Yesterday I went into the brand new Cafe Martin on Park Slope’s Fifth Avenue between 4th and 5th Streets. And a lovely place it is run by two Irish gentlemen, one of whom is the barista Martin O’Connell, formerly of Cafe Regular on 11th Street.
It was great to see Martin, wearing his signature blue striped button down shirt, in the big, bright space that used to be the Pink Pussycat. In renovating the space, he and his partner tore down the drop ceiling, which revealed a gorgeous tin roof. They put in a beautiful dark wood floor, added church pew seating, cafe tables and black and white photographs.
Voila. A perfect cafe.
There’s no seating at the coffee bar, just a high counter suitable for standing while drinking a cup of strong espresso, reading the newspaper and conversing with the barista.
And that would be Martin, who, it is no surprise, has a following of sorts. For his coffee, of course. But also for his droll wit and wisdom.
they could use a better sign. place looks kinda prefabbed, like they tried to pull off cafe regular but didn’t quite get it. someone tell me how the coffee is. assuming it’s just like the old place?