Rocket Bean

Named lots from a roastery that runs the whole chain

Rocket Bean sources, roasts and serves its own coffee, so what lands on the bar is the same work the company does upstream rather than a rotating guest shelf. The geography is broad, with lots from Africa, Central America, Latin America and Asia, but the useful part at the counter is how plainly they are named. FLOW is a Brazil special edition. Daily Drive is a Brazil natural. Ziedonis is a washed Ethiopian Yirgacheffe. Ethiopia Honey is marked organic. Those names tell you how the house thinks, because origin, process and intended use are all carried in them. European Coffee Trip included the roastery in its 2025 awards.

Espresso when it is busy, filter when it is not

Espresso sits beside filter brewing, with V60 and Chemex named as the slower methods, and the choice is worth making around the queue rather than the menu. If the bar is moving fast, espresso will tell you the roast style quickly. If there is slack, a hand brew gives the coffee more room. Natural light and industrial detail keep the room active, service runs from the counter rather than a table, and the smell of roasting is part of the place rather than an effect laid over it. Regulars use it three ways at once, as a coffee stop, a retail shelf and a meeting point for the city's specialty crowd. The bakery side supports the café instead of pulling it toward a dining room.

Start with Ziedonis on filter

Ask what is on filter first, then pick the method around the coffee rather than the other way round. If Ziedonis is running, take it as a V60 for the clearest read on roast and processing. If Daily Drive is on, that Brazil natural makes more sense as a steady house coffee, especially through espresso or with milk. FLOW is the one to look for on the retail shelf if the plan is to take the roast home. The house does not need a speech at the counter, because it names its coffees plainly enough. For a first visit, order a hand brew, then buy beans only after tasting what the bar is doing that day.