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Velouria Espresso
Rating Details »
Category: Coffee & Tea [Edit]
Neighborhood: Jamaica Plain389 Centre St
(between Day St & Perkins St)
Jamaica Plain, MA 02130
(617) 522-2400
- Hours:
Mon-Fri. 7:00 a.m. - 8:00 p.m.
Sat. 9:00 a.m. - 11:00 p.m.
Sun. 9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
- Price Range:
-
$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- No
- Parking:
- Street
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Wi-Fi:
- Free
21 reviews for Velouria Espresso
All the people who are talking about how this place has coffee that's above and beyond anything else in JP are not lying. I went for the first time yesterday and came back again today, and I plan on going again in the morning.
I agree that it would be nice if they had more baked goods, but I'm not sure where they would put anything else because the space is small. I also agree that they need more signage- I was looking for this place specifically and knew the building from being an old school Video Underground customer, but I still almost walked by it.
The owner is perfectly nice, although I guess a little quiet or reserved; I'm not sure what all the hubbub is about in that department.
this sucks to have to write, because the product is very good, but the experience is not so great. The owner is not mean - but he is also not necessarily nice. The reason folks go to places like this instead of Dunkin' Donuts or Starbucks is for local warm fuzzies - which Velouria is lacking.
Also - they open last Sunday when I stopped by. They have fantastic coffee, they just need to make folks feel better about the "buying coffee" experience, not just the drinking coffee experience. That includes being open :).
Hands down the best coffee in JP. I'm not sure why everyone thinks the owner is so mean. He is not overtly friendly but he has always been perfectly nice to me. Plus, he makes a perfect latte!
Nice little coffee joint right in Hyde Sq, with free Wifi, good coffee and pastries, and a pleasant and modern feel. I stop by here some mornings on my way to work to grab something to go, and the owner there is friendly and helpful.
My boyfriend lives in JP and introduced me to this place. I usually have to add cream to my coffee since most coffee places (Starbucks, Peets) serve dark roast coffee which can be too bitter/strong for me. So I love that this place serves medium and light roast coffees.
It is a little expensive, but I recommend getting a clover press coffee. I ordered one and the owner ground the coffee I chose and then put it through the clover. I grabbed my coffee and was about to pour cream into it when my boyfriend stopped me - "try it first," he said. I took a sip and, much to my amazement, the coffee was smooth, mellow, and sweet. I really didn't need to put anything in it, and I'm not a black coffee gal at all. I still won't drink black coffee anyplace else for the most part --only at Veloria!
They don't have a very large selection of baked goods here, but what they do have is good (Iggy's are the best bagels around, in my opinion). And anyway, it's all about the coffee here. If you are a coffee lover you need to check this place out!
Yes, the coffee here is excellent, and the owner is very knowledgeable and clearly loves coffee. The owner also clearly detests people, and possibly even the neighborhood.
The curmudgeonly, snobby owner is a downside. However, the free wifi is a big plus! It works really well and the other JP coffee shops have spotty or non-existent wifi in my experience.
Still, while the coffee here is much better than other JP coffee shops, and much closer to my house, I find myself walking the extra 10 minutes to City Feed to have a lower quality cup in exchange for the brighter, friendlier and more community-oriented atmosphere.
girl was a bitch but the espresso was tight. for $2 you can a half a tiny cup full of liquid Italian joy. I don't know why young Ms. seemed annoyed by my very presence, no smile, just fashionable apathy. I could take my espresso business to the nice Dominicans over at El Oriental!
b did play great chill music off of her Pandora thou; Magnetic Fields, etc.---
On another note, I often wonder how small businesses work, even in sm. business-land JP. We already have an Ula cafe, Jp Licks, JuneBug cafe, is there financial room for Ms. Valouria Cafe, who moved in just last year??
In closing, Valouria is a nice, clean, newish, hidden spot/conceited younger-step-sister coffee shop for me to do my work or meet up with people in the hood.
I'm not completely impressed by the coffee though its clear that others love it. The espresso and frozen drinks are both great, but the tea selection is really amazing.
Nice cozy atmosphere, great to have in the neighborhood!
I was working in JP and the sudden urge for a latte hit me. Being absolutely sick and tired of CluStarfucks, I wanted change and I sought it!
Did a quick query on yelp for Coffee on Centre st. and voila! 4th result: Velouria Espresso. I decided right then there that I would leave the office for a break and take a walk down in the wrong direction of Centre st. (don't ask, I need GPS to get anywhere). Realized "Oh crap, the numbers are going up, not down.." and quickly turned around to head in the right direction.
About 15 minutes later, there it was, tucked away next to a video store in Hyde Square. Little did I know that change in the form of a medium latte was going to hit my taste buds within the next 2 minutes.
Her name escapes me now but the barista on duty at the time was very helpful, courteous and cute too! I also remember that she had a pretty sweet tattoo on her left arm. I asked for recommendations and she definitely provided complete with descriptions and specifics. In fact this was the first place I have been that agrees with me that flavoring i.e. mocha, takes way from the overall flavor of the coffee.
I ordered my latte as soon as it was done I took one sip, two sips, three and then a fourth! This was it! A coffee drink I could drink WITHOUT sugar! As soon as I realized that, she said it herself. This is change!
