Snow was falling and my hands were freezing. It became painfully clear that we would need to get out of the cold soon and find some warmth. Dioni and I had previously wandered into the Cathedral Church of Saint Marie in Sheffield, and were in much need of some coffee and a warm place to sit. Marmadukes Cafe Deli was right across from St Marie, so we decided to stop in for a cup of coffee and a treat. We were not disappointed!

Earlier that day, breakfast had left us unsatisfied. We made a mistake of going to an empty chain restaurant, and had smoked salmon, and avocado on toast. The avocado looked awful, so I didn’t even finish it. Unlike that other restaurant {it shall not be named}, Marmadukes was packed!

If the selection on the drinks menu wasn’t enough to entice us, their adorable decor definitely did. They had so many gift items, coffee makers, beans and grounds as well as magazines to purchase. I was really tempted to get the Aeropress, especially after having tried it at my friend’s house when I was down in Southampton a few weeks ago. I refrained from getting it, however, because: A) Funds are running dangerously low near Christmas and B) I already have a coffee maker. I did manage to grab a copy of the latest Kinfolk magazine, so at least I didn’t leave empty handed.

On top of all of the cute gifts just perfect for the coffee lover, they had SO many pastries. The staff was so warm and welcoming and everything looked so good.

Taking in all of these things as good signs, we went ahead and got ourselves a table. D and I clearly have similar taste because we both ordered brownies. I ordered the cappuccino and he ordered a cortado.

Let me digress. Have you seen some of the crazy coffee art that’s out there? How do they do it? Can anyone who is a barista explain to me the technique behind it? I wonder how many coffee cups do you have to go through before you perfect it? What happens to those cups of coffee with imperfect art (please don’t say it’s wasted!)?

I don’t usually select hot chocolate, but even some of these seasonal hot chocolates were speaking to me. Hot chocolate with dark rum? Yes please. I need to find a local cafe in Hull that does things like this (ie – alcohol in coffee).

Sheffield was a really interesting and hopping city. It was very modern and fun, with lots of museums, shops and cafes. I always find myself imagining whether or not I could live in a city like that, and I decided that I could. It doesn’t take much to make me want to live some place. If I was going to the uni there, I could easily see myself being tucked away in a textbook with a cappuccino and some food at the ready. While it can be noisy at times,  what more would you need as a student trying to study than caffeine, delicious treats and a nice atmosphere (and alcoholic beverages if the studying stops working)?

Do you have any favorite coffee joints? What are they called and where are they located? Do they go all out in decorations for Christmas?