Travelling to different cities offers gifts of finding the best coffee shop in the neighbourhood. Recently I
was in Kingston, Ontario for a conference/retreat. I arrived a little bit earlier to explore the downtown core in search of a great coffee shop. Like a nerd I did a little bit of research; looking up each coffee shop and what machines they use and what kinds of beans they served. My first stop led me to SENS coffee on 136 Ontario St., Kingston. A beautifully decorated coffee shop keeping much of the charm of the original building. On this visit they were serving coffee roasted by Quietly (Sterling, ON.) and Phil & Sebastian (Calgary, AB.). What caught my eye was that they also serve pour-over (which I am seeing that not many coffee shops offers nowadays – maybe because slow bar requires more effort and time).
My first cup was a pour-over with Quietly’s Rawandan coffee. It has a super clean and smooth finish. I love having the opportunity to nerd out and converse with the owners about coffee, their journey and the coffee state in Kingston. They also shared with me that it was their 1 year anniversary as a coffee shop! I’m always encouraged to see new coffee shops able to sustain through the pandemic. The lock-down and pandemic as a whole had been difficult for many food and beverage industry; many coffee shops have closed down as a result. Koodos on SENS for making this 1st year and praying that there will many more to come!
I was able to return for a second visit because they had a special coffee on their anniversary. A Phil & Seb Panama Geisha! The coffee was amazing! Super clean and smooth with a slight hint of floral. Again another amazing coffee! If I had a few more visit I’d love to try out the espresso and some of the milk-based drink.
Every coffee shop tells a story and also a glimpse into the neighbourhood. Whenever you’re in a new neighbourhood, go and explore and find the gems in the community. Discover amazing coffee and the beauty of the community. Borrowing from SENS, utilize your senses as you explore the city. And if you are ever in Kingston go visit SENS – you will not be disappointed!
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