Rittenhouse Sq, too, and we think it’s a great addition in any coffee shop.

Finally, the unique coffee mug and saucer design, the same in all of their locations, really adds something to the service. If someone posts a picture on social media of their morning coffee, others will certainly soon come to realize: that’s the La Colombe design. It’s artistic and also genius.  They really thought of everything.

Love the coffee and want more? Buy some whole beans and have them freshly ground for you right at the bar. The experience of sitting in an alley and receiving a hot cup of La Colombe coffee is well-worth the commute.

Was this a cupsoul?

Yes.

Would we put La Colombe’s business card in the time cupsoul?

Yes.  La Colombe’s location in DC is very unique and almost feels like secret place to get away.  Due to an additional positive experience at La Colombe at Rittenhouse Square in Philadelphia, La Colombe’s brand is one that Time Cupsoul will defend.  La Colombe has more than proven its high-quality coffee and service.