Coffee Shop:
Aviano Coffee
http://www.avianocoffee.net
244 Detroit Street
Denver, CO 80206
Date Visited:
Thursday, June 9, 2016
About 2:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Purchased:
Cappuccino: $4.75
(.75 cent charge for almond milk)
This is a pretty "upscale" coffee shop so I decided it was a good place to try a cappuccino. I think this is what a cappucino is supposed to be: 2 oz espresso, 2 oz milk, 2 oz foam. And well-crafted.
It was a good cappuccino. I feel like I got the classic experience. I'm not in love with the foam idea in general, but I like it in that it is classic and worth experiencing. It was good foam here.
Classy cappuccino!
They said it was a dollar charge for almond milk and I was like, "Even for a cortado???" (We had been talking about cortados and cappuccinos.) He looked and it was .75 cents for a cappuccino. It's not like that's amazingly better, but at least it's sort of internally consistent and I was willing to go ahead and do it because they seemed classy and I wanted to try their espresso. And it seemed like a good place for a cappuccino. But a dollar is ridiculous for a milk substitution.
They have indoor and outdoor seating. While I was there the whole front wall was opened up. It was hot so I sat in the back where the air conditioning was mostly effective (though I do disapprove of having an entire open wall and blowing air conditioning outside...it's just too much). It was also busy in the outside area - looked nice and shady and fun. There were a lot of people hanging out being social, and probably working. There were a lot of people in nice clothes. I actually felt a little bit out of place. The baristas were in slacks and polo shirts and stuff. I guess it was VERY "Cherry Creek." There weren't a lot of people working alone. I feel like it's a "being out and about" place. It made it kind of lively, which was cool.
Bottom line is this place has really good coffee and it's really nice. The "upscale" description is deserved. The baristas were nice and professional. The coffee shop is spacious, organized, and cleanly styled. The coffee was tasty and well-crafted.
It had a "nicer restaurant" feel. In that vein...it had the sort of nice restaurant feel that I usually skip. Like, it's nice in ways that I don't think are worth the little things that follow, like upscale pricing, like a dollar charge for a milk substitution, like not having a parking lot because people will deal with the meters anyway (see below...I think it's annoying when businesses have the attitude that they are totally not responsible for how people actually transport themselves to the business...but this is by no means unique and another whole issue on its own...just commenting...moving on). And I don't care about things like people being dressed really nicely at a coffee shop.
I think Aviano would be out of place in locations other than Cherry Creek. And I think they totally know that and are intentionally well-styled for Cherry Creek. They are unique, in a good way. I haven't been to a coffee shop quite like them and that's a hard claim to make with SO many coffee shops everywhere. So they have found a cool, distinct niche. And it's not superficial - the quality is as good as the atmosphere they present. But since they do have the "we're a nice place and this is a place where you act like it is a nice place" attitude I can see how it might seem uninviting sometimes. Also the difficult location and priciness are factors. I still really liked hanging out there, but wouldn't do it all the time. I think whether it is a "can't miss" place depends a LOT on whether one is a part of the audience they are appealing to, or the experience one is going for...but it seems they appeal to that audience and experience quite well. While it's not a perfect storm of convenience, price, atmosphere, and coffee for me...I really liked checking them out and trying their coffee.
The milk substitution is what I mean... It's not worth it. But then it kind of was. Because this is the kind of place where everything is just a bit too expensive, but you do it anyway because you grudgingly accept that it is that kind of place. So then...by definition it is worth it because you were willing to pay. But then you don't do it all the time...unless you're some people who don't care. So really it's just kind of worth it...but you can see how they make all this work.
Right? That explanation. Just like that.
The Parking Note:
Parking was hard. They don't have a lot and most street spaces are metered. And they were all full! I ended up finding free 2hr parking a couple blocks away. I stayed a bit longer than 2 hours so I had to deal with walking two blocks to move my car. There are also a lot of permit restricted streets, so it takes some attention to decipher.
It was a little confusing to know where to order (I didn't have an issue because I walked in when no one was there and a barista pointed me to the right area, but I can see how it would be really annoying to stand in the wrong place in line before realizing it). The register is where you pick up your drinks, since that's when you pay, but it's not where you order. There are little menus on the other side, but they aren't really noticeable until you're already at the counter. Also if you don't already have a drink you like to order and want to peruse the menu for a second, if there is a line you can't do that until you are already up to order. I would feel awkward with people waiting. Fortunately for me there weren't, but just pointing this out.
The music was kind of loud, but it worked with their vibe.
The wi-fi was a little slow sometimes, but no issues.
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