This place might be good for coffee, but its aloof staff makes no concessions to their patrons. Want a steamer? No flavor shots here. Want a cookie after the movie? The pastry case is well nigh empty and only few sad, stale scones from the morning are left. Stand by the cash register to have the honor of placing your order and you're liable to have to wait and wait, while a hipster couple get ahead of you by  sidling up to the bar and ordering their mixed drinks. It's as if  Seinfeld's Soup Nazi moved to Amherst and opened a coffee bar.
Review Source:I came here the other night to finish up on some studying. I went next door to Go berry to grab a frozen yogurt cone. I came back to amherst coffee with the cone, and the worker yelled at me and said i couldn't have outside food in their establishment. I looked at him and said okay sorry, but it's like 10 degrees outside, i don't want to stand outside and eat it. and his response was sorry, you have to. OKAY,....so i stood outside and ate my cone while they stared at me from the inside. i have never been treated so poorly. i will never return.
Review Source:Great aesthetic atmosphere, but incredibly snooty. Luckily, they don't charge for WiFi anymore (but the fact that they once did says something). I've been chastised for eating outside food (mind you I bought a drink on site), and scoffed at by patronizing patrons (ironic, yes?). If you enjoy overpaying for a cup of mediocre coffee and being served by conceited hipsters who think a college degree is a prerequisite for entering a café, then you've come to the right place. If not, and you'd like to choose your food from a menu consisting of more than three items, go to Rao's.
Review Source:The coffee is wonderful and the bar mixes some fantastic cocktails and I love the ambiance. I have never found the service to be anything but friendly and helpful! It's true that the crowd is usually made up of students on laptops and professors having meetings, but that is because it's a nice, quiet, cozy place to study and chat. I always get a ton of work done while enjoying a quality beverage. But if you're insecure around introverts or looking for a rowdy scene, this might not be the place for you.
Review Source:Such a good latte! Â The place can come across snooty or arrogant or fancy or expensive because they care so much about the quality of what they are serving. Â I think is worth the price to get such high quality. Â The staff are great but seem often beaten down by the entitled masses that can afford to make everyone else suffer. Â I love the light roast because i don't put creme or sugar in my coffee, the french roast can be pretty harsh for my taste. The place is warm and sophisticated in maybe an overly controlled sort of way. Â At night the bar is a great place to get a cocktail or glass of wine after dinner or a movie in Amherst. Â I got a 23 year rye that blew my mind. Â Overall extremely knowledgeable staff, Â great espresso great booze. Â Go for there to get work done and stay for the procrastination, caffeine and whiskey.
Review Source:I'm not quite sure what to think about this place just yet, I want to give the shop another chance. I loved the atmosphere when I walked in, theres a bar on one side and the coffee shop on the other side and tables for people to work on school or work while they drink coffee or booze. I ordered togo a cup of tea and a shot of espresso for my boyfriend and to me the loose leaf oolong tea wasn't to my liking, but that's probably a bias because I love my oolong tea to be crazy strong. And my boyfriend wasn't to excited about the different taste of his shot of espresso...I mean I thought espresso was espresso ( I know nothing about coffee) but maybe I'm wrong? I'm going to give this store another shot and then report back ;)
Review Source:I usually try to rate places solely on the quality of food/drink, but honestly, I hold a grudge against this place because I find it irritatingly snooty. The coffee is good, but not incredible, which is what I expect from the prices. I once had a piece of the banana chocolate bread, which was really soft and yummy, and the only reason I'm giving this place 3 stars.
Each time I walk in, I fear that I'm going to lose an eyeball from all the pointing pinky fingers. But seriously.
Hey Jamie E., you must have been top of your class at Clown Camp because accusing someone of being arrogant from a position of arrogance is some next-level acrobatics.
The espresso is so good here I don't care if they find a dub-step track that prominently features crying babies and play it on loop. Also, all things considered, it's the best place to get a whiskey in a 100 miles.
Amherst Coffee offers a delicious soy chai! Â On Sunday a local folk trio sits down at a table and plays live music...very enjoyable. Â
My experience of the staff is opposite of a few others...they are not snobby...they are friendly and don't go overboard to be friendly like many of the more franchise businesses out there lately...and I appreciate that. Â I don't like it when people are phony.
And the wifi is free.
We love Amherst Coffee. It is the perfect combination of snobbiness (which I love, 'cause I can be that way too), classiness and comfiness. They have tasty little snacks at the bar. Very good bartenders and baristas here as well. They hire really qualified people. Fellow Yelpers: Wireless is now free! They have good cookies and cakes and muffins etc to go with your latte and they have a great tea selection.
