Coffee, Crandwiches, and Croquet! Oh My!

Happy Autumn, Beltlandia! As the weather improves drastically from the endless heat of summer, my leisurely sojourns through the city have experienced an uptick. And what better way to celebrate Fall than to try out Cafe + Velo, Atlanta’s latest coffee shop off Edgewood Avenue!

Cafe + Velo is geared towards cycle enthusiasts, a refreshingly new focus for Atlanta coffeehouses. A bike rack sits just outside the cafe, ready to accommodate about ten bikes comfortably. I mostly travel by car or foot, in perpetual need of putting new tubes in my bike’s tires (a sad and very real excuse), so I look forward to getting it together enough to utilize those racks. The cafe is incredibly spacious for its location. Inside has eight tables and a bar with enough space to comfortably seat 25 people and there is ample seating outside in their adjoining courtyard, along with a croquet court!

Cafe + Velo has teamed up with Atlanta’s popular coffee institution Octane and serves their blends of coffee, expanding Octane’s brand while also keeping their own brand very local. Similar to Octane, they served my cortado in a small glass and it needed no altering. This particular blend was very light on bitterness with hints of cocoa and honey!

I perused the menu, intrigued by their crandwiches (croissant sandwiches) and the different flavors they played with. Peering into the pastry case, I decided to try the Pear Almond Chocolate croissant, which in name alone is a mouthful. The pastry itself was, too! Liberally dusted with powdered sugar, the slightly bitter chocolate pastry housed a buttery blend of baked pears and almond paste, and finished with a surprising layer chocolate ganache on the very bottom. It was one of the most delectable and decadent pastries I’ve had in a while. Sometimes I worry that too many flavors can be shoved together with the intention of making something unique and unusual, and result in something unfortunately bland. This croissant defied those expectations and I was pretty impressed.

Parking on Edgewood is not an easy feat, so cycling or walking is definitely recommended. If you are so inclined, Cafe + Velo offers adorable teal cruiser bikes with baskets for rent so you can pedal in style. Go forth, try a crandwich, and google how to play croquet while you nosh!