A Surprise Coffee Find | Newport
Not the first time I’ve explored Newport and it certainly won’t be my last. It may not be filled to the brim with places to explore, but what it has is certainly charming. I start off on a walk to a couple rivers. Then I stumble across a specialty coffee shop. Then I explore some of the sights at the city centre. I end the day with dinner at an Egyptian restaurant.
Date: 23 Sep 2023
Location: Newport
10:30 - 11:30: Survey participation
The Rivers Trust were hosting an event called Big River Watch over the weekend to gauge the health of rivers across the UK. I was interested in participating as I saw a river near where I live that didn’t look to be in good shape.
The process couldn’t be easier. Simply show up next to a river, download their app and fill in a form. The app provides you instructions for identifying any signs of pollution.
I headed to the river which I now knew was covered in algae. I took some pictures of the river and filled out their form to complete my participation of the survey.
I then decided to walk to the biggest river in Newport, the Usk. On my way there, I passed by a mural by Paul Shepherd. This reminded me of The Bearpit in Bristol although this wasn’t designed as a community space.
The murals by Paul Shepherd said to be in the style of Harlequin
I reached the river and completed my survey there. It is a tidal river with a range of 12m, which is particularly staggering. I suspect that has something to do with the silt in the water.
I then crossed the river and walked towards the Newport City footbridge. I recall seeing a coffee shop there on a previous visit and wanted to give it a try.
11:30 - 12:30: Breakfast, coffee and reading—the perfect trio!
I walked into Quarters Coffee and noticed that Indy Coffee Guides were on sale. They are typically sold in cafés featured in them. The cafés features on the guides typically serve specialty coffee to a high standard. It was a pleasant surprise to me as I’d been looking for a place to frequent while at Newport.
I ordered a flat white and overnight oats and settled into a seat by the window. I took a copy of the Indy Guide from a magazine stand. Not too long after, I was served my coffee and overnight oats.
My order at Quarter Coffee
The coffee was well balanced and sweet with the milk at a perfect temperature. I also really liked the serving size and the ratio of coffee to milk. The overnight oats was delicious with passionfruit, bananas, and some chia seeds.
Then spent about an hour reading the Independent coffee guide. The guide revealed that they give you a free babyccino, which is steamed milk with chocolates sprinkles on top.
12:30 - 13:30: Sightseeing around the city centre
On the way back, I came across the statue of David Pearce dubbed Newport’s Rocky. He held the heavyweight championship between 1983 and 1985. He was the only man to win the heavyweight title from Newport. He was known for training on the Newport Transporter Bridge by running up-and-down the stairs.
The statue of Newport’s Rocky on the bank of the Usk
As I continued walking back to where I came from, I came across the site where they discovered Newport ship. It was a merchant ship built in the 13th century. Its remains were found when the Riverfront arts centre was being constructed.
Next up on my walk, I came across the Newport Mosaics. which is a pedestrian path on the sides of which there is a beautiful display created using mosaic. It’s quite nice. It also functions as way to get people to cross the road.
Newport Mosaic in the tunnel connecting Kudasai walk with the city centre
18:00-20:00: I’ll be back again for more
I headed out keen try have a mocktail and Egyptian food. I don’t recall ever trying Egyptian food before in my life.
I went to Sip, a cocktail bar, hoping they’d serve mocktails as well. To my disappointment, they didn't. And so I headed to the egyptian restaurant directly.
The restaurant is definitely a hidden gem. When I entered the shop, I was the only customer to be seen. The chef was busy working on cleaning the hob. As soon as he noticed me, he gestured to take a seat at a free table.
I spent some time reviewing the menu. A waiter approached me asking if I was ready to order. I then proceeded to ask him some questions about the menu.
I settled on Hawawshi, a roasted bread filled with ground beef, and hummus. While I waited, I watched the day slowly become night as the days in the UK are becoming shorter and shorter.
The restaurant had a really pleasant ambiance, with Egypt themed pictures on the wall and Middle Eastern music on the speakers.
Not too long after, I was served my meal. The hummus was made exquisitely topped with chick peas. The bread was nice and soft and I could feel the freshness of the bread. and the meat filling was delicious as well.
Food and drink at the Egyptian restaurant
After I completed my meal, I was curious to see that they had ‘Fresh juice’ on the menu. In the past, many restaurants would advertise fresh juice, but it would often be juice from a carton at a markup.
I called over the person who took my order and asked if it was indeed fresh juice. He assured me that it was indeed juice made with real fruits. I was still a bit skeptical given my history, as technically, juice from a carton is also juice from ‘real fruits’.
And then I heard a sound that would typically be classed annoying, but in my case, was sweet. The sound of a blender going off somewhere in the kitchen. Although I can’t be certain, it was reassuring.
Soon after, I was served exactly what I had ordered and I could tell just by looking at it that this was not juice from a carton, this was real fruit juice! I slowly sipped and enjoyed my juice, as it’s rare in the uk
Living in a city temporarily makes me appreciate it even more. And I feel quite excited to see everything that it has to offer before I head back to the city where I am from.
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