Review Source:This classy and professional coffee shop. Nothing like a Starbucks at all!
The espresso and lattes are perfectly made using Barrington Coffee and Highlawn milk. Only the best local ingredients are use and yes you will have to pay a little extra but it is well worth it once you taste there products. Â You will get more quality than quanity so do not expect huge drinks.
Service is ok , it is no the friendliest or most welcoming as they more focused on their work. But keep in mind they do know what they are doing and do a great job. Just with an attitude and rather snippy.
The atmosphere has a sophisticated yet preppy feel.
Great place to visit if you are in need of serious latte or even a cocktail just make sure to have extra cash .
I am honestly perplexed by the previous reviews of "snobby service" and claims that it is expensive. Â
You will not be greeted by a Walmart "team member" when you enter. Â But the staff here has been nothing but professional, friendly and well informed. Â They even smile at me and make pleasant conversation! Â Insane! Â
As for prices, drinks may be a few cents (yes, cents) more than other places such as Roa's, Black Sheep or whatever other coffee place opens up and closes in the next few months. Â But the quality of the product is far superior and I'd say that's worth a few extra cents. Â It is the best coffee I've ever had. Â Hands down. Â The iced tea is also excellent. Â
(I do not have a direct price comparison, but I will try to follow up on it).
Aesthetically, Amherst Coffee has a very distinct atmosphere. Â Everything is well thought out, it has an identity. Â While other places in town look like high school cafeterias decorated by college kids that just hit up the traveling poster/tapestry sale, Amherst Coffee succeeds in following through with a vision of a place to sit comfortably and enjoy your beverage. Â There are orchids, appropriate lighting, and jazz (which suits the situation and is preferable over an ipod on shuffle that switches between Cat Power, Black Eyed Peas and Minor Threat*.)
This place is about beverages and the beverages are great. Â The service is good, the people are nice and you can always stumble into a conversation with a stranger. Â But there is always the chance you might overhear a really pretentious conversation, but that's just fucking Amherst. Â
(I haven't used their wine and whiskey bar so this review does not cover that.)
*disclaimer: I love Minor Threat and Cat Power, but not the Black Eyed Peas.
Best coffee in Amherst. Â Better than Raos. Â I know some may hate me for saying that but I love coffee too much to lie. Â Also the guys at Chez Albert go there for coffee and to chill out. Â That should say it all to my mind. Â When the only people in town capable of competing in Iron Chef go to a coffee house it's a good idea to follow them.
Review Source:Things to like about it:
The long table is a cool and comfortable place to sit.
The chai and lattes are quite tasty.
Great people-watching location at the main intersection in Amherst.
Things that bug:
The wireless isn't free.
Drinks are expensive.
You could come in every day and there would be no glimmer of recognition in the eyes of the staff, no friendly hello or how-do. An insider told me that employees are counseled to maintain their distance, stay aloof. Seems awfully pretentious in a small farm and college town. It's the reason I stopped going there regularly.
The place gets overly steamy inside.
The jazz grates after a while.
I stop in every now and then when my boyfriend wants coffee. We never stay, we never sit, and we just never get over the snootiness of the staff.
I'm going to put it to you simply, if you really like a good cup of coffee, an Americano or some other espresso drink, this is the place to go. Â The baristas at Amherst Coffee know how to pull a mean shot (or shots) of espresso. Â I'm not going to debate the other yelpers about whether this place is cool or too cool. I mean really, when you want a cup of coffee, who cares about the ambiance. Â If you are looking for that Starbucks vibe and don't care about the quality of the coffee, then this isn't the place for you. Â That said, it is a place I like to work or hang out when its not crowded.
Review Source:Many good experiences and one horrible, horrible one make me give Amherst Coffee only 3 stars.
Aside from the one horrible, horrible visit, here's the short and sweet:
Excellent espresso, likely the best in Amherst. The price reflects the quality (seriously, this is a splurge unless all you buy for breakfast is coffee...).
They offer some small bites (croissants, buns, cookies, etc.) which are alright, but also overpriced. And regarding the service, cashiers are not exactly snooty, but not friendly either. Sort of machine-like, which isn't a terrible thing when you're groggy and in need of caffeine.
The atmosphere varies, though not much of a concern for me since I usually go there to study. And speaking of studying, they turn down the lights WAY low around 5-6pm. Depending on the light, you may have to move somewhere else just to see your own paper.
