Wooden tables and bentwood chairs in a bright cafe room, with the counter at the far end

Harbour end — since the old net loft

A coffee room that opens before the boats go out.

Batch brew by seven, a pour-over bar for the single origins, and a kitchen window that keeps going until mid-afternoon. One long table, shared, for whoever turns up.

See today’s menu Hours & visiting

Open today: 7:00am – 4:00pm
Pour-over bar: From 8:00am, by the cup
Kitchen window: Last order 2:30pm

Espresso bar

All day · Cove House blend

Flat whiteSix-ounce, double shot, no sugar in it5.00
CortadoShort and sweeter, in glass4.60
Long blackTwo shots over hot water4.40
Cove mochaDark cocoa stirred through, not syrup5.80
Espresso tonicOver ice with a slice of lemon6.40
Oat cocoaFor the people who do not drink coffee5.20

Filter & cold

Pour-over from 8:00am

Batch brewRefill in the same cup, same visit, 1.504.20
V60, single originAsk what is open — brewed to order6.50
Cold brew on tapTwenty hours, served black over ice5.50
Sparkling cascaraCoffee cherry, lightly sweet, no caffeine hit5.00
House chaiSteeped slow, whole spice, honey on request5.40
Loose leaf potTwo cups — black, green or mint4.80

Kitchen window

Until 2:30pm, then the counter only

Elm Cove plateEggs your way, greens, sourdough, roast tomato18.00
Smoked trout on ryeCreme fraiche, dill, pickled shallot16.50
Baked eggsHarissa butter, chickpeas, flatbread to mop15.50
Mushroom toastieTaleggio, thyme, pressed on the plancha14.00
Green plateGrains, herbs, soft egg, lemon dressing13.50
Soup of the dayWhatever the market had, with sourdough11.00

Counter bakes

Out of the oven by 7:00am

Cardamom knotThe one that sells out first5.50
Almond croissantFrangipane, toasted twice6.00
Sea-salt brownieDense, barely set in the middle5.00
Lemon polenta sliceGluten free and made that way on purpose5.20
Cheese & chive sconeWarmed with cultured butter5.50
Rye-flour doughnutSaturdays and Sundays, jam or custard4.80

A flat white in a ceramic cup with a leaf poured into the crema — The pour

Pastries and baked goods arranged on trays along a cafe counter — The counter

Cafe seating with light coming through a tall window onto empty chairs — The room

A cup of black coffee on a worn wooden table beside a saucer — The long table

A cup of coffee and loose roasted beans on the timber bar of a cafe

On the hopper this fortnight

Three coffees open, and what each one is good for.

We keep one blend for milk, one bright filter and a decaf that nobody has to apologise for. If you are unsure, say what you usually drink at home and we will point you at the right one.

Cove House blend

cocoa · baked plum · brown sugar

Everything on the espresso bar. Heavy enough to hold its own through oat milk, and the one we sell most in 250g bags.

Kirinyaga AB, Kenya

blackcurrant · cane sugar · rhubarb acidity

Filter only — batch in the morning, V60 to order after that. Order it black and let it cool a minute before the first sip.

Huila decaf, sugarcane process

maple · dark cherry · soft finish

Works as espresso, filter or in milk, so a decaf order never means a worse cup. Available in bags too.

How we sell beans

Before you come down

Hours, quiet windows and how the long table works.

The room holds about forty people and fills twice a day. These are the honest times to aim for.

Opening hours

Monday – Thursday: 7:00am – 4:00pm
Friday: 7:00am – 6:00pm
Saturday: 8:00am – 6:00pm
Sunday: 8:00am – 3:00pm
Kitchen window: Closes 2:30pm daily
Public holidays: Counter hours only

Visiting notes

Quiet windows7:00 to 8:30 in the morning, and anything after 2:30. The middle of the morning is the busiest hour of the day.
The long tableSeats ten, shared, first come. It is held for groups of six or more only when an enquiry has been confirmed.
Getting hereBike racks sit under the awning on the sheltered side, and the kerb outside stays clear for prams and chairs.
Dogs and childrenBoth welcome. Dogs on the terrace side, high chairs stacked by the window bench.

Asked at the counter

Questions we answer most days.

Can I work from the cafe?

Yes, before eleven and after two. Between those hours we keep the tables for people eating, and the long table is never a desk during the lunch window. Power points run along the window bench and the wifi password is on the card at the till.

Do you take bookings?

Not for tables of five or fewer — those are walk-in, and the wait is rarely long outside the mid-morning rush. Groups of six or more can reserve the long table using the enquiry form below.

Is the decaf an afterthought?

No. We run a sugarcane-process Huila decaf through the same grinder routine as the house blend, it costs the same, and it holds up as espresso, filter or in milk.

Can I refill a batch brew?

Yes — bring the same cup back to the counter on the same visit and a refill is 1.50. It applies to batch brew only, since pour-overs are brewed to order.

How do you handle allergies?

Tell us at the counter and the ticket goes to the kitchen with the note on it. We can swap in gluten-free bread on most plates and the lemon polenta slice is gluten free by recipe. The kitchen handles nuts, gluten, sesame and dairy in one space, so we will be straight with you about what we cannot guarantee.

Do you sell beans, and will you grind them?

All three coffees are available in 250g bags from that week’s roast. We will grind to order for filter, plunger or espresso, though whole bean keeps noticeably better if you have a grinder at home.

Is there anything to eat late in the day?

After 2:30 the kitchen window shuts and the counter carries on — toasties off the plancha, soup while it lasts, and whatever bakes are left. Fridays and Saturdays we stay open into the evening for coffee and the last of the counter.

Groups of six or more

Reserve the long table.

Send the date and roughly how many of you there are. We confirm by email, usually the same day, and we will tell you honestly if the time you want is the busiest hour of the week.

Six to ten people. Larger groups can take the table plus the window bench.
Set plates, if you want them. Easier for the kitchen and faster for you.
No deposit. Just let us know if the plan changes.