Tilt - Birmingham ☕️☕️☕️☕️

Pros: Atmosphere, uniqueness, friendly and personable owner, off the high street, great pricing

Cons: Larger selection of coffees (coming soon), couldn’t find wi-fi password

Cards: accepted and contactless

Muwa AA Espresso: ☕️☕️

Muwa AA Flat White: ☕️☕️☕️

Ethiopia Lot 4 Espresso: ☕️☕️☕️☕️

Ethiopia Lot 4 Flat White: ☕️☕️☕️☕️

I Initially questioned why someone would recommend me a coffee shop with loud pinball machines, surely they know I hate loud nosies and offensive lights when drinking my coffee! I finally relented and visited on a mid-afternoon and was greeted by quiet muttering from a couple sitting to my left. It is located off the high street so street noise is next to non-existent. The music slowly drifts into the background, a pleasant ambience in a quiet cafe.

Tilt almost looks like classrooms I used to spend hours in during my school years; wooden tables, chairs and clipboards displaying what coffee is on quite visibly. I spoke to one of the co-owners (Richard) about the coffee and beer, what the inspiration was and also how unique an offering Tilt offered. He was kind enough to give me more information; inspired by Kirk (co-owner) who travelled the US and found that combining pinball machines with good coffee and food is a commonality and they wanted to present a place that patrons could come too if they don’t want to get wasted but enjoy great company and have a little bit of fun over coffee. I tried to quickly rack my brain and think of any other places that combine what Tilt does and came up with nothing.

One of the first things I did was look on Tilt’s website and their love for coffee is immediately apparent, they don’t just list off what coffee they have, they also talk about what machines they use for their particular coffee. They currently use Origin coffee, but will be switching to a more “free house” format soon, where they can buy the coffee they want from the companies they want to deal with, this is an exciting prospect and I will be back to try their offerings in the new year.

The coffee I ordered was presented as a split shot (espresso and flat white for £2.50!) and first up was the Muwa AA Kenyan Blend promising berry jam, stewed plums and orange candy. I took a seat and waited for the coffee, in the meantime I was able to soak in the atmosphere and appreciate the low lighting and the relaxed space I found myself in. When the coffee arrived I took in the aromas, which was very sweet, if you can imagine the smell of baking sweet fruits in the kitchen, you’re pretty much there. The initial taste was quite acidic, I took a little bit in my mouth and made an effort to find the body which tuned to be quite full, the plum I found was the primary taste, however it isn’t subtle, the sweetness, acidity and taste is reminiscent of fruit, which as an espresso is bitter and doesn’t allow much more of the flavors to come through. If you’re looking for an espresso with a bite then this is very suitable, but if you’re looking for a bite with flavor then you’ll want to give this a miss.

The flat white came up next (semi-skimmed milk was used) and the texture and body was very creamy and the acidity was certainly softened by the milk which allowed for the berry jam to take the spotlight, a different kind of sweetness that didn’t cause you to screw up your face once you drank it. The semi-skimmed milk does over power the overall taste to an extent and would love to try it with an alternative in the future. The coffee is going to appeal to those who want a simple coffee, it has no harshness, acidity and isn’t overly flavorsome. It is uncomplicated and what the coffee allows you to do is just enjoy the venue and company. As I put the cup down and took some notes the coffee clung to the back of the throat which allowed a citrus flavor to take hold (welcome and made the coffee more memorable), Tilt isn’t pretentious and neither is the coffee.

I forgot that the pinball machines were actually here, and they were in use during my time in Tilt, the sound was kept to a minimal “ding, ding” but I could work quite happily in the environment and in fact there was a man sitting right next to the machines, working away on his laptop and a man somewhere else was a reading a newspaper.

Next up was Ethiopia Lot 4 (red berries, lavender and lime). It arrived and I took a smell of the espresso and literally exclaimed “wow” as I got punched in the face with the smell of lavender. I can’t remember the last time I had a coffee which had such a smell, it wasn’t off putting, it was the opposite, my curiosity grew. The body was silky and still maintained its acidity, it didn’t reach the heights of the Kenyan. As I took a sip it reminded me of an espresso I had in France, it immediately perked me up and the lethargy I felt on my way in disappeared in an instant. As I mentioned, the espresso was silky in body and every swallow after I had finished the coffee was like drinking it all over again, it really clung to my tongue. If I could smell the lavender in the espresso I certainly tasted it in the flat white, once the lavender had subsided it left an aftertaste of sweet berry (reminiscent of jam on toast), the flat white itself didn’t retain the same creaminess as the Kenyan and is much closer to a latte, where the espresso was like silk the flat white was like caramel.

Both coffee’s were perfectly suitable to the venue, and they both offer something different however you decide to drink them. I believe the vast majority of drinkers will stick with the Muwa AA, its no frills pleasantry will satisfy a large demographic, whereas the Ethiopian Lot 4 is adventurous and challenges the sense in several ways that some may be turned off by the perfumed tastes.

Overall my favourite was the second coffee both as an espresso and as a flat white. Some dark chocolate would have made a great visit even better. I didn’t get the opportunity to play some pinball, but my inner child was itching to be a part of what makes Tilt stand out. If you’re in Birmingham, you should most certainly make Tilt a priority and for those (like me) who procrastinate and those who “will go soon”- go now.