Review - Ultimo Coffee Bar

15th and Mifflin Streets
215.339.5177
Website, Twitter, Yelp, Google Maps
M - F: 7 am - 9 pm, S - S: 8 am - 9 pm
Free Wi-fi, several tables, several outlets

Ultimo Coffee Bar

Ultimo Coffee, located in South Philly, has taken the Philly coffee scene by storm. For those of you who may be unaware, Craig LeBan (Philadelphia Inquirer's Food Critic) recently wrote several pieces of the changing coffee scene in the City. Though La Colombe's Todd Carmichael still remains King of coffee in the City, there has been a recent increase of fresh new competitors who take pride in a "craft coffee." Though somewhat controversial, this new movement of cafés and baristas identify themselves as the "third wave" of coffee (Folger's being the first, and Starbucks being the second, "hipster" coffee roasters being the third). Less than two years old, Ultimo (named after its owner Aaron Ultimo) is one such café, and probably considered to be one of the top cafés in the City. They also host a monthly "latte throwdown" where barristers from all over the City compete in the latte art competition. Due to all the publicity (some positive, and some negative), I decided to check this place out - even if it meant going far out of my way to visit. Fortunately for me, a friend graciously offered to drive me there! I have to admit, I had to mentally prepare myself for the onslaught of hipster culture. I have nothing against hipsters, but I have never been to a café in either Portland or Brooklyn so I didn't really know what to expect...

I was pleasantly surprised however, to learn that though my attire was pretty much the exact opposite of hipster attire, the baristas were quite friendly. I chatted with one of the baristas (he apparently won 2nd place in the most recent latte throwdown) for about 5 minutes about the café and the different coffee selections. He was very knowledgeable about his coffee, and contrary to my expectations, he didn't try to shove down his coffee philosophy down my throat. They had a selection of six different coffees all from Counter-Culture: Valle del Santuario (Peru), Baroida (Papua New Guinea), Buziraguhindaw (Burundi), Kagumoini (Kenya), Alarcon & Carhuachinchay Microlot (from a micro lot singled out for its superior quality from a farm in Peru), and an Espresso blend. I was tempted to get their espresso especially after Craig LeBan raved about it, but I ended going for the Microlot brew from Peru. I was a bit disappointed that they brew coffee via Chemex only before 11 am. After 11 am, your only choice is to get it hand-brewed using the pour-over method. My barista asked me whether I wanted my coffee "to-go" or "for-here." When I replied that I definitely would rather have my coffee in a mug over a paper cup, he jokingly responded by saying "we don't judge you at this cafe (this in reference to Craig LeBan's review of Elixr coffee where owner Inatome apparently protested LaBan's choice to get his coffee in a paper cup).

Having coffee brewed to order is always a refreshing experience, especially if the barista knows what he or she is doing. My coffee had a very smooth body, with no hint of bitterness or burnt-ness. And though I'm still working on my coffee-pallete, I could definitely taste the subtle flavors of pear and milk chocolate. Admittedly, I can see why many people are against the pour-over method - perhaps it's just a gimmick to justify charging more, and taking longer. If you're in a rush to get a to-go coffee, I would say pour-over method definitely isn't worth it. But I'm a student who likes to study at cafés. For someone like me, paying $3 for coffee instead of $1.50 may be worth it to know that the coffee isn't going to be burnt or old coffee. I honestly have nothing against regular drip coffee and places like La Colombe have great drip coffee! But I've had too many bad experiences at cafés where the coffee is disgusting (e.g., Tuscany Coffee, Saxby's, Last Drop, etc).

As for the ambiance and the environment, the café is fairly pleasant. I'm not too fond of "hipster" music, which I find pretty distracting when studying, but fortunately, it's not too loud. It's a lively café with many interesting conversations going on. They have a giant glass garage window thing that they apparently open up when the weather gets better. It's a shame I didn't get to experience that, but what I love about this place is that it's very well lit as the windows let in a huge amount of natural sunlight. Plus during the afternoon, there's absolutely no direct sunlight (which I'm not a big fan of). The decor is simple and definitely hipster-ish. But I think it's fine. It's also not the cleanest café, but it's not anywhere to the point of being disgusting. It's not a terrible place to study at - but I have my complaints. It's not a big café (only 9 tables). They do have good Wi-fi (4.3 mbps) and several outlets, but I really think it's probably impossible to find a table to study at. If you do happen to find a table (which we were luckily able to do), the studying experience is fine - good internet, outlets, big tables, and well-lit. However, I would expect that it's normally quite difficult to find tables because the slow pour-over method of coffee brewing caters less to the "to-go" coffee drinkers, and more to people who like to sit at a coffee table and chat or study for hours.

Bottom-line: if you're lucky enough to grab a table, it's a descent place to study especially with the guarantee that your coffee will be of excellent quality. It's definitely out of the way though and I think there are far better options in more accessible locations. The coffee is good, but I don't think it's worth it to make the trek just to try their coffee. It might be better just to buy your own gourmet coffee and brew using the pour-over method by yourself at home (just google it, it's really easy).

3.5 / 5 "beans." Let me know what you think please!