Black Goo Coffee — Restaurant in Dacorum

Having travelled some way to visit Black Goo today, we were pretty disappointed with the whole experience, taking into consideration this wasn't a cheap visit and the place was highly recommended.

Here are the my balanced thoughts: Pros: The coffee was very nice and there was a wide selection of cakes, which all looked very enticing. The staff are very friendly and willing to try and make your experience a great one.

Negatives:

Cost, it is definitely at the premium end of the market, which is fine but the experience in branch wasn't great when we were eating-in. I completely appreciate they are working under pressure with COVID-19 but the long que to access was huge and completely miss-managed. There were people cutting in and it took overall 30 minutes of waiting before even ordering something. I feel for the people behind me who only wanted a quick take away!! I would personally have suggested someone come out now and then to check on what customers want (to eat in or just a quick take away), to help managed the length of time waiting. There were people who were so put off that they didn't want to wait. If a customer wanted take-away, I would suggest someone takes their payment then provides them with the drink or cake to aid in the que management.

The atmosphere. This was one of the most disappointing points, especially when so much excellent effort had gone in to make the environment safe and nice during COVID-19. The branch was full of people who were sitting around (mostly with babies) with empty glasses or coffee cup, just taking up space. Perhaps staff should have just asked if they wanted more to drink or even to clear their cups away? In addition, there is a smoke alarm that needs a 9v battery, beeping every two minutes, I would just replace this! Not great when you are trying to navigate the buggies, screaming babies and now the fixtures and fittings making unnecessary noise.

The cake - Whilst the cake looked very nice, it was dry and heavy. We bought today a piece of the Dime cake, which I suspect wasn't fresh today. Not good, when you are spending so much money.

Food, we had two sandwiches from the limited mix available. They were ok but had no sides like maybe some crisps. Just a lonely sandwich on a plate. Clearly not very premium.

It is a shame, having driven so far today to visit Black Goo overall we were quite disappointed. Whilst I think a huge amount of effort has gone into ensure COVID safety, the premium feel (and prices) don't seem to match our experience today. On the edge...

You cannot visit this coffee shop on your own terms. You cannot decide where you want to sit, how long you want to sit for and the portion of food you want to order. Agreed, Black Goo claims to be busy and advises people to book in advance especially for meal services. But surely an upscale cafe that prides itself on giving its patrons a unique 'experience that goes beyond coffee' can serve a lone wanderer looking to enjoy coffee and a light breakfast as they read a few pages from a book on a cold early Sunday morning without a side of thinly-veiled unwarranted condescension. It's 0845 in the morning. I was given an 'hour' from the moment I sat down. This was after I politely declined to sit within inches of a busy group working noisily on a presentation while the rest of the cafe looked almost empty. The coffee was decent, the breakfast average, the smiles missing, even as I checked my watch every 10 minutes. The perfunctory post-service inquiries were made but the tone could be softer, warmer, un-matron-like. The kind that says "you are welcome in our cafe, we care about you having a lovely experience." About 40 minutes into my hour - the manager left the bill on my table and walked away. I immediately got up, paid at the counter and left. The 15 minutes I spent sitting in the sun outside the local library were much more enjoyable than the 45 I spent at this place. P.s. all the...

I popped into Black Goo Coffee in Tring recently for breakfast. The coffee was absolutely fantastic — smooth, rich, and definitely something I’d come back for again.

I was close to ordering the French toast but ended up trying the breakfast burrito from the specials board. There was a little wait (about 20 minutes, which I only found out after paying), but that aside, the staff were friendly and the food came out in good time.

The burrito itself was tasty, but it was a bit tricky to eat as it hadn’t been wrapped tightly and fell apart. I think with a bit of practice — or even wrapping it in parchment paper — it would hold together perfectly. The filling was hearty (sausage, egg, bacon, and hashbrown), though it felt more like a breakfast wrap than a burrito. Adding something like pico de gallo, jalapeños, or a little salsa could really give it that Mexican edge and make it stand out.

I also noticed the French toast is served with back bacon. Personally, I think streaky bacon works even better with French toast because of its crispiness and the way it balances the sweetness.

All in all, the coffee was spot on and the food has loads of potential. With just a few small tweaks, I think the breakfast here could be just as memorable...