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Njeri Maina @Njerimainar

I have been having a long-standing love affair with coffee. It dates back to my boarding school days where I subsisted on a diet of beans, mbuca (weevils), paraffin and coffee.

Coffee and one packet of biscuits were the only delicacies allowed from home. I did not mind, especially since I was a bookworm who made a cup of coffee anytime I wanted to study early, or late or simply felt a lag in energy.

It goes without saying then that the average person’s strong coffee won’t in the least give me a buzz.

And having done my time with run of the mill coffee made by yours truly, I am more discerning when it comes to coffee.

So, when one of my church friends suggested I try out a coffee joint with really strong and fresh brewed coffee, I needed no convincing. I was game.

Fresh Meru coffee 

Coffee and Bagels on Lenana Road is the joint you should know about if you love coffee or if the closest you have ever come to a bagel is a movies set in New York.

It is opposite Osteria and right next to a car wash so you can get your car washed as you indulge in well, coffee and bagels. 

They buy their coffee fresh from coffee farms in Meru to ensure quality brews. One can get their coffee cold pressed, siphoned or made by V60 Pour Over or Chemex (well, the main difference between these two is grind size, filter paper thickness, amount of coffee made, how long it takes for the coffee to drain and the ultimate taste of the coffee). 

One can also just get a coffee cocktail instead, their coffee and bourbon hits just the right spot on a chilly morning. Now I know intimately why the Irish so love their Irish coffee.

If you are a fan of iced drinks, they have different flavours of iced coffee, hazelnut and caramel being my favourites.

For those who do not consume dairy, your coffee can be made with almond or soy milk and sweetened with natural honey, sugar or syrup depending on your preference.

Their bagels are quite yummy and wholesome depending on what you choose. I normally opt for either flaxseed bun or mixed seeds where you get toasted pumpkin seeds, poppy seeds and sesame seeds on the bun.

A bagel goes for Sh200 a piece, but Sh50 is normally sliced off each order for orders of 10 bagels and above.

You can have the bagel with spread or choose your toppings from a list of ham, salami, peperoni, bacon, salmon, egg, chicken or beef and make your own bagel sandwich.

The toppings come at an extra cost, but so do all things in life. You could also order a bagel burger or sandwich from their menu.

The two bagel sandwiches I’m always ordering are BOCA, a bagel sliced laterally and neatly stuffed with bacon, avocado, tomato and egg, or their steak and cheese burger.

They do not skimp on the cheese or bacon, so I always leave with my taste buds tickled and my tummy full. 

Show kitchen

Everything is cooked in their show kitchen so you can sit, wait and watch as your order is prepared.

I will never get tired of a show kitchen, especially since you get to watch your food get made, which ensures that you are not served yesterday’s leftovers as is the habit in some places with closed kitchens. 

A BOCA with a coffee is my ideal morning routine. I totally understand the hype around having bacon for breakfast I tell you.

This quaint little spot is a space worth sharing. Feel free to buy me coffee anytime you are around Lenana road. I promise to come in a hurry no matter where I will be.