Wednesday 17 June 2020

Valeir

Wednesday morning, warm and sunny and 10.30am, time for a coffee. Our first choice was to pedal direction Lochristi where Lieve had seen a new coffee shop. Double check opening hours on the net told us: closed on Wednesday and Thursday! Just don't get it when after being forced to close down your business because of Covid-19. Two days of incom down the drain??? It must be me.

Never mind enough places that keep their doors wide open. Didn't we bought a nice ice cream the other day near the swimming pool Van Eyck? Yep let's try that one.
Only 15 minutes ride to Portus Ganda, another upgraded area few minutes from the city of Gent.

From the corner we could see the terrace bading in the sun and some people had the same idea as us. A chalkboard welcomed us on the footpath. Most tables occupied, but still one left for us. It only took two seconds before the friendly hostess brought a menu (? is this ok in Corona time?), never mind, a smile and a few words got us in the right mood. Yes a cappuccino and for Lieve a doppio espresso macchiato.

And I was so happy to finaly find a place where they serve the coffee hot! A lot of coffee bars serve great coffee, taste wise, but just not hot enough! This one was the right temperature and the coffee tasted fabulous. Together with the nice little home made coco-bickies made it worth to stop at this place.


Now don't think this is all you can get here. Last week we enjoyed a nice ice cream, flavour choices enough, the usuals like vanilla, chocolate but also tangerine, "blood"orange and some veggie or mojito ice.

 
For breakfast you can make the choice between a simple coffee, Danish + bread up to four different breakfast menu's. The names of the different choices already make you hungry. You can choose between Healthy, Kickstart, Boost and Guilty pleasure. mmmm. Non of these? no problem. breakfast à la carte also available.

A quick look on the menu tells me that they serve "Valeir" beer too. Maybe next time I can ask them what the connection is with the Contreras brewery in Gavere?

A great place where you be welcomed with a smile and get your brew at the right temperature. Finally a bit of competition for my number one coffee bar "Take Five"

VALEIR Icecream & Breakfast - Sint Joriskaai 1 - 9000 Gent
open daily from 9am till 5pm
www.valeir.gent


Monday 15 June 2020

CUP coffee

Five years ago noone would walk along this canal road unless you really needed to be there for .... yea for what? Can't think of anything. Serious you didn't want to go there for a walk or a bike ride.

But now the neighbourhood has been upgraded with new walk and bike paths, new apparments and lofts, a nice dock for house boats. It will soon be the place to be. Call it "The City meets the Harbour".

Easy to be reached from the Dampoort or the pedestrian bridge from Dok Noord. Two and a half kilometers away from the city centre.

And in a new trendy area, you must find a trendy coffee bar. The CUP bar, is a place where you enjoy a coffee along the bike path, five meters away from the waterside.



But not only you drink a brew or get your breakfast or lunch, you bring your bike to the shop behind the cafe for repairs or even better to buy a brand new one. I know cycling and coffee is our thing, but you can also start running, kano or yoga. So they can call themselves a sportsbar too. 

No outfit?, no problem eather, they have a small sports clothing division too on the same address. And of course you can sit outside on the terrace enjoying your coffee and cake. 

The very friendly staff is very helpfull but....

Maybe the only negative point was that the espresso macchiato can be a bit stronger, same issue with the ice caffé latté, a bigger coffee shot would be perfect. Now I had the feeling drinking a milkshake with coffee taste.



Bikeking is the shop in the back where you can buy bikes, the home brands are BMC, Moustache & Benno. Mountain bikes, race bikes and E-bikes are available.

  
Cup Coffee- corner Bataviabrug and Schipperskaai - 9000 Gent
closed on monday - https://hello.cup.gent/landing