Now for the horrible horrible experience. I went to Amherst Coffee once with my Mom after seeing a show and we ordered a croissant. It was clearly labeled "Plain Croissant," and was overpriced. So we sit down, sip some coffee, and bite into the croissant---huh? What's that inside there...? Some sort of deli meat? Um... ham?? Wow, it's been years since I've eaten ham since I'm a freaking vegetarian!
At the end of our time there, we went to the seemingly oblivious cashier and politely explained to her about my dietary restrictions and the mistake she had made. What response did I receive?
"Oh." Nope, not even a "sorry" or "thanks for telling us"... just "Oh."
Bottom line, just go for the coffee and bring something to read or do. I'm not going to risk any of the pastries ever again, though.
Three Phrases:
1. Snobby Service.
2. Tasty drinks.
3. Expensive prices.
An addition: They play overly loud jazz music, have poor acoustics (the sound ricochets off the walls), and the seating is uncomfortable.
Why do coffee servers, in a place that has great drinks, have to act like they're better than everyone else? Wouldn't that make everyone happier than most?
Enough said.
So I get the rants and raves about the atmosphere. Â Sure, it's in Amherst. Â Sure, there's a crowd that might feel a bit new-age-hippie. Â But let's face it, it's a coffee shop. And why do you go to a coffee shop? To drink coffee. Â At least that's my reason. Â Oh, and if a place is cool enough (a la Amherst Coffee), maybe you can have a delicious--and fabulously priced--glass of wine. Â Or a bit of whiskey. Â Perhaps tea is more your thing? Or a divine goat-cheese-with-honeycomb plate of heaven?
Please, don't blame AC for the clientele. Â Just get yourself the most delicious cappuccino this side of the Atlantic. Â You'll be glad you did.
Disclaimer: they lost a star when the wifi started costing money. Â Just use the Amherst public wifi. Â It's a little slower, but at least it's free.
This is where you go if you want your coffee to be not only a drink, but a cultural event. Â The staff seem a little - not pretentious - but in their own world. Â The same can be said of the MacBook and PhilosophyBook toting patrons. Â The frequent playing of new-age jazz over the speakers does not help to quell the reputation of this place being hoity-toity. Â
Side Note: I've also always wondered how people can read such dense books with such loud music in the background.
All that being said, the drinks are damn-good. Â The lattes are foamy yet rich and savory. Â And the staff is fast - I always have enough time afterward to sit in my car with my delicious beverage, chastising myself for spending half-an-hour's pay on a cup of coffee.
If there's no parking outside there's always the parking "For CVS Customers Only" behind the drug store, which is down the street.
Why do Pioneer Valley folks hate the Fabulous so? Â It's 'bougie", too-cool, etc. Â Oh please, get over it. Â What is here that's so threatening to you? Â Not enough kale on the menu? Â Not enough beards on the staff?
Given the range of mediocre food and drink establishments that flourish in the Pioneer Valley, we are lucky to have a place that is so consistent in delivering world class goods and service. Â Yes, it's expensive. Â It's the best. Â
There are two criticisms I could begin to get behind - the first is that the incessant Jazz playlist could use a little switching up. Â Check out some newer Jazz, like Susie Ibarra or Claudia Quintet. Â Play the Sea and Cake, Sade, folk, indie rock. Â Hell, play Bitches Brew. Â Change it up a little bit, please.
And, while I don't expect to really be fed here, I'd love to see bar snacks involve a few affordable options. Â What you have is delicious, but $3 for olives and $6 for a few slices of cheese is a bit nuts (and I don't mean $3 for a few almonds). Â Find something easy that you can keep cheap and add it to the menu.
I'd also love to see the bartenders get a little more classic cocktail training. Â It's a shame to have so much good booze and not have a serious foundation in mixology behind it.
All that said, it's really hard to complain about a place that brings the 100% awesome at least 95% of the time. Â Amherst Coffee is simply excellent at what they do, and I'm glad they are doing it. Â All the haters can suck down mediocre-sauce in their sweatpants at a million other establishments.
Pros: Good coffee, clean, absence of wannabe hippies.
Cons: Unfriendly staff, watered down martinis, bad music.
Â
I have been there on more than one occasion, and the service each time has been terrible. How much effort does it take to be receptive, cheerful and welcoming? It is called 'service' industry for a reason.
I don't think the skill of pouring down milk in a fancy way into coffee can make up for a sneering pretentiousness reeking of renaissance age Florence. Knowing the names of obscure wines or scotch whiskeys found on the menu card does not make you the most intelligent person, either.
