- "I was probably the best customer they had," reminisces Aase Spinnangr. Four years ago, she took over a small giant at the foot of Fløien, Bergen's oldest coffee shop built in a potato cellar on the corner of Nedre Fjellsmauet.
A crooked brick building welcomes you to this archaic alley a stone's throw from the entrance to Fløibanen. The rickety houses lean comradely against each other, bearing witness to 300 years of struggle against wind and weather in the capital of western Norway. Few places in Norway live up to Bergen's charm when the sun illuminates the cobblestones in the alleyways, strolling with a coffee in hand and with the company of a lazy cat on every street corner. Here in the heart of the Bergen idyll, a group of students opened Det Lille Kaffekompaniet exactly 20 years ago.
The family behind the bayonets
- I live just across the road and was a regular customer at Det Lille Kaffekompaniet. In 2012, the coffee shop went bankrupt and there was talk of opening a kebab restaurant on the premises. "That was enough for us to take the plunge - we had to have somewhere we could go in the morning. We've always been interested in flavour, food and details. Besides, the barista wanted to continue. But we also thought about our own needs," says Aase Spinnangr.
The Little Coffee Company is a family business in the true sense of the word. Aase's daughter, Susanne, brewed her first coffee behind the counter in the small coffee shop ten years ago. Aase's partner, Hans Flø, takes care of the accounts.
- "Susanne started working here at the age of 14, before we took over. "She taught me in the beginning, but now I like to think it's a bit the other way round," she says with a sly smile.
- It's great fun to run it together, and I believe that the personal involvement of everyone is the key to its success," says Aase.
An idyllic location, charming premises and good coffee have made Det Lille Kaffekompaniet a favourite attraction for visitors from all over the world. And wherever tourists gather, myths and stereotypes are often confirmed or debunked.
- At weekends there can be a queue around the corner towards Fløibanen. "A lot of tourists come because of Trip Advisor and other travel guides. We have a lot of Japanese and Korean visitors who like to have hand brew, while American tourists prefer cappuccino and mocha drinks. We always have two different espressos on the espresso machine. We enjoy serving Kenyan coffees to Italian tourists, who are completely shocked when they taste the fresh and fruity espresso. It's as far away from what you get served in Italian coffee shops as it's possible to get," says Aase Spinnangr.
From jewellery to black coffee
Close to Det Lille Kaffekompaniet, Aase Spinnangr ran a shop selling self-designed jewellery for more than 20 years. The shop is now closed, but Aase's commitment to craftsmanship and quality lives on through the coffee shop at Nedre Fjellsmauet 2.
- When we took over, the syrup shelf was bigger than the coffee shelf. Times have changed. Today's "coffee of the day" (filter-brewed, black coffee) has exploded. More and more people are becoming conscious of flavour and quality, even those who aren't into the hipster culture of hand-brewing and black coffee. "We always have two choices on the pot, which helps customers realise that even black coffee can taste very different. As a rule, we have a fresh and fruity option, preferably something from Kenya, as well as a safe and classic choice in a South American coffee. Most people actually choose Kenya!
No secrets
In a coffee shop filled with regulars, tourists, students and pensioners, many stories are written in the encounter between all the people who stop by. Within the narrow walls there are no corners where you can hide away, but it's not hard to understand that the rustic charm also attracts the lovebirds.
- Yesterday I hired someone from Australia. He came in off the street and said he was a barista, so I asked him to make an espresso. He got the job on the spot and one of the regulars offered to rent his flat. There's no point in keeping secrets at Det Lille Kaffekompaniet, but many people still arrange romantic meetings here. "People have asked us to marry them several times, they often call in advance and ask us to arrange flowers and romantic music. Everyone has said yes," says Aase with a smile.
"Big in Asia"
One of Det Lille Kaffekompaniet's biggest fans may well be the Asian tourists who make the pilgrimage to Nedre Fjellsmauet with cameras around their necks. And even though it's really Aase and her family who steer the ship in the alley, a large proportion of Chinese people have a completely different opinion. Recently, the story of the coffee shop was rewritten to satisfy the Chinese TV audience. It starred Craig the barista.
- Craig has been working here for three years. Recently, a Chinese TV company came by and made a feature film in which they portrayed him as a hard-working and poor coffee farmer who works around the clock to make ends meet. He was asked to approach the girls back home in China. As it turned out, 10 million saw the clip and suddenly Craig's inbox was full of Chinese marriage proposals. Recently, the company returned, this time with a Chinese diva in tow, to make a sequel. She didn't take it very well when Craig rejected a kiss over the bar counter. "The whole thing was pretty absurd," Aase says with a laugh.
Only one coffee company
Sometimes, when the queue winds around the corner towards the pier, it's natural to think that the potato cellar can sometimes feel a little cramped. But for the family behind Det lille Kaffekompaniet, there's no alternative to Nedre Fjellsmauet 2.
- We belong here in these premises. It wouldn't be the same in a new and modern coffee shop. "A lot of people feel at home here. We have a very special atmosphere and are genuinely committed to making good coffee," says Aase Spinnangr with calm conviction.
Bergen tips from the smugglers
Start the day with a quiet wake-up call in the alleyways, perhaps a coffee at a small corner café by the Fløibanen railway. From there, it's natural to take a trip up to Fløien, preferably on foot. Nordnes sjøbad is great on a fine summer's day, while Escalon by the Fløibanen railway offers good tapas. Feel free to take a trip to Trollhaugen, Edvard Grieg's home. If you're a couple, a date at Mon Plasier, the old miniature holiday home on Fjellveien, is an experience. The day can be rounded off at the Italian restaurant Pergola in Skostredet, or the wine bar "To glass" on Vetrlidsallmenningen, just below Det Lille Kaffekompaniet.
Recipe: Iced coffee with freshly grated lime
Summer drinks from Bergen signed Det Lille Kaffekompaniet:
- 200 g ice cubes
- 2 dl boiling water
- 30 g Rukira or other Kenyan coffee
- 20 g sugar dissolved in boiling water
- Plenty of freshly grated lime zest
Fill the brewing pot with ice cubes before brewing coffee as usual in a coffee maker or hand brewer.
When the brew is ready, add the sugar coating and stir.
Serve in a glass filled with ice cubes and freshly grated lime on top.
