Books, coffee and modern art

 Nice Sunday afternoon, sunny and windy. Perfect day to sit with a book and coffee on a terrace. Unfortunatelly that's not my case, I'm fighting with GPS which way to go to get to my target place for today. I win yet to lose about ten minutes on parking. The good thing is that parking is mostly free at weekends. And I'm close to my destination on Pańska 3, Warsaw.

I walk by a Starbucks with an open door, the interior looks very welcoming and cozy, yet not enough to tempt me today. Cool pricy merc is parked nearby and some fun old cars keep passing by. What a mix. Kinda like Warsaw's architecture is, old town, soviet minimalistic buidlings and contemporary glass skyscrapers right next to each other.

And what is this... I thought for a moment that guy up there was a real man. Oh, that's where art begins and the coffee is already close. I had to surf through the web to find the place. EMESEN is a coffee shop inside the Modern Art Museum. 

Here is a sign one might easily miss. That would be like not seeing a treasure right before your very own eyes. Don't pass, give it a chance. I know the museum's look is questionable and shabby. On the other side, it offers books, lots of coffee and art!

I get in, walk straight to the two cool lads at the bar. My polish is improving, so the convo is pretty fluent. English is my safe option when I lack words, so no worries wherever you come from. Today is my third time here. You can tell I'm becoming a loyal customer. Yes, I bought here a pack of Honduras by Bonanza roasters (Berlin) a month ago. Highly recomended by barista ladies whose shift it was then. What will the men advise? They suggest I have another roast by Bonanza, Ethiopia Seka Forest this time. Quite an intriguing name. Automatic dripper? That's new, I'll go for it! Common price of 10zl (2.5 USD) is not cheap, yet coffee is always a treat for me, so I get a bigger cup for 13zl and a piece of a pumpkin quiche pie.

I'm glad I took couple sips before biting the pie for it was spicy and I lost ability to tell what coffee actually tasted like. Didn't see it coming! Anyway, the impression I got from this Ethiopia was nice light acidity and balance. Nothing really striking or surprising. Can it be that automatic drip lacks the magic human hands can do? I might buy a pack later and see what I can get out of it in my home lab.

These guys cooperate with another shop Filtry to sell coffee through Czarna Fala website. They do have quite a wide choice. When I came to buy beans to take home, they brought a big box full of various roasts and put it on the tall table for me to dig in. Impressive! Looking at the line of coffee they brew, might make you pause for a sec cuz choice is not easy at all. They win me by offering a choice so every time I have something new. When I find perfect beans and roast I might stick to it for a while. We'll see.

And last but not least - books. One is very welcome to take books and read them right there while having coffee or else. Reading is free. It just felt so good to sit in a company of reading people. Most books are about art, design, photography and the like. The shop was busy and that just made it even better. Yes, the seatting is not soft or super cozy, there is no wood on the floor or ceiling, no armchairs to sink in... Feels like you entered a factory and are walking through a corridor to your workplace. It is indeed modern and simple. Not traditional or fancy. I would call it a cool spot if you like. Something here resonates with my soul. I guess it is the coffee again.

Close to main train station at the moment? Want new experience? Like to read and have a coffee? Emesen is worth stopping by.