The Tasting Room

You'll find yourself on the quieter stretch of Topsham Road, away from the Cathedral Quarter bustle, and that's entirely the point. The Tasting Room does exactly what it says—treats coffee with the reverence most places reserve for fine dining. The counter setup invites you to watch the precision of pour-overs and espresso pulls, and regulars will chat to you about extraction times like others discuss football. It's the kind of café where they're not rushing you through, and the pastries actually complement the coffee rather than just existing alongside it.