Colonna and Small's

Colonna and Smalls is a little independent coffee shop in Bath where they take coffee very seriously. They have a changing menu of beans, divided between espresso and filter, with three bean types each. I went for a filter coffee, and was recommended a Rwandan Red Bourbon, washed (not sure what that means), but was also recommended that I didn't put milk in it, or sugar. C and M like to sell coffee according to the season, and Rwandan coffee season is apparently just coming to an end, so last chance to try this amazing coffee, until next year. It was also recommended I take it without sugar. I am someone who normally drinks milky sweet coffee, though I have recently got fed up with all the frilly frothy Starbucks caramel laced cream-topped coffees that have taken over our coffee culture, and like my coffee now to at least fill most of the cup, so was keen to try this spartan approach to coffee. The idea is that the coffee has nowhere to hide, and that the flavour speaks for itself with its own natural sweetness. It was quite a thrill to drink this cup of black coffee, "the flavour intensifies as it cools down' the waitress said. The taste was somehow more like a rooibos strong tea, with hints of apple or other fruit, no bitterness or acidity, very easy, palatable, and yes, a hint of sweetness. C and M's, despite being serious about coffee, is a friendly, relaxed place, with wooden benches and tables, spaces outside at the back, and a small array of cakes (had nice lemon cupcake), and about as far from the overkill of Cafe Nero as you could get.