What is it about bike repair shops and coffee?
You don’t pop to a cobbler for a cortado, a mechanic for a macchiato, or a horologist for a hot chocolate.
But, there are bike repair cafes up and down the UK. I guess it must be because there’s a big overlap between people who love cycling and snaffling artisanal coffee.
So, it makes perfect sense that Workhorse on Cardiff’s Cowbridge Road East grinds both coffee beans and cycle gears. The front of their building serves as a small café whilst the back operates as a cycle repair workshop.
Workhorse has been open for two years but it’s only in the last few months that they’ve started serving freshly baked bagels. It certainly seems to be a winning formula, as they were down to their last few bagels when we visited between Christmas and New Year.
On Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, Workhorse sells a pleasingly compact menu of filled bagels alongside a few rotating seasonal specials. Mainstays include the BuLliTt with bacon, rocket, tomato and roast garlic mayo as well as the Cinelli Hash with sweet potato hash and chimichurri rojo. If you happen to visit on a Monday to Thursday and there are any bagels left, then they’re served toasted with more basic toppings.
I’ve got a hell of a lot of time for a good homemade bagel but there are barely any available in Cardiff. The only other place I’ve had one is the Bagel Place in Cardiff University Student’s Union.
But first, coffee and our friendly barista of ten years backed himself when it came to making a belting flat white (£3.60). He didn’t let me down. Made with Hundred House Bon Bon blend, it was a corker of a coffee with plenty of fruity notes. Mrs G also really enjoyed her long black (£3.20).
Onto the sandwiches and we ordered one classic and one more creative flavour combination. Weirdly the menu offers prices for full sandwiches (£8.50), open half sandwiches (£7.50) and open full sandwiches (£14.50). I can’t really see many people ordering an open full sandwich when a closed one costs six quid less.
Crucially, I thought the bread component of both bagels was bang on, with a light chew and soft fresh crumb. Bagels are at their most disappointing when they’re simply a bread roll with a hole in the middle.
A Bagel + Locks sandwich (£8.50) was crammed with plenty of smoked salmon alongside sweet tomatoes, caper-flecked cream cheese and red onion. It was a very well executed classic.
A Paneer Roubaix (£8.50) was equally memorable. This whopper of a sandwich was packed with thin slices of creamy, caramelised paneer, a good drizzle of sweet and fiery hot honey, the zing of lime pickle, slices of tomato and a handful of peppery rocket.
Based on the strength of the sandwiches, I decided to give a sweet treat a run for its money. From a choice between a salted caramel cookie and slice of birthday cake (£4), I was recommended the latter.
Topped with addictively good coffee and vanilla buttercream icing and a menagerie of sprinkles, it was tasty but let down by a slightly dry sponge.
We really enjoyed our lunch at Workhorse and they’ve definitely found a winning formula of bagels and coffee that sets them apart from other places in the city. I’m no cyclist but Workhorse most definitely deserve a “chapeau” for their efforts.
The Details:
Address - Workhorse, 364 Cowbridge Road East, Canton, Cardiff CF5 1HE
Web - https://www.workhorsebikes.co.uk/
Telephone - 029 2297 1173
