Cafe Ventana Profile [Update: Closed in 2019]
5:00 PM
Roaster: Cafe Ventana features Stringbean Coffee and currently uses a Brazilian coffee for the espresso.
Opened: 2008
Drinks Menu: Not only can you get the usual latte and cappuccino, but you can also order flavored lattes, mochas, and spiked lattes.
Food Menu: A few options for breakfast and lunch served all day, as well as housemade pastries. The signature item is the beignets. You can get the standard with powdered sugar, or interesting flavors, such as caramel apple.
Espresso Machine: Manual Synesso machine
Brew Options: Ventana is preparing to offer French press, but currently batch brew is the only drip coffee option. They also have a Kyoto dripper tower for iced coffee.
Location: CWE right next to SLU’s campus
Rating: 3 out of 5
Specialty Drinks: Chicory coffee is a bold drink you won't find in most St. Louis shops. This New Orleans staple has a very dark, earthy flavor which isn't for everyone. To make it more authentic, you should order it as an au lait.
Review:
Café Ventana has been around for years and has long been a go-to study space, primarily for SLU students. With private meeting rooms, a sizeable covered patio, and two large rooms full of overstuffed furniture and large tables, it’s a good meetup spot.
Unfortunately, I've been burned by this place on previous trips. Because of bad service, weak coffee and cold food, I was skeptical. After several months away, I decided to give it another try and I'm glad I did. There were still some big issues that Ventana needs to address, but Nick, the barista who prepared my drink, was welcoming and my drink was tasty.
I visited in the evening and the place was full of people working on laptops, discussing Aristotle and Plato for an exam, and engaging in lively conversation. The spacious main room has tall ceilings and big windows that let in natural light. There’s a large stone fireplace with a crackling fire, which paired with the dim lighting, creates a cozy atmosphere. Despite the large space and many people, the room was hushed - not as quiet as a library, but quiet enough to get some work done.
I was pleased to find that Ventana switched to String Bean Coffee, which usually roasts flavorful, full-bodied coffees. On previous visits, the drip coffee was weak and the latte poorly prepared. The bar was raised much higher with the con panna I ordered this time around. The espresso was smooth and rich, which paired nicely with the sweet whipped cream and dusting of cinnamon.Nick was friendly and enthusiastic about coffee. He talked about the switch to String Bean and plans to provide French presses to sample different kinds of coffee for customers. He seemed to be constantly moving, popping out from behind the bar to take out the trash, bus dishes, make conversation with customers, then jump back to make a drink. He seemed to be the only one covering the front of the house, which wasn't quite enough to keep up with the trickle of late-night coffee drinkers. I watched many customers wait at the register for Nick to take orders, and even longer for the drink to be served.
My main concern with Ventana was the cleanliness. The table I sat at was sticky and covered in rings of coffee stains left by who knows how many customers before me. My silverware was also dirty. I realize there was only one barista working and he kept busy, but the shop wasn’t so busy that someone couldn’t have grabbed a rag to wipe off tables and properly clean dishes. It’s the kind of thing that makes me question the cleanliness of the pitchers used to steam the milk, the mugs, the espresso machine wands, and everything else. It’s not enough to keep me from going back, but it left an unpleasant taste in my mouth.
I appreciated the conversation and the improvement from my previous trips. But there are more changes that I hope can be made quickly. The dirtiness is a big turn off. If they get that under control, then Ventana would be a very comfortable place to grab a coffee and beignet.
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