Ok, a quick update for my original review and I am pleased to say that this Giddy Up outlet located to one side of Guildhall Courtyard just gets better and better. The drip coffee station is still in place using a Hario cones in conjunction with a wide and constantly evolving selection of freshly ground beans from all of London’s best roasters. I usually still choose the drip coffee which is both delicious and wonderfully fragrant. While this can mean a bit of a wait, entertainment is provided by way of the ‘theatre’ of Giddy Up’s barista going about the brewing process which is a lot like watching an open air coffee demo. However, Giddy Up now caters for the espresso crowd with the installation of a new machine enabling stronger shots to be pulled. Now there is no excuse not to come here instead of Starbucks et al.
Dominique L.
Place rating: 5 London, United Kingdom
Giddy Up Guildhall — quite possibly London’s first dedicated al fresco brew bar is a coffee stall located right smack in the middle of the majestic Guildhall Courtyard. It only serves drip coffee, much to the dismay of many a punter too used to espresso-based drinks, but, if you have the time and are ‘adventurous’ enough to venture out of your comfort zone, then you won’t regret trying one of Giddy Up Guildhall’s wonderous filters. The stall uses a variety of methods to brew their coffees, including the Aeropress, Chemex and Vario 60 cone filter, all of which produce variances in the taste of the coffee. Far from the strong black stuff that you might be used to, the filters I’ve tried here have been amazing light and almost sweet at times, and have almost converted me from being a flat-white-only drinker. Aside from the novelty of the almost-science-lab set-up, the baristas at work here are often chatty and happy to educate. They’ve certainly been happy to let me borrow a chair and sit down with my lunch and watch them ply their trade. What’s the downside here? Well, it’s a brew bar. It takes time for a coffee to be made, so if you’re in a rush and you only have five to ten minutes to spare, this wouldn’t be the place for you. Otherwise, the coffee’s well worth the wait, with the banter being a bonus.