First of all, major kudos to the staff at this Hamilton East café. As soon as we were through the door, there was a "hello," and the two girls remained totally attentive the entire time. Granted, there weren't many other diners to pay attention to, but we all love smiling wait staff, don't we?
The coffee was also excellent. In fact I ordered a second long black ($3.50), because near-perfect espresso, like sunshine and the opportunity to sleep in, is never to be wasted. Hydro uses Wellington-based Supreme coffee, which I'd never tried before but plan to seek out after this initial experience.
Unfortunately, two (really important) things let this place down. The décor is bleak and a little cold, like you're sitting in a hastily renovated garage with very little colour. A couch or two would go a long way here, especially since the place is so big. It's in a lovely spot by the river and there's so much room to work with. Why don't they make the most of it?
