Noula's Coffee Shop

Stopped in a couple times while we were visiting. My parents are huge coffee snobs and they were both very impressed with the quality of beans that are used here. I got the London Fog tea and added a smidge of honey. It was wonderful for a cool October afternoon. Went back a couple days later and the barista remembered what my dad had ordered days before! Definitely a pro!

We wanted a coffee and snack to hold us over to dinner. Hubby got a drip coffee and bagel. I ordered a latte and a coffee cake. Hubby's bagel was barely warmed, not even lightly toasted and his coffee was a cup of over roasted drip. My latte was really strong, almost on the edge of a cappuccino and tasted a bit bitter. The coffee cake was a total disappointment, handed to me in all it's prepackaged individually wrapped form, straight out of a box with no plate. Wouldn't recommend this place, it's more like a coffee bar that you'd find in a gas station.

Listen, when you need coffee, you need coffee. Jamie W. and I got up at an ungodly hour to ride a hot air balloon over the Rio Grande. Magical as it was, we didn't get a chance to have our caffeine fix until well into the morning when we found ourselves at Taos Plaza. It's actually the only place you can get coffee on the plaza, and it's part of the historic Hotel La Fonda. Even with that association, it's really just a Starbucks in disguise. Not a bad thing necessarily but when they call their $3.75 Cafe au Lait Cafe Olé (photo: http://bit.ly/2Gp55hA) - well, welcome to Taos.

COFFEE - 3 stars...Starbucks by any other name
AMBIANCE - 4 stars...lots of adobe and southwestern comfort
SERVICE - 3 stars...serviceable enough
TOTAL - 3 stars... olé

RELATED - Do you know the way to Santa Fe? Here's a collection of places I've visited and reviewed: bit.ly/2I4mWdq

You won't find an actual Starbucks in Taos but you will find this very small coffee shop on the Taos Plaza that uses Starbucks coffee. My mom chose a hot chocolate and pronounced it good. I just had an Italian soda and it was okay.

Free wifi and power outlets near the three tables inside.

I thought this was a great place to grab coffee and tea in the square. Honestly I'm surprised it's not rated more highly. There is not a big food menu at all, a few treats but the coffee and tea are great and the location for hanging out or people watching is perfect.

I'm a little surprised by lower rated reviews all which have to do with the Starbucks coffee in an historic area not being historic and not being original for the surroundings. I must say though that Noula's Coffee Shop is in the Lobby of a nice hotel. It has a door to the main walk so that any may enter the establishment and enjoy. I've stayed at many hotels that have Starbucks cafes in them and they are privately owned - serving the product. This one attempts to keep the look of the area. Even the hospital's Cafe I work at serves Starbucks coffee. Many people appreciate that. In a town where there is not a Starbucks, I'm sure the people appreciate that! There are other coffee shops in town to choose from but if you want your Frappacino or special drink you know where to go here - Noula's!
There is nothing better in the morning than enjoying a cup of coffee and knowing that you can go and do almost anything in the world that you want. Sip... and just know that.

Enjoyed my hot chocolate in the late afternoon. There was only one person taking the order and makes all the drinks but she Rocks!!

Finally, found Starbucks. Although we had a lot of difficulty with my Dry Cappuccino, so I just opted for a regular coffee. Nice place.

Noula's Coffee Shop is located inside the historic Hotel La Fonda right on the historic Plaza in historic Taos, New Mexico.

There is nothing historic about the coffee. It was fresh, made to order. I had an Americano that was just fine.

The setting inside the historic Hotel La Fonda is charming, as is the setting of the Hotel La Fonda on the historic Plaza in historic Taos, New Mexico. Have I worked the historical angle enough yet?

Noula's Coffee Shop uses Starbucks coffee which is historic in it's own way I suppose. Historic in the monocultural corporatocracy that his become much of the United States and indeed the western world.

I would think that a coffee shop in a historic hotel in a historic town with a reputation of independent thinking would represent with something a bit more unique and reflecting the indigenous character of the area. Perhaps New Mexico Pinon Coffee, roasted right down the road in Albuquerque?

Not a real coffee shop, just a starbucks, but a real starbucks is better, which is sad to say. They have no outlets, the one they do they won't let you use since it's for their open sign (as if the wide open door didn't tell people otherwise). The guy who runs the hotel side came and "had to" unplug me so he could turn on his sign and was a little rude about it...

The internet is horrible here. They don't have their own dedicated internet as they rely on the plaza wifi (which isn't reliable) and the hotels (which has a weak signal). There are plenty of coffee shops in town to visit, I suggest going to those...

Finally they have a $5 minimum on credit cards... Go elsewhere...