Karma, Krakow, Poland

Ul. Krupnicza 12/3
31-123 Kraków
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As expected, the day starts relatively late and, once again, my consumption habits seize control of the group direction. This time it is in the form of speciality coffee as I seek out something more than just a hit of caffeine with some care taken about its taste and texture to soothe my need for high-end Java juice from across the globe. Once collectively showered (although taking it in turns individually, I can assure you), a trot to the South of our central location takes us through parkland filled with scenery and sculptures before emerging in a suburb where Karma Kawa serves up a sour mash of beans that has an almost cherry like bite to it that pierces through the oat milk I always opt for in my latte.

​The smooth and silky pour jostles with this in an intriguing, but not unpleasant, way and doesn’t so much coat the tongue as caresses it in a sweet and sour combination that leaves you wanting more. In my present state, I’m just grateful for the pick-me-up without having to wrestle with something that’s a challenge to swallow but the complex flavours are hard to pin down with me reluctant to call it fruity and no great deal of sharp acidity. I roll it around my tongue time and again to try and form a concoction of words for it but nothing comes forth in my sleep-deprived situation. The cafe itself is a sharp, bright cubby hole of a room cluttered with brews and baked goods that can be clustered up on limited tables or taken outside for a snack in the sunshine. Hardly hipster but full of young professional types, it clatters with an energy of erudite workings and I can see why it’s so popular as a queue begins to mount behind me and I’m ushered briskly but politely out of the way once my coffee has come.