How I rate

A number is worthless if you do not know how it was arrived at. Here is mine.

Espresso only

Every score on this site is for a straight espresso. Milk hides a great deal, and filter varies with whatever bag happens to be open. Espresso is the most comparable thing I can order in every single place.

I pay for everything

No free coffees, no arranged visits, no place has been told I was coming. No cafe has ever paid to be on this site, and none ever will.

Every visit is logged with a date

One cup is an anecdote. Where I have been several times you will see a range rather than a single number, because the spread is itself the point: a place that is always an 8 and a place that swings between 6 and 9 are not the same place, even if the average matches. Where a range is shown, the last visit date is shown with it, so you can judge how stale my opinion is.

The scale

9–10

As good as espresso gets anywhere. I would travel across town for it.

8–8.5

Genuinely good. Go out of your way if you are nearby.

7–7.5

Solid. You will not be disappointed, but you will not remember it either.

6–6.5

Drinkable. Fine if it is what is in front of you.

Below 6

I do not publish these. Being wrong in public about one bad morning is not fair to anyone.

Three kinds of listing

Rated — I have been, I drank espresso, there is a score.Also worth a stop — specialty places I have visited but am not ready to put a number on. Not specialty, but… — places visitors ask about, listed with an honest note about why you might still go.