EH9 Espresso — Restaurant in Scotland

Dundee finally has a real home for espresso enthusiasts and I couldn't be happier.

Do you like outstanding coffee? Excellent service? A warm atmosphere and a place where the regulars feel like a community? Fraser and the team deliver it all in a cosy venue on the always lively Perth Road.

If you're a fan of espresso, you'll be delighted. They care a great deal about their beans and equipment, ask them and you'll see just how much passion there is. Every shot I've had has been well dialled-in, well-extracted, and milk drinks have just the right amount of sweetness and balance that I love to see - so many places go too sweet, but here you get a well proportioned cup no matter the style.

Batch brew is always on point, delivered by a Moccamaster, and I'd strongly recommend it if you come by to spend some time on a crossword or something.

The food selection is also lovely - there's a focused selection of cakes, bakes, and bagels to enjoy and I would strongly recommend giving them a go. They source from independent Scottish bakeries and their brownies are absolutely decadent.

I cannot compliment the staff and vibe enough. I simply adore the place, it feels like a second home and it's a treat to just come by and enjoy the place for a few hours. There's always room for a good conversation, the music choices are pleasant, and the staff are always friendly but real. No nonsense, just honest and lovely people who really do care about what they do and are passionate about learning and improving all the time. It's got an indie charm that you just don't get anywhere else.

EH9 is Dundee's latest gem, and you owe it to yourself to come by and try it if you're passionate about coffee at any level. I think you'll enjoy yourself.

UPDATE (Feb 2022): EH9 remains THE place for good coffee in town having really grown into its niche and, much to my pleasure, I've experienced the other side of the bar now too. I trialled one of Fraser's barista beginner's sessions to get a feel for the flow of making espresso in a professional environment and it was a really pleasant experience! Fraser was patient and instructive and we built on what I knew from home espresso to shape up my game on commercial equipment with a lesson tailored to what experience I had so far. I learned a lot and took that knowledge home, now even my home espresso game is sharper than before!

Fraser's taking interest if anyone else wants some training behind the bar too, just contact the shop to express your interest and learn...

There are exceptional coffee shops in Dundee but EH9 is where you go to get coffee. Before getting into it, the small cafe has a limited but very tasty selection of snacks, and an interesting selection of unconventional non-coffee drinks. The atmosphere is always relaxed and friendly, with exceptionally well trained and friendly staff. But what makes EH9 special is, quite simply, the coffee; and it special. There's no other way to put it.

I've had great coffee around the world (with highlights in Singapore, Sendai Japan, Helsinki Finland and San Fransico USA). The espresso drinks served by the crew in EH9, with a relatively humble set up (no custom undercounter set ups or other such gimmicks here, just an enormous amount of attention paid to bean, grind, and subsequent extraction) is equal to if not better than the best.

The staff have worked hard with local roasters to develop a consistent but still unique coffee that produces a complex but not overpowering shot. It works well in milk drinks and the shop's quasi-signature oatmilk drinks are standouts. There's also an excellent selection of roasts available to purchase by the bag and, I believe they, on ocassion, experiment with pulling shots from some of the rarer roasts but you'll need to talk to the staff. They also have Moccamaster batch brews if you fancy something a bit longer.

Simply put, for an unassuming place, some of the nicest espresso I have had in my life has...

There’s really not much you can’t appreciate about this coffee shop, except that sometimes it has to close.

This place serves the best coffee in town and treats its customers with genuine care. It definitely marked the year I spent in Scotland and helped soothe my phobia for crowded uni libraries. I would sometimes spend entire days sitting at one of their few tables during my exam period after I had realized how productive EH9 Espresso allowed me to be. No one has ever tried to make me feel uncomfortable or that I had to leave for other waiting customers to come ; and I never felt forced to keep on consuming all day long (there’s a variety of tasty things all sure to please every palate, so you’ll want to do it anyway!)

If you’re ever in Dundee, or even just road tripping through the country, try and reserve some time for it, it’s definitely worth a...