coffee by the beans — Restaurant in Adelaide

Wine Diva Tours had the pleasure of popping in to have a coffee and a hot chocolate before starting our McLaren Vale tours yesterday at coffee by the beans CBTB Coffee House is a little hidden gem not to far away from the Adelaide Airport. I say hidden as it not covered in signage.

This coffee shop was the best I have come across in the city.

Right from the moment we entered the place we were greeted with a smile. Asked what we would like, would you like something sweet or savoury with that (we were very tempted by these words but unfortunately didn’t have enough time). The display cabinets were clean fresh & the food looked delicious.

It was very busy with people coming in & out and lots sitting having coffee. Even tables had been reserved but we found a spot & waited for our drinks.

We noticed immediately that the place was not about the coffee but an experience. The music was upbeat & perfect, not too loud but enough to either sit back & enjoy your own thoughts or have a conversation. The atmosphere was outstanding.

When our drinks arrived they were the perfect temperature to drink - hot but not too hot. They were also served in cups that were environmentally friendly.

This was an experience I will not forget as even the menu that we found on our table said - Considerations. What a lovely way to ask if you want more.

It was great to see the owner Vincent (man with the moustache) serving at the main counter. There were heaps of staff & they moved like a well oiled machine. This business knows customer service. We were so blown away by the whole experience that when finished we spoke to Vincent (the owner), meet his daughter & a young girl that just started & shared our thoughts. Vincent was so excited that we saw what he & his other staff had tried to create - An experience. We will definitely be back.

“This place is not about the coffee but the experience” - that’s why people keep coming back.

We can’t thank cbtb.coffee & Vincent enough for making the start to our day fantastic!

Highly recommend. We will be back.

#coffee #experience #perfection #coffebythebeans...

Just had a long black that was flavourless, watery, bitter and had no acidity. Wouldn't recommend this to anyone who is looking for an enjoyable cup of coffee. Also after being explicitly asked twice whether I would be having my coffee there I received it in a takeaway cup. If you are looking for a good coffee in the area please try Third Time Lucky just west along henley beach road.

(Edit) As to clarify for the owner, only two stars were awarded for this review due to a combination of factors. Firstly, the coffee I received on the occasion that influenced this review was of an absolutely undrinkable standard, despite how much I wanted and needed a coffee at that time I couldn't get past more than two sips. My girlfriend that was with me at the time also tried the coffee and confirmed it's unpleasant taste. Secondly, it was made clear, twice, that we would we would like to have our coffees to have in. And as a result of either mistaken or unsure staff at the point of sale, or as a conscious decision to avoid making extra dishes coming within a couple of hours of closing, coffees that should have made to have in were put in takeaway cup. This experience left me feeling angry and frustrated enough that I wanted to share it here so others can take it into consideration before choosing where to buy their most important drink of the day.

-2 stars for quality of product. -1 star for quality of service.

As I understand the most likely reason for this experience is a combination of independent mistakes being made at the same time I will try CBTB again soon and edit this review...

Decent coffee ruined by cheap single use takeaway cups! Great coffee should be served in a great reuseable cup...

Went here with a friend for coffee but was disappointed that it could only be served in cheap takeaway 'compostable' cups.

I don't like the disposable only option for a few reasons:

1. Single use takeaway cups aren't sustainable and use precious and limited resources such as trees, plastics or other plants that need to be conserved.

2. Something compostable needs to be disposed of in a certified compostable bin with the right conditions for it to compost. This doesn't occur in general waste bins.

3. A takeaway coffee cup is enclosed and blocks the aromas and visual enjoyment of a good coffee

4. Takeaway coffee cups are lined with a water impervious layer of plastic or bio plastics. This leaches out into your brew with hot liquids giving you a dose of unhealthy nano plastics.

5. The crema and taste of a good coffee in a high quality reusable mug...