Tim Wendelboe, Oslo, Norway

Grüners gate 1, 0552 Oslo, Norway
https://timwendelboe.no/

Tim Wendelboe is, quite possibly, one of the best coffee shops in the world right now and, as a connoisseur, I don’t say that lightly. Named for the repeated Championship-winning barista who opened it, it’s an espresso school and roastery all in one, where the great and the good of the coffee world come to train and learn. In fact, coffee is all it does; no food, no flavourings just coffee done well. What sets it apart is how it treats its coffee though, treating it as a luxury experience, like fine dining or wine, and offering it up thusly. The baristas are dressed like waiting staff might be in a high-class establishment and will take the time to walk you through the flavour palate of whatever coffee you order. Each drink is presented exquisitely, complete with a napkin coaster like it were a cocktail, and the coffee is directly traded from farmers meaning dedicated staff members are flying around the world to find the best coffee beans and buying it with no middle man in place. I order an oat milk flat white and a coffee berry fizz before taking a seat.

The space is decked out in classic Nordic styling, all brickwork and wood panelling, with chic minimalism permeating through its very essence. Simple yet cosy, magnificent yet uncluttered. The flat white is silky smooth, with a zingy, citrusy note slicing through earthier tones but what really intrigues me is the soft drink. Made from the skin and pulp of the coffee berry (coffee beans actually being a seed surrounded by fruit) this drink makes the most of that part of the plant so often wasted or composted. It comes served in a wine glass and has a dark, rich honey colour to it. Not a sweet berry, there’s a sharpness to it but not strikingly so. There is an element of alcohol about it, like a dry wine or mellow whisky, but without the sort of ethanol vapour one gets. The whole experience makes it feel more sophisticated, more elevated and I think that’s probably where the next wave of coffee is going. Tim and Co just seem to be one step ahead of the curve.