The London Coffee Festival is always an overload of the senses. The raucous four-day extravaganza for you and 29,999 of your closest friends is replete with coffee, alcohol, and no less than six DJs pumping a mega mix at any given moment. Itโs a lot to take in. But as with previous LCFs, this year there existedย one bastion of chillโa quiet-ish enclave where one was invited to take a more relaxed, elegant look at coffee and all its commingling possibilities. I am of course talking about the coffee dinner.
Last year, the coffee dinner was handled by Scandinavian Embassy, Amsterdamโs masters of coffee and food pairings (and arguably the best cafe in the world). And while their absence this yearย left some sizable shoes to fill, the rather large feet of Grind, a London-based cafe and cocktail bar with multiple locations around the city, stepped up to the plate. Even with high expectations, Grindโs three-course coffee pairing dinner found a variety of unique utilizationsย forย coffee as a componentโboth light and subtle, heavy and rich.
Each โdinnerโโthey happened throughout the dayโlasted about an hour to an hour and a half and was limited to a seating of at most 12 guests. The progressive menu began with a heritage beetroot salad with toasted pistachios served over whipped labnehโinfused with Rwandan Buliza espressoโand a washed Ethiopia Dumerso cold-brew pairing. ย The espresso lentย the courseย a subtle, earthy counter-note toย the acidity in the beets and the labneh, while the Dumerso was a sweet, light, and floral aperitif.
As an intermezzo, a sort of pre-second course, there were fresh sourdough rolls andย butter infused with the same Rwanda Buliza espresso. Though still understated, the espresso flavor was far more pronounced in this mid-course than it was in the previous dish.
The second and main course was nextโa sous vide sirloin served at a perfect, lightly pan-fried medium rare. A Peruvian coffee-based butter reduction/gravy-type sauce complimented the cut, and was also the dishโs pairing, served simply as a shot. The coffee was rich and chocolaty on the side but came off as sweet in the dish.
The final course was a chocolate parfait constructed with Grindโs house espresso streuselโconstituted of two different Brazilian coffees and one Colombianโand candied hazelnuts. On the side was a cup of Grindโs Burundi Gakanke, which was made via V60. Admittedly, Iโm not much of a fan of chocolate dishes, but the parfaitโs over-the-top sweetness and richness pulled the lightness and crisp acidity of the pour-over into focus. I found myself going back to the parfait just so I could immediately follow it with a sip of the Burundi to experience them pop.
The meal concluded with a delightful cold-pressed green juice. Because after three actual coffees and four coffee-infused courses, consuming something green felt like not simply a digestive imperative, but a moral one.
Grindโs meal was a delightful look at how coffee can be used as a versatile ingredient for the thoughtful chef. It need no longer be relegated to heavy-handed rubs or as aย bitter component but can provide sweetness, earthiness, and floridity. It can also be, as it turns out, the perfect fuel with which to jump back headlong into the fray at a bustling coffee festival.
Zac Cadwaladerย is the news editor at Sprudge Media Network.ย Read more Zac Cadwaladerย on Sprudge.
