Brill

Time Out says

Fri Oct 19 2012

In the mid 1990s, with sales of CDs sliding, Jeremy Brill, owner of the tiny music shop here, decided he could subsidise the business by selling coffee. Coffee came to be increasingly important, and in 2011 the shop was refurbished to create a coffee bar that also sells CDs (and a bit of second-hand vinyl). The result is a little gem. For one thing, the staff play great music. For another, they show real enthusiasm for everything they do, including serving customers.

The small choice of food is of a high quality; there are a few sandwiches, but baked goods dominate. The one downer on our visit was an espresso that had deficient crema. But they use a good blend from Union Coffee Roasters and a bit of training could solve the problem quickly. In the meantime, we wouldn’t hesitate to choose Brill even if Exmouth Market is jam-packed with coffee purveyors. Why? All those smiling faces. And where else can you browse the music shelves, and pick up anything from Johnny Cash to Ornette Coleman while waiting for your cup to appear?