Höfn, Dundee

We begin this month with an apology. Dundee – the food section is sorry for overlooking you for, as it turns out, a number of years. That feels a bit silly on our part, because there is actually a fair bit going on in Scotland’s Sunniest City™, and not least in the world of coffee. There’s the vibey EH9 Espresso on the Perth Road, the excellent Mana on Whitehall Crescent, a clutch of great places right by Kengo Kuma’s Big Arty Triangle™ (Heather Street Food, Dundee Cycle Hub) and Daily Grind on Exchange Street. That last one is particularly relevant, because it’s one of the folk from Daily Grind who’s behind the bar at Höfn, the latest addition to the city’s coffee scene.

Set in a surprisingly spacious unit that was once the DC Thomson publishing office, Höfn makes a lovely first impression. It’s a light, airy, Nordic-inspired space that’s all white walls and pine furnishings, big windows and brushed concrete. There are a bunch of cool recessed shelves, a window seat if you really want to get as much of that sun as possible, and enough space to stand and wait for your takeaway espresso without repeatedly getting in everyone’s way. We’ve spent enough of our time shuffling on the spot and apologising to everyone around us, so we appreciate the space.

As for the coffee itself, it’s excellent – our flat white (£3.30), made with beans from the excellent Unorthodox Roasters in Kinross, is brilliantly balanced and expertly put-together. Excellent microfoam, lovely cup, all good. Food-wise, there are two strands on offer. We’ll start with the open sandwiches, and folks, someone round here has a pal who makes very large loaves. No word of a lie, one of us said out loud “that’s a long piece of bread” when the dishes came out. As for the toppings, the Posh Ham and Cheese (£9) is loaded with serrano ham and burrata, with a sweet honey glaze dribbled somewhere on top. We can’t quite see it but we know it’s there, possibly under the large pile of rocket. The avocado on toast (£8) is a classic of the form, in that it’s absolutely loaded with avocado, and sprinkled with plenty of lemon and chilli. This is all quality stuff; if we’re nitpicking we’d say the bread needs to go back in the toaster for another 20 seconds, but all round it’s a nice brunch/ lunch option.

The other way to go is to throw yourself on the mercies of the well-stocked pastry and cake counter, which today is absolutely stacked with various forms of brownie. For the aesthetes among you, the pistachio and raspberry brownie (£3.90) is covered in an amazing multicoloured speckle, but resists the urge to go over the top. Sure, it’s very chocolatey, but it isn’t too sweet or sharp. The marmalade brownie (£3.90) can’t compete on looks – dark brown and translucent orange isn’t the most photogenic combo – but it’s delicious, and a touch gooier than the pistachio number which is always a plus.

Höfn would be a great new addition to any high street in Scotland – super-cool, very welcoming, plenty of space and really excellent coffee. It’s yet another excellent addition in Dundee’s ever-growing coffee scene; hopefully it won't take us ages to find the next great spot that pops up.

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7 Bank St, Dundee, DD1 1RL
Mon-Sat, 8.30am-4.30pm; Sun, 9.30am-4.30pm
instagram.com/hofndundee