This place tries too hard, and it fails because of it. Granted you will be surprised by their drinks menu since it has vowed to not serve any drinks found in any of the bars in town. And yes that includes Chivas Regal whiskey. But then, you will be bored to hear Miles Davis' Kind of Blue being played incessantly every time you go there.
And that's what other reviewers have said about good jazz. Yes it is good, but it is presented in a blanket of we-are-the-stalwarts-of-art-and-we-can't-play-Âanything-else-since-we-don't-know-and we-know-you-don't-know-either.
Besides these gripes, you have the typical coffee house crowd, fraught with Apple Macs and curious eyes more focused on other people than the work they're supposed to be doing.
So, if you want to wait 15 minutes to get a coffee or a drink and engage in existentialism discussions with empty headed people, do go there.
Or, if you want to really make the most of it, get their good coffee to go, and visit the Amherst library right across the road, where you can learn more stuff without being a neo-snob.
Some go to coffee houses to sit and lounge around. Â I understand this passion. Â I love working at a coffee shop. Â But, this coffee shop isn't about the lounging. Â It's about the coffee, more specifically a espresso shot....
On a busy rainy Sunday I wondered to Amherst Coffee with a girl that I was visiting. Â "I've been here before." Â I said with a strange sense of familiarity. Â I had visited Amherst before, but I did not remember it, nor did I walk away with the knowledge that I now have generated. Â I wasn't expecting what I was about to run into, but, I knew I needed to go. Â As I walked in and looked at the espresso machine, I knew I was about to get a shot that would knock my socks off. Â I looked up at the board, under the words "espresso" it said, "triple ristretto." Â I have heard of a quad ristretto, but not a triple. Â This intensified my curiosity.
The small ceramic glass was handed to me. Â I could see the thickness of this shot and my mouth watered with anticipation. Â It was filled to the brim but it was still thick the way the Italians would have liked it to be poured. Â I smelled the sweet smell of carefully roasted coffee, blended to perfection. Â I knew that careful care and consideration went into this shot of coffee; from the blend of beans, delicate grinder and espresso machine, to the barista who was pouring my shot, I knew it would be heaven. Â With the first sip, I could taste the complexity of the coffee. Â At first my mouth filled with a fruity dessert flavor like caramelized peaches. Â Then it finished with a maple syrup after taste. Â "What an appropriate flavor for this part of the country," I thought to myself...
Go to this coffee shop go for the love of coffee or whiskey. Â Engulf yourself in the care and craft of coffee. Â If you go for this purpose, I can guarantee you, you will be more then pleased with what you find. Â Don't go if you don't get coffee. Â This is not about frapachinos or crap coffee, it's about the art form of coffee.
H
The coffee, espresso and tea selection is quality. A major bonus is that they are open late and serve beer and wine.
However, I have a list of things that bother me. First thing is that there is no free wireless; you can get onto the Amherst public network but the connection is often unreliable.. The second thing is that I would like to hear a wider variety of musical selections.
The place is good to grab a coffee or drink or to do work there once in a while.
Good espresso. I've been here four times now, and espresso is all I've gotten. Tasts like Seattle espresso, not so much in terms of quality but in terms of flavor characteristics. Interior is one large room with an espresso counter and a wine & bourbon bar. A local beer guru highly recommends this spot for it bourbon & scotch.
Review Source:I have to disagree with previous reviews. I've heard many good things about this place and passed by it a few times, however the one time I went to get a coffee from them I was really disappointed. I agree the coffee itself is really good quality however, service, price, staff, and everything else in between is horrible. I spent at least 15 minutes waiting for my drinks - and I was the only person in line!!! I mean come on! I used to be a barista at Starbucks, and I do have respect for all the coffee industry employees, but seriously I don't need to wait 15 minutes to get a cup of coffee that a machine makes in several seconds! I do not like drinking my coffee cold, and in fact the espresso shots go bad after only after under a minute time, so you should get it to your customer before that time!
Plus, even though the mastery of pouring the milk in an artsy form is seriously a gift and my praise to that person, but making bad tasting mocha(s) for those prices is a crime.
I would not recommend this place to anyone.
This is also a bourgie coffee place. Â But their coffee and teas are sooo good. Â The area itself is a little small, but the atmosphere is nice. Â They also serve alcohol as well but the wines and mixed drinks are very expensive (think about a $9 Cosmo). Â Along with pastries, they serve small appetizers as well like bread and olives. Â
 In the summer time, an iced oolong tea really hits the spot.  They have Jazz on certain nights as well with local artists.
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