Durham's Hot Spots

Date: 13th March (but honestly, every other day at this point) 

Coffees? Obviously (it was 11am and I was quite literally gasping for a coffee.) An oat flat white and iced latte with skimmed milk, please and thank you.

(As a bit of a coffee snob, I find Flat White’s to be the best in Durham (so far!!), an opinion which is clearly reflected in my bank statement, yet one that I bear unapologetically.)

Sweet treat? An essential: after much back and forth (between trying something new or reverting to my usual, a date flapjack- which by the way, are possibly the best thing to grace the earth), I decided to really push the boat out: banana loaf with dark chocolate and walnuts (the half-eaten banana loaf says it all really).

Starting with a classic, it wouldn't be too much of an exaggeration to say that Flat White Cafe is perhaps my favourite place in Durham (which would explain why the majority of my student loan is spent on their iced lattes, flat whites  and seriously addictive sweet treats.) My preference for cafe culture is undoubtedly a factor in this love (who am I kidding, addiction is the correct word), and the prospect of spending an hour or two sitting in the corner of its cozy interior is my idea of heaven!

On this occasion, my friend and I- essays completed and the term drawing to a close- managed to pass a good two hours, leaving somewhat sheepishly after confessing our deepest secrets to the rotation of unfortunate people sitting at the table beside us, and name-dropping with slightly less self-awareness than was probably necessary. Realising that the previously full room now consisted only of us and the baristas, and having joked to the girl that “we will leave soon, I promise!” when ordering our third coffee, we decided it was probably a good time to go. Sufficiently caffeinated and satisfied with our sweet treats, the next morning seemed like the best time to go again!

The Verdict:

Coffees: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ never fail. 

Cakes: ⭐⭐⭐⭐-  minus one point for my envy of my friend’s date flapjack (they really are that good!) 

Atmosphere: ⭐⭐⭐⭐- deduction due to the fact that ‘Pink and White’ by Frank Ocean started playing: requires a trigger warning due to my recent break-up (by recent, I mean a good year ago…whatever).

Improvements? A cheeky 10% student discount wouldn’t go amiss, just a suggestion…

Overall: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐(⭐) got to be said. Added star for the hot barista (every single person who has been to Flat White knows who I mean, don’t lie)