Empire expanding on Lonsdale Street?

Mr Evil said :

I don’t understand why some people get so worked up over coffee – it’s just a drink, and it’s not as if your life depends on it.

I prefer tea myself, and while there are certain types of tea I like over others, I don’t get quite as passionate about it like so many coffee ‘addicts’ seem to on a daily basis.

I normally avoid trendy, uber-popular cafes, but I once had a meeting at LSR. After all the hype, I was expecting a damn good long black and……. I got it!
From the first sip, you knew it was seriously good. And the little glass of sparkling water was a great addition! So I have to say, kudos to them.
Now, I haven’t visited every coffee place in Canberra but of the places i’ve been, that particular coffee would have to be very near the top!
(Still, i’m not that much of a coffee snob that i’d go 5 mins out of my way to get one there over another place. So lazy. Hahaha! )

Cafe Culture has ingrained itself in Oz bigtime – I work in Civic and counted 28 coffee establishments with 500mtrs of my work- the place runs on caffieine- but I do understand Solidaritys pique- LSR’s flavour was great but gave up on them as I consistently got lukewarm coffee with too much freeboard in the takeaway cup particularly- the combination of popularity and hipsterdom seemed to be creating a ‘too cool for school’ service ethic. And that wears thin really quickly when you’re on a short break from work

I don’t understand why some people get so worked up over coffee – it’s just a drink, and it’s not as if your life depends on it.

I prefer tea myself, and while there are certain types of tea I like over others, I don’t get quite as passionate about it like so many coffee ‘addicts’ seem to on a daily basis.

Mysteryman said :

“Haters”? Expressing alternate opinion hardly makes one a hater.

I’ve had the coffee there a few times. I didn’t like any of the ones I had. I’m not about to go back and spend more money there when there are places nearby that I like a lot more, which are consistently good.

ok, that’s fair enough.

c_c™ said :

So to the haters, I’m wondering if you realise LSR serves a rotation of blends, which isn’t common in Canberra. Each day, one blend for black coffees, the other for milk ones, and the duo changes every couple of days or so (as advertised on the board inside and out).

So when you say you don’t care for their ‘coffee’ I’m wondering if you’ve bother to try more than one type? There’s a couple I don’t like, Moonshine (weak) and Costa Rica, I think (not balanced), but the others, while each different, I do like.

“Haters”? Expressing alternate opinion hardly makes one a hater.

I’ve had the coffee there a few times. I didn’t like any of the ones I had. I’m not about to go back and spend more money there when there are places nearby that I like a lot more, which are consistently good.

Assassin or Wild Child by the kilo at our office, best coffee in Canberra for my tastes

So to the haters, I’m wondering if you realise LSR serves a rotation of blends, which isn’t common in Canberra. Each day, one blend for black coffees, the other for milk ones, and the duo changes every couple of days or so (as advertised on the board inside and out).

So when you say you don’t care for their ‘coffee’ I’m wondering if you’ve bother to try more than one type? There’s a couple I don’t like, Moonshine (weak) and Costa Rica, I think (not balanced), but the others, while each different, I do like.

I think their coffee is overrated, and I don’t much like the idea of paying for the privilege of sitting on a milk crate like a hobo. But I’m all for others patronising them. It keeps the good cafes more accessible.

Funny you should say that OP about the cold months; walking by the laneway cafe this morning (around 9), no takers for sitting in an icy cold loading dock.

Solidarity said :

Great, now the most pretentious place in Canberra is now getting even more pretentious.

Probably still drinks International Roast

Why pretentious? They do nice coffee and panini. A short black is $2.50, and the staff are pleasant.

I tend to go to the older LSR. I don’t like change…