Quench were invited to review Metchy’s Cafe on Cathays Terrace.
Words by Sai
Right next to Lidl there is a little cafe. It used to be no more than a sandwich stand, but over summer, the owner, Metchy, transformed it into a caf├®, specifically designed for students and businesspeople as a sort of comfortable study space.
The first thing you notice when you walk in is how well everything is put together. The walls are real bricks; the floor is a mixture of different coloured wood; and at the back, a huge hand-painted waterfall splashes down the wall. A unique detail is that the lights are made of reused pipes! In his transformation of the place, the owner also added toilets with disabled access and installed an entire kitchen so that he would be able to offer some warm breakfast to his customers. Overall, the charm of this caf├® originates in it being nothing but ordinary. Everything is exactly what you expect of a caf├® but done well.
The menu mirrors this attribute. Apart from a few Turkish items, everything is exactly what youÔÇÖd expect to find in a normal caf├®. Feeling wonderfully ordinary, I ordered a cappuccino and a cheese and olive omelette but went rogue with an additional Turkish breakfast. Whilst waiting for the food, I watched the owner go around and personally talk to all his customers. ÔÇ£This [Hospitality] is my life!ÔÇØ he told me, whilst proudly explaining everything heÔÇÖd done to make the caf├® ┬áwhat it is today.
The presentation of the coffee and the food was very neat, just like the interior of the caf├® itself. Once again, what made the food so enjoyable was that it tasted exactly as it should. There was nothing unexpected or surprising about any of it, but everything was done with care and precision. The omelette was fluffy and refreshing, perfectly balancing out the salty dark olives. Even the cheese and sausages from the Turkish breakfast werenÔÇÖt too heavy or strong, but instead light enough to enjoy until the admittedly large plate was empty.
The two items that particularity caught my attention were the bread and the honey, as they in particular were of good quality, and also complemented each other perfectly. The bread was still warm, herby and chewy, and the honey tasted flowery and very sweet!
I genuinely enjoyed visiting this caf├®. As mentioned before, its nothing extraordinary or exotic. ItÔÇÖs a caf├®. But itÔÇÖs a very good caf├®, where everything is designed to make you comfortable, at ease and relaxed. The layout of the comfy chairs and spacious tables, the artwork, the food, and even the occasional sound of the coffee machine, make it perfect for a few hours of writing or studying. What I liked most of all, however, was the huge window. It mostly reflects the sky when outside, so for passers-by peering inside, itÔÇÖs difficult to make anything out. But from the inside it felt to me like a safe separation from the outside, allowing me to leisurely people-watch, whilst enjoying my coffee. In any case, I really suggest you check out MetchyÔÇÖs, whether for breakfast, a cup of coffee or to study, itÔÇÖs definitely worth it.
