Culture

Albany Street, to the left of the Clubs and Socs Building, (3/5).

Prices: Flat White: $3.50, Long Black: $3, Mocha: $3.50

Why I came here: My flatmate and I were rushing to get out of the torrential rain and found ourselves right outside Doc’s.

Atmosphere: Cute and eclectic.

Service: The friendly guy with tattoos behind the counter served us with a smile and delivered the coffees quickly.

Food: There wasn’t any cabinet food available although, upon arrival, I did see another customer ordering pizza bread off the menu which looked tasty.

Overall: The first thing that struck us as we walked in was how inviting Doc’s Coffee House was. Part of the cafe’s appeal is it microscopic size. You feel as if you are walking into your neighbour’s lounge, with an assortment of various sofas and chairs dispersed throughout the room. As we were trying to escape the rain and the persistent Dunedin chill, the highlight for us was the roaring fire situated at the centre of the premises. The cafe is personal and we felt that had we not had class we could have spent all morning sitting in front of the fire. Doc’s reminded me a lot of Modak’s on George Street, but smaller. Graffiti art on the walls and the resonance of gangsta rap set the tone for the place. The coffee was pretty weak but at the price we paid for them we couldn’t really complain. I recommend that if you come here, come in twos. In a bigger group you’re less likely to get a seat, especially one near the alluring fire.