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Inside the newly opened Dundee Espresso Lab serving up Italian desserts and Kyoto-style coffee

dundee espresso lab
Dundee Espresso Lab team from left Ruaridh Newbery, Elizabeth Donaldson, Alessandro Quartini and Rosie Whitney. Image: Mariam Okhai.

As I walked into Dundee Espresso Lab on Commercial Street, it was the smell of freshly brewed coffee that first hit me.

I admired its rustic interior as guests sipped away on their drinks, but what really caught my eye was the bright cannoli that sat on the countertop.

The coffee shop joined Dundee’s food and drink scene when it opened its doors a few months back in August.

Its location is perfect, on one of the city’s busiest streets and right next to book store Waterstones, and it has already employed four full-time and one part-time members of staff.

Manager Alessandro outside Dundee Espresso Lab.
Manager Alessandro Quartini outside Dundee Espresso Lab. Image: Mariam Okhai.

The Italian owners, Marco Risiglione and Ilirjan Skapi, wanted the shop to be a central part of Dundee’s growing hospitality collective, and having been busy since opening, the pair are on track to do just that.

Dundee Espresso Lab sells their own classic Italian and Supremo coffee blends provided by Perth-based firm Artisan – Espresso & Wine Bar, as well as roasted beans from Brazil, Columbia, Guatemala, Papua New Guinea, Ethiopia and Scotland.

Range of coffee beans available at Dundee Espresso Lab.
Coffee blends from around the world available. Image: Mariam Okhai.

As well as grinding the Italian beans in the shop and using them in their freshly made brews, the venue also gives customers the option for any of their blends to be purchased as beans or grinded coffee.

Open from 9:30am to 5:30pm Monday to Saturday and 9:30am to 4:30pm on Sundays, a mixture of bakes, cakes, ice cream and focaccia sandwiches from Artisan Sicilian Bakery in Perth are available to enjoy at the venue for sit-in or takeaway.

Kyoto-style slow drip coffee

Manager Alessandro Quartini says the coffee has been one of the many drivers of locals visiting, with many on the hunt for something different.

Any artisan coffee using the Supermo blend can be enjoyed in an espresso, affogato, cappuccino, americano, latte or chai latte, with the option of adding syrups, an extra shot of coffee, or opting for a decaf alternative available, too.

dundee espresso lab
Kyoto-style slow drip coffee machine. Image: Mariam Okhai.

Their Ethiopian single origin cold brew selling for £3.50 a glass using a slow-drip Kyoto-style coffee tower is a sight to behold, and one experienced coffee lovers will relish the chance to try.

Taking a whole day to produce only five cups of coffee, the slow-drip process works by letting cold water drip over coffee grounds. The cold coffee brew is then served on ice.

Alessandro said: “It is a Japanese style of brewing coffee.

“We normally only make one tower’s amount per day, and so we will have it dripping all day for the next day’s service.

“It is a very limited amount so it is very much first come first served for this drink.”

Half glass of Ethiopian single origin cold coffee brew. Image: Mariam Okhai.

Italian desserts and lunch selection

As for the cannoli selection, it is abundant with plenty of flavours for customers to choose from.

On any given day the flavours can change, but expect lemon, pistachio, vanilla, chocolate and coffee to be on offer usually. Priced at £1.45 each or four for £5, you’ll also find Nutella or white chocolate aragostine, too.

Desserts at Dundee Espresso Lab.
Desserts available at the venue. Image: Mariam Okhai.

For those who are gluten-free, the team serves crunchy cannolis made using pecan nuts for the shell, as well as a selection of cakes and traybakes priced at £3 per slice. Cakes such as coconut traybake, salted caramel cake, red velvet cake, carrot cake, chocolate cake and chocolate brownie can be found in the cake cabinet.

The ice cream they serve up is supplied by Crolla’s on Perth Road in the city, and again, there is a big selection available, namely pistachio, chocolate, vanilla, Ferrero Rocher and strawberry.

And if that wasn’t enough to tempt you through the doors, then the mixture of warm focaccia sandwiches with fillings of salami, cheddar and chutney, tomato, mozzarella and pesto, and a bacon, lettuce, and tomato might.

Gluten-free crunchy cannoli.
Gluten-free crunchy cannoli. Image: Mariam Okhai.

If customers prefer bagels they can choose to have a smoked salmon and cream cheese filling, with all lunch items costing £6.50 to sit in or £4.95 to take away.

Dundee Espresso Lab also has either chicken and vegetable or spinach and feta pies and a soup of the da served with focaccia bread for £4.50.

Future plans

With the 30-seater coffee shop being fairly new to Dundee, the owners are hoping to attract more locals to the venue in the mornings which are usually quieter.

Alessandro says majority of the trade for Dundee Espresso Lab is usually carried out from noon onwards where they see an influx of custom.

Fresh coffee using the Supremo blend. Image: Mariam Okhai.

In addition, they hope to change their selection of ice cream to freshly squeezed juices as the winter months arrive, changing their menus in line with the season.

“I am enjoying it and it seems very promising.” says Alessandro.

“We will see what the future holds.”

Address: 31 Commercial Street, Dundee, DD1 3DA

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