The Holy Cross Brewing Society

A rotating list of roasters, no house blend

The Holy Cross Brewing Society does not have a house roast, and that is the point. The bar buys from a rotating list of international specialty roasters, so what is in the hopper changes through the year and the counter has to be able to explain it. The Barn, Square Mile, Workshop, La Cabra, Drop Coffee, Man versus Machine, Nomad, Gardelli, Casino Mocca and The Underdog Project have all passed through. The shop is family-owned, has run in Frankfurt's old town since December 2015, and was opened by a longtime photographer who turned a private obsession into a working café.

Espresso, flat white, filter, and a Black Eagle

The drinks list is short and organised by method rather than by flavour: espresso, flat white, hand-brewed filter. A Victoria Arduino Black Eagle handles the espresso side, and seasonal signature drinks appear when a coffee suggests one. Food is deliberately narrow, with homemade pastries beside the cup and nothing pretending to be a meal. The room sits at the edge of the old town on a stretch known for its galleries, which brings in a mixed crowd of art visitors and people who travelled specifically for the coffee. It was recognised in the 2025 European Coffee Trip awards.

Start with filter, then take the pastry

Hand-brewed filter is the first order, because it gives the clearest read on whichever roaster is on at the time and because the team is set up to talk about it. If the visit is short, espresso from the Black Eagle is the direct route, and the flat white is the answer when milk should carry some of the balance. Add a pastry rather than looking for lunch. The wider operation runs barista workshops, coffee subscriptions, equipment and wholesale, so the counter is one part of a larger business, and questions about beans, roasts, blends and origins are welcomed rather than tolerated.