34 - Metropolis Coffee (Golden Triangle), Denver

Awesome coffee shop.

Coffee Shop:
Metropolis Coffee - Golden Triangle
http://www.metropolisdenver.com/golden-triangle
300 W 11th ave
Denver, CO 80204

Date Visited:
Thursday, July 7, 2016
About 5:00 p.m. - 5:45 p.m.

Purchased:
Almond Milk Cappuccino: $3.45

The almond milk charge on the menu was .75/1.00 under the latte sizes, for medium/large.  I asked what it was for a cappuccino, since it is less milk.  The barista said that on the register is was actually .85 cents, but he said he would do .50 for the cappuccino, since it's small.  I appreciated the internal consistency.  (It never hurts to ask. But if they think it's reasonable they should just HAVE IT LIKE THAT.)

Metropolis currently has three locations and this is the original.  Their web site says it "has become a standard coffee watering hole for local residents before heading into Downtown or the Denver Art Museum."  In making the most of the experience, I paired this visit with a visit to the art museum, though I went after instead of before.  I got to the coffee shop just after 5:00.  They close at 6:00 p.m. so I thought I would have at least an hour, which is a shorter time than I generally spend to hang out somewhere, but I figured it would still be sufficient and I had psyched myself up for some good coffee.  However...they were very not-busy so the barista was checking to see if he could close early.  He did warn me and said it would probably be about 5:30...but I had less time with the coffee and atmosphere than I was expecting.  I was already there and had been planning on trying it, so I went ahead and stayed.  (Granted, no one was there when I arrived and I asked if they were indeed open.  Five people came in after me.  One left just before I did, the others got their drinks to go and sat outside.)

He DID give me a free empanada that he said he wouldn't end up selling as consolation.  And then before I left he offered me the other leftover one as well.  So...I did get consolation.  And it was really good!  They were both corn empanadas.  (Note - it wasn't a vegan empanada, but it was vegetarian.  If it is free food that will get thrown out anyway, then I sometimes eat it anyway, definitely not with meat, but sometimes with cheese or something.  Non-waste is the most vegan thing.)

He also gave me heads up ten minutes before he was actually going to close, so I could know a bit in advance.  It ended up being 5:45, but I rushed a bit with the cappuccino since I hadn't known what the timeframe would be.  Anyway...this is SORT OF understandable and it only resulted in a lack of 15 minutes of time, so it wasn't a huge deal, but it affected my visit.  And like...I think if a business has posted hours then it's really annoying when they don't follow those hours.  Maybe it only inconveniences a few people, but what if someone was in the area and had fifteen minutes to get a coffee before two shops closed...and then they walked to a shop that had closed early and then had no time to go to the other shop?  That just sucks.  Or like...cough...you plan to go to a coffee shop after a museum and think you have until 6:00 and then you don't...cough...  It's annoying.  I was compensated and it didn't end up being that big of a deal for me, and maybe it's not that bad in general, but it's still significant to point out as annoying.

The cappuccino itself though.  Omg.  It was a really good cappuccino.  It was everything my psyched-up-for-coffee self wanted.  The espresso was amazing.  It was super creamy.  The foam was soft and delicious.  It smelled like the best coffee smell there is.

It's adorable and perfect and amazing.

It was seriously fabulous espresso.  This was coffee and espresso as art. Definitely artful in taste, and it was also one of the cutest cappuccinos I have ever seen too.

It had an awesome dark taste from the espresso, and overall there was this light, tangy, sour taste, but there was just the right amount of sweet.  Flavor blending at a PEAK.  It was so good.  So even though I was a little rushed with my cappuccino I will still say it was one of the best cappuccinos ever.  It's a candidate for the best espresso drink I have had.

This cappuccino was in an 8oz cup, so it's a bit less strong than a traditional cappuccino (if that is in fact 2oz espresso, 2oz milk 2 oz foam), though it seems this style is significantly more common.  And maybe it's my favorite.

The coffee shop was nice too.  There were a lot of cool windows and lots of light.  The building was shaded by the structure above, so there was no sharp light or glare.  It was open and spacious with very high ceilings.  There were pads hanging that I'm pretty sure were sound absorbers.  There were also exposed pipes and vents in a way that worked.  Overall it was low-key, but nice and kind of artsy.  It fit the area - especially with the art museum!  The space was relaxing and a really nice place to hang out.  Seating was almost all two-person tables, but there were two soft chairs.  It would be a really nice place to think/talk/read/hangout/work... I would have loved to hang out for a while.  The music was cool, chill background music.  The outdoor seating area seemed pretty nice as well.

No wi-fi issues.

There is 2 hr street parking in the vicinity.  I was in a $7 lot for the day a few blocks away since I also went to the art museum and out for lunch.  They don't have a parking lot.  It's downtown/garage/metered/street parking, but not the worst of it.  It seemed easy enough to park close by in a free 2 hr spot and just stop by.