Clearly, I was amazed. This is what a latte should be like, smooth with espresso that has just the right amount of bitterness, almost bittersweet.
I am definitely coming back. I have come across an amazing coffee house and I highly recommend it to anyone.
Velouria Espresso, these 5 stars were well deserved!
The coffee here is delish, the white mocha latte is like a party in my mouth. I read the other reviews and I'm glad to see that other peeps also find the owner a little unpleasant, I thought maybe I was imagining it. But who gives a shit, I don't need to engage in meaningless small talk with the coffee barista. I like to go in there when I'm in JP, if he's perpetually in a bad mood sucks to be him!
If you care about the quality of coffee above all else, then this is the absolute best place in New England to get amazing coffee. Do a coffee tasting on the Clover with 5 types of coffee, don't put anything (milk, sugar) in it and enjoy some of the best coffee that you can find without going to NYC or Portland. Even then, this guy knows his stuff.
The seating is limited to 8 or so seats, and the line can get a tad long on occasion if timing is working against you, but its still so worth it. Rarely crowded. I don't think he accepts plastic.
The seats are comfortable. There's a chess set on one of the tables. The magazines are all coffee industry magazines, about barista competitions, roasting, new machines, etc. This guy is serious.
I've made the trip out to JP several times just to go here. If you haven't done it, and you like good coffee then you definitely should. Just resist putting milk and sugar in it!
"Pull an expresso?" Hmmm... Is this an industry term? Are you from France? My coffee was tasty. Very tasty as a matter of fact. I haven't had the expresso, however if they are pulling it bad, I will have to think twice I guess.
Omigod, I am my mother!
I like coming here. The owner is kind of surly but nice enough and it's clear he really cares about making a quality product and service. His employees are cute and nice and seem to enjoy making you caffeinated. That's good, right?
I had a latte with an extra shot of espresso. EXCELLENT. Cute place pleasant music a nice addition to the neighborhood
The best coffee in the area, not just in quality but in presentation. I've only bought coffee from one of their employees but he'll talk coffee like a sommelier talks wine. When I go to a coffee shop, I like to spend some time there so the seating arrangement could be done better (particularly the black seats up front). Still, the coffee is reason enough to stick around.
Finally, good coffee in jp- thank you for saving me from too long lines for sub par coffee everywhere else!
I work really close to this place and I sometimes go here for a small coffee during my lunch break. I really don't want to spend more than $1.00 on coffee these days but I know that I'm a cheap fuck and I still pay the $1.50 for the small size. I'll sometimes alternate with the 7/11 down the street b/c it too has decent coffee and I can get more for less, $1.30 a cup.
Fantastic coffee, whether you get it from the Clover, regular drip, or an espresso... hands-down, the best in the neighborhood!
New coffee shop in the space formerly occupied by Video Underground!
This place just opened in mid-August after months of work on the space. Now it's a comfy and intimate coffee shop with a couple of lounge chairs by the window and a number of small tables. So, what are they serving?
There's the usual array of espresso drinks, and soy is available for the dairy-averse. His espresso is smooth smooth smooth and not bitter. My soy latte (have I become one of them?) was a joy this morning.
In addition to espresso drinks, they're also trying out a new concept they call "American Press" coffee.
Justin (the owner/barista) explained that, no it's not like Freedom Fries, it's a new process for making fast, brewed coffee in a single serving, much like an espresso drink. He grinds the coffee fresh and makes each cup individually in a newfangled machine that comes from -- where else -- Seattle. So, unlike a French press which has to steep for about 5 minutes, his American press makes a fresh cup in under a minute. No pots of stale coffee here.
Free wifi is available and a few munchies are in the pastry case, but this is about the coffee, folks, so sip and enjoy.
The shop is currently in a "soft opening" mode, so hours are only from 6:30 AM to 2 PM, and he doesn't take credit cards (yet).
This storefront is located behind a big street tree and is really narrow, so it's easy to miss. You can find it between Centre Liquors and Food Wall, across the street from the Brendan Behan Pub.
RE: Pan D. from Dorchester, MA.
It seems that I struck a nerve here; will you continue to pretend that you are not the store owner? Add dishonesty to my list of complaints. What a blatantly defensive attack to an honest criticism in a forum designed exclusively for customer criticism. It has already been said by several folks that you make good coffee and with that I agree. It has also been said by several folks that the staff is 'bitchy', and again I agree. Add incapable of taking criticism to the list of reasons the business will fail.
As for the store size and the tree, oh I get it. You are obviously not getting it however. Add any number of _excuses_ to your list; middle placement, magic rain clouds cloaking your storefront, curse from the gods --- the point is people cannot easily see the store. A small amount of effort could overcome these obstacles.
Just as a small amount of effort could provide a toaster - because that is what the customer wants! Your bagels are hardly fresh; they are catered in for god sakes.
Once again I'll agree that you have nice coffee, but Jamaica Plain is fortunate to have a good cup at many locations. Let me "shamelessly shill", for Bon Savor, Canto 6, Blue Frog, Ula Café and Fiores to name a few. Certainly a lazy, snob, poser-idealist with a bad attitude and no regard for customer satisfaction will no longer get my business however.
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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4/3/2009
Trying to fail...
The coffee is good and the tea selection is very diverse, but I've never seen a… Read more »
Best coffee in the neighborhood.
