Sabbath Coffee Tour: Part I, Novo Coffee (6th and Gilpin)

I drive by this coffee shop frequently and have never been in.  It is located on the corner of a residential area, in the same tiny strip mall as a local meat market. Novo has three coffeehouses in the Denver metro, as well as a roastery located at 3008 Larimer Street.

I order my standard drink, a medium dark roast with room.  I am informed that all Novo roasts are light roasts.  So I ask for the least acidic roast and am directed to the Shakisso (an Ethiopian roast).  I fix it up with two packets of Sugar in the Raw and some cream, enough to make it a beautiful "cafe au lait" color.

My first impression of the coffee is that it has quite a bite to it and I am not sure that I like it.  I decide to let it settle and sip more later. After it settles, the coffee is much smoother.  It goes down without much bite and it has a pleasing creamy aftertaste.

The environment of this coffee shop is simple, exposed brick and wood floors.  Minimal artwork on the walls.  Well-lit, courtesy of the wall of windows in the front.  There is music playing but it is neither too loud nor too distracting. There are plenty of tables and chairs, as well as stools at the bar.  Baristas are friendly and social. There seem to be an equal mix of patrons working and socializing. There do not seem to be many outlets available, I can only see one from my vantage point.

In terms of parking, I cannot comment as I walked to this coffee shop. It is located off a very busy street (6th ave) so parking could be a challenge at times.

Overall: this is a great neighborhood coffee shop that I will visit again!  The friendly and helpful attitude of baristas, the comfortable work space, and the delicious coffee.  Lots of patrons are drinking iced coffee, so perhaps that will be my next adventure.