JOCALATTE, Cambridge

Jocalatte describes itself as a "family business serving coffee, tea, chocolates, sandwiches, a selection of cakes and snacks and some small gift items."

There's something lovely about the space inside. It's a positively delightful retreat from the plethora of charity shops, Big Issue sellers, and greasy restaurants nearby. I'm not sure if it's the general atmosphere, the decor, the thoughtful touches like the scattering of Penguin short stories on each table, the tastefully low music, or the nice proportions of the interior. Either way, it's the kind of place you might want to stay for hours. I believe the space was previously used as a chocolate shop, but rumour has it the chocolates were all dusty and you'd probably rather head over to Chocolat Chocolat on St Andrew's Street, or the sophisticated Hotel Chocolat.

I'm not sure the new Jocalatte can compete with these speciality chocolate stores which are extremely popular with tourists, but the chocolates I had with my coffee were indeed superb.

For me, there are two things that would make me come back again and again.

Firstly, the coffee. Cambridge currently only has one speciality coffee house, Massaro's. Whilst Massaro's is brilliant, Cambridge needs more! Cambridge residents have become used to the fact that Savino's and Massaro's are the best on offer - but to be honest the former leaves a lot to be desired when compared to the speciality coffee scene in London, which is really taking off. I don't understand why speciality coffee in Cambridge hasn't taken off. Are Cambridge residents simply not demanding enough in this respect? Savino's has Italian standards; it's fast, it bustles, and the espresso is half decent. But it's impersonal, and with such a high throughput of tourists the quality is variable. Massaro's serves superior coffee, and their baristi are skilled and knowledgeable, but it's not in the busiest area for passing custom.

Jocalatte has the potential to be up-there with Massaro's, at least when it comes to coffee. They even use beans from a top-rate roastery that has made quite a stir in the speciality coffee world (HasBean). Sadly, for my tastes, however, the coffee just doesn't cut it. No use having great beans if you don't have the barista skills to match.

Secondly, Jocalatte has somehow imbibed the working practices of the rest of Cambridge by deciding to close shop at 5pm. Why does everywhere in Cambridge shut so early? There goes the coffee meeting with a friend after work, that extends into an evening bottle of wine - and another, perhaps along with some live music in the back courtyard...

If Jocalatte upped its game on these two points, it's my guess that they would draw in a loyal crowd of people who are serious about coffee, (and wine - it has that kind of feel), those who love cafe culture and who want to step into a place and be hit with the smell of freshly ground. I would be there every day if it served good enough espresso, for it has every other ingredient for the perfect coffee-house-cum-wine-bar.

This is a wonderful addition to Cambridge. The chocolates are first-rate, as is the coffee - and the prices are very fair. This is a very distinctive but friendly place. It is also surprisingly good value. The range of additional products too are worth a visit alone. Very friendly staff as well. An interesting, slightly Scandinavia vibe. The only thing that is variable is the music.

I do hope this place goes form strength to strength.