194°F (it’s the boiling temperature of water) is Bristol’s newest cafe, only opening on Monday on Boyce’s Avenue in Clifton, in premises that were formally a newsagents. It is the latest business from Owain George, the owner of The Albion just over the road.
It is an artfully minimalist cafe, perhaps intentionally so, because the idea is for people to grab their coffees on the go, using the large almost floor-to-ceiling window that opens up onto the road.
The menu board behind the bar, white lettering in a stylish font on a black background, is sparse. No outrageous coffees here, just a simple selection, but all made using a pour-over drip-filter technique, said to be very of-the-moment in London.
Inside, 194°F is all white walls with hints of red to match the cafe’s logo, under the bar, the stools and on the huge Smeg fridge. One wall is left satisfyingly bare, while two graffiti-style paintings add a splash of colour elsewhere.
One of these is a painting of Twiggy by Bristol-based artist Ben Slow, who back in 2008 sprayed a similar Twiggy on Kensington Road in Redland (see here for pic).
Opened with minimal fuss, 194°F is a welcome new addition to the Bristol cafe scene, bringing a new type of drinking experience to the city.
194°F, 4a Boyce’s Avenue, Clifton. 0117 973 0054.
It would have taken about 3 second to find that 194°F isn’t the temperature water boils at.