Das kleine Schwarze — Restaurant in Steyr

Good idea and nice cafe but a bit too arrogant and a bit too confident for my personal liking. I went there often in the beginning because I liked their coffee and concept, but after two times where I had asked for cafe lungo (Verlängerter) and they explained to me that they don't do "that" here, they only do "real coffee" like Espresso, I decided that it was probably just not my place. I felt insulted and disrespected by those comments, or did you ask how I feel about people drinking cappuccino after breakfast (Something an Italian would never do btw, this is at least a "true authentic" fact.)? The owner's explanation was that a Cafe Lungo is just "hot water" running through the coffee but that is exactly what makes it strong and special, it is not an Americano and it is not a double espresso. It is a cafe lungo. Would you also tell customers ordering a Cafe Coretto that they are not supposed to drink booze in their coffee? I doubt it. This has never happened to me before, not in Austria or anywhere else in the world. I also once bought a small blue portable coffee-to-go cup as a present for a friend but unfortunately it leaked and didn't work properly. I do like their cakes, especially the chocolate pear cake, but they are very expensive to be fair. I really wanted this to be my new coffee home-base in Steyr but it was just a bit of a sobering experience really, sticking to principles is a good thing per se but if you refuse to prepare typical Austrian coffee and explain to your customers that they don't drink real coffee according to you then it is a...

Das kleine Schwarze is a lovely café serving specialty third wave coffee. In a beautiful old Northern Renaissance house on the Stadtplatz, Ahmed and Victoria serve exactingly-prepared coffee drinks, including preparations that are fairly uncommon in Austria: Aeropress, shakerato, flat white. This shop has participated and placed in a number of barista competitions. And they source their beans (which they also sell in the shop) from the best specialty roasters around, including Gardelli of Italy and Nomi of Vienna. The quality of my espresso here was top-notch: it had a pleasant but not overwhelming acidity and a balanced extraction that had body and showed the varietal character.

Additionally, there is a modest but quality selection of fresh pastries, sweet and savory.

It is the best (albeit only) third wave coffee shop in Steyr. I give it my full and enthusiastic recommendation. I love this place so much that I visited twice in one day, squeezing my last visit in just half an hour before...

I really cannot understand any low ratings as this cafe is owned and managed by people that live and breath coffee on a professional level... literally, Google it, they won competitions... see, the thing is, they would never brag about it, as they don't see it as their mission to tell you about their achievements, their mission is to bring the best possible coffee to people and to find such a pearl of coffee goodness in a small town like Steyr really is amazing to me. You can consume a delicious cup of coffee and buy high quality beans there. If you are in need of equipment or a present for a coffee lover, you'll find it there, too.

Please don't come if you are not open to expanding your horizon when it comes to taste. I had a lovely cup of filter coffee from Kenya and bought some beans for me to bring home. 😀

Lovely cafe, lovely coffee,...