I’m always on the hunt for a really good cup of coffee and, while Starbucks is good in a pinch, I try to seek out smaller specialty shops. Here are three along the Main Line that are worth visiting on your way to work or on a lazy weekend morning.
You may know Le Petit Mitron in downtown Narberth for its delicious French pastries, cakes and bread. It’s a favorite among train-goers, but did you know this shop brews several varieties of fresh La Colombe coffee? They skip the bells and whistles of other coffee shops, and just serve a simple, delicious cup of joe. Opens 7 a.m. Tuesday-Friday, 8 a.m. weekends. 207 Haverford Ave., Narberth; (484) 562-0500, narberthpa.com.
Another good place is Merion Station’s Town Hall Coffee Co., a few doors down from Hymie’s Merion Deli. If you drive too quickly down Montgomery Avenue, you will probably miss it. But you’ll definitely want to loop around the block and try again. The coffee brews change frequently (there are usually three to five at a time), so one day you might find a sweet, nutty Chapadao de Ferro from Brazil and an intense, floral Anyetsu from Ethiopia the next. Town Hall takes its coffee very seriously and uses the hand-poured process to ensure that every cup is fresh, hot and delicious. The homemade pastries, like the croissant bread pudding, are nothing to sneeze at either. Opens 7 a.m. daily. 358 Montgomery Ave., Merion Station; (484) 270-8041, townhallcoffee.com.
The last stop on our coffee tour is the Green Bean in Gladwyne. Owned by two former colleagues of Berwyn’s Nectar restaurant, this shop serves up rich, tasty cups of coffee with local Chestnut Hill Coffee beans. It also has fantastic soups, salads, sandwiches and pastries, plus gelato and sorbet from Capogiro. Opens 7 a.m. weekdays, 8 a.m. weekends. 358 Righters Mill Road, Gladwyne; (484) 412-8266, greenbeangladwyne.com.
