Cafes in Uppermill - Abaco Uppermill coffee shop review
What are the best cafes in Uppermill? We take a look at all of the good Uppermill coffee shops in our series to find the best coffee houses.
There is no shortage of coffee shops and cafe's in Uppermill or the Saddleworth area. In fact Uppermill is getting a bit of a reputation for itself as the coffee capital of Saddleworth, with new one's being proposed via planning application as we speak.
There are many Uppermill coffee shops to choose from in Uppermill and the whole Saddleworth area in general. And our hunt for good coffee shops is a global love affair. Every place we travel to starts with coffee. Good coffee. Great vibes. We've had coffee in some of the best coffee shops in the world: watching the world go by at Les Deux Magots in Paris to people watching at Cafe Central in Vienna. And we're going to blog about them in this section. A dedicated coffee shop blog (section).
As we get ready to sell our house and embark on a round the world trip with our kids, we're taking in all that's good in our local area, before we go and blog about it here. A kind of farewell to everything we've known and also a little helping guide for readers visiting the area, looking for good places to go.
The hunt for good coffee, starts at our local coffee shop Abaco Uppermill.
This is our review on Caffe Grande Abaco. Italian vibes, Cocktails, craft IPA's and more.
A pretty standard scene for us on the weekend when we're in the UK. Coffee in Uppermill, IPA and cake at Abaco Uppermill
We had to start our Hunt for good coffee section of this blog, with our local Uppermill coffee shop. Abaco Uppermill - We like to go here regularly, as a couple on a date night, with the kids and with friends. That’s one of the things that makes it so good. It’s more than just a coffee shop. It's versatile. With a good vibe across all boards.
Café Grande Abaco is on our local Village of Uppermill, Saddleworth. It is one of many great cafes in Uppermill. It's a coffee shop, deli, wine bar and has that most important thing of all a good “feel”. It’s just got a good vibe and it works. It was originally called Java, the kids still call it Java, refusing to acknowledge the rebrand in one of their own little protests. Stubborn little things aren’t they. Originally it was set on the ground floor and lower ground floor, it has grown to have an additional 2 floors above and a deli shop over the road. Some going that, considering we’ve had credit crunches and lockdowns over the last few decades. It is doing amazingly well and is a testament to the owners that they have expanded massively but it’s not lost any of it’s charm.
Abaco Uppermill coffee shops - We picked a good spot at the window on the 2nd floor. A good spot to watch the day go by and catch some rays. Just down below around the corner you'll see Uppermill Park
Abaco Uppermill is Inspired by stylish Italian coffee houses, the type that border bustling marketplaces and colonnaded piazzas. Now Uppermill isn’t quite the back streets of Rome, but with Abaco's style, it feels pretty close. The décor is well done, with lots of marble, dark woods and their signature orange branding the downstairs two floors feel very compact and cosy, with the newer upstairs rooms feeling a bit more open and spacious, but still cosy.
It has a great atmosphere and is always bustling. This is what makes it great to take the kids to. A bit of background noise is never a bad thing, especially when you have a boy that forgets he has headphones on, whilst using his Ipad and responds to any question with shouts instead of talking as he forgets he has headphones on. It’s just easier when the kids can chat and not worry about sounding like a foghorn in a quiet coffee shop. Each floor is a good to spend time on, we love to get a window seat upstairs and watch the world go by. There’s always someone to have a chat and a catch up with too.
Abaco Uppermill. Good for drinks & nibbles with friends
Or even for a date night with cocktails for two
It has a fantastic outdoor courtyard area, on the front area, adding to the continental feel. It has retractable awnings and also a good amount of patio heaters, so it’s good for all seasons and also in the UK where spring evenings can still get a bit chilly. This does get very, very busy out here particularly on a summer day. On warm days it will be full with a mix of people, locals stopping by, cyclists taking on some calories before tackling the local hills, dog walkers and ladies who lunch so it’s great for people watching too. It’s full but there’s usually not much of a wait as it can be pretty fast paced as you have groups just stopping by for a quick coffee. Weekend nights in summer can also see local musicians performing in the courtyard. I’m not usually a fan of this, but we have seen a couple here that have been pretty good.
They also have regular themed nights, usually based around a specific countries food and culture, such as Greek night, Italian night etc. These see speciality dishes added to the menu and regional drinks served.
Sitting outside in the sun, with good company, good food & drink.
The coffee is good and oh my days, hallelujah, it is served in proper cups, not glasses, which is always a massive plus for us. They use their own blend, which is nice and strong, but not overpowering. Their mission statement is “la nostra passione’ l’arte dell’espresso, or “our passion is the art of espresso”. Sounds good to me in either language. The baristas are always well trained and always make a good coffee. Consistency is key for me in a coffee shop and they get it right. They even use milk sourced locally from the next village along. The kids love the hot chocolates or sometimes a Chai latte… Dependant on their mood.
A flat white & the Abaco signature cake. Mandorla Chocolate brownie. They have a matching candle in this fragrance that makes the home smell good enough to eat!
They have a great wine selection, their own IPA on draught and a good choice of cocktails. The menu is Mediterranean inspired, so has a choice of pizzas, salads and more. The sharing platters are the go to, for groups of locals and tourists alike. The cakes are really good, we recommend the Mandorla, which is their speciality desert. It’s a sticky chocolate brownie, with almonds and some super addictive sticky figs on the top.
Wanting the platter more than the photo
We love to go for breakfast too, a good coffee and an eggs Benedict always hit the spot. There’s been days when we’ve literally spent nearly the whole day in here. A bit of brunch can easily turn into a few lunchtime drinks. I’ve met a fried for lunch and drinks, that turned into an afternoon of drinks, with tea and then still being there as they closed up. It really has that good a vibe to it.
Cocktails & people watching. Perfect.
The service is fast and friendly and the kids love the good wifi. Honestly, if you’re ever local to Saddleworth, then it’s well worth popping in and enjoying the vibe. It does get busy and they’ve recently opened up a booking system, instead of walk ins only. So, I would recommend booking, especially on a sunny weekend. If you do go, let us know. We might even be in there, if so and it’s before midday, mines a double espresso, if it’s after 12, then I’ll have an IPA.
Some of the other uppermill coffee shops include:
Kobe Coffee Shop
Weaver & Wilde Coffee Shop
Saints Coffee Shop
Before we go on our world travel adventure (read the about us section) we're sampling everything that our local area has to offer and we look forward to visiting Kobe coffee Uppermill next on our tour & reviews of cafes in Uppermill / coffee shops. But first we're in Dubrovnik.
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