I’m afraid I know pretty little about one of my life’s constants. I’m not very good at telling good coffee from very good one, and am mostly concerned with how strong and black it is. Spasibo Coffee is located across a courtyard from one of my usual haunts (predictably enough, it has a library), and is my go-to place in cases I need to be kept awake. They brew tasty coffee, and importantly for me, they offer soya or coconut milk option (though, regrettably, for an extra 50 roubles). Some of the drinks are, to quote the White Knight, of their own invention, like the Brave Latte with strawberry and chili pepper. There are also some baked goods.

The place itself is nice enough. It is very small, with something like three tables, but as this is primarily a coffee-to-go place, that should not be a problem. However, they’ve crammed an “art wall“, with periodically changing pieces by local young talents. The single off touch is the neon sign saying “Thanks God for coffee”, which I think is bad English, but their coffee deserves praise indeed.