Cafe Mense: Central West End, St. Louis
Oh my goodness, I think this is my new coffee shop. At first, I thought I liked Starbucks or the Coffee Cartel, but this place was “eccelenté!”(as the Italians say).
I stopped in for a quick one before they closed one night. The person running the shop was very friendly, and the atmosphere was laid back and established; it didn’t feel like a livestock show, like Starbucks normally does. Starbucks is usually so crowded and busy that their system feels almost robotic (the Cartel is not much better). However, this place was very friendly and cozy.
This place also serves breakfast, lunch and dinner. I have not yet had their food, but I have had their coffee. It was great! I enjoyed that cup of coffee more than any other commercially served cup of coffee I have ever had (it was a hazelnut latte).
They don’t have as extensive a selection as Starbucks or the Cartel, but man alive, it was good. Their prices are pretty comperable to the other outfits: about $3.25 for a large flavored latte (that is about as expensive as they come though).
It is just north of forest park (off of Lindell) on Union at the corner of Union and Pershing. The address is:
Cafe Mense
275 Union Blvd
St Louis, MO
If you live in St. Louis, it would be a shame for you to miss this cup of coffee. Enjoy!
March 6th, 2006 at 10:02 pm
I agree, it’s a very nice coffeeshop in a historic neighborhood that has beautiful architecture that is appropriate for the Central West End. Perhaps this coffeeshop will become a refuge for the people who will be experiencing the sudden bloat that will occur around the Coffee Cartel and Starbucks near Euclid and Lindell when that modern skyscraper will be built. It’s terrible that the city government officials like Lyda Krewson will allow such irresponsible development, ruining a historic development.
So, yes, sipping a nice cup of coffee in a well-managed mixed use neighborhood will be better if Opus Development is allowed to build that huge skyscraper that will cause huge traffic problems. I’d rather not have to be shaded all day long when having my coffee on a nice spring morning on a patio.
So, join the St. Louis Citizens for Responsible Development at www.stlouiscitizens.org and help stop this from happening in our neighborhood, and quite possibly in yours (it could very well be the next 30 story skyscraper being built along Union).