Daily Grind | Issue 02

Daily Grind | Issue 02

Green Acorn Café

You may know Green Acorn as the café you stare at mindlessly whilst studying on the south side of Central Library, nestled alongside Sushi Station and Poppa’s Pizza. G hadn’t heard great things about the place so went in with extremely low expectations, but was pleasantly surprised. The elderly couple that run the joint make a mean sammy and the brekkie bagel is heavenly, but you have to be pretty desperate to shell out $9.50 for it (course related costs?).

They use Vivace beans and serve their coffee in seductively silky takeaway cups, which can become an issue if you’re wearing woollen gloves while sipping away on a frosty morning.

G ordered her usual soy flat white and M splashed out on a latte. M enjoyed his “velvety milk” but the flat white came out with a strange black film and the soy foam left much to be desired.

Green Acorn have many tables out the back if you want some privacy away from the prying eyes of the Central Library drones, although the tables were a little sticky. G was very tempted to ask the barista (whom she estimated to be aged 95+) what he wore to the coronation of Henry VIII or if he owned a first edition copy of The Bible. As he shakily tottered towards the table, G was searching for a medic alert bracelet and had the number for St John’s ambulances already dialled.

M had a bit of a moment with his lush latte. After an extended period away from decent coffee over the summer, this Green Acorn brew restored his faith in Dunedin coffee. Let’s just say it wasn’t only the milk that was frothing in Green Acorn that day.

One enormous plus is that Green Acorn does $2.90 coffees to Dream Band holders, this is probably the cheapest uni espresso you’ll find and it ain’t half bad.

Sometimes after hauling your ass to uni from your povo flat all you want is a bit of a gourmet experience. Green Acorn is a good place to go for a break from the main campus without tugging too hard on the ball and chain of assignments that manacle you to the library. It’s not the BEST place for coffee or food in Dunedin, and they’ll charge you a pound of flesh for a bagel, but considering its location Green Acorn is pretty dece.

Location: Albany Street (opposite Otago Uni Central Library)

3/5 Coffee Cups

This article first appeared in Issue 2, 2013.
Posted 5:18pm Sunday 3rd March 2013 by M and G.