FOOD . Top 5

Swanky Coffee Splurges

Green Beans


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Published: Jan 8, 2008

1 Jamaican Blue Mountain

Ray's Café, 141 N. Ninth St., 215-922-5122

Ten pounds of Jamaican Blue Mountain will set you back $265. But you can also indulge in the roast — grown in Jamaica on a protected reserve of land — for $8 a cup at Ray's. Watch the rare, full-bodied brew drip through a maze of beakers before it's transferred to a fancy china cup and served with a chocolate-dipped cookie.

2 Single Cup Brew

XIX, Park Hyatt Philadelphia, 200 S. Broad St., 19th Floor, 215-790-1919

What makes XIX's Illy coffee so extravagant? Perhaps it's the exclusive pressurization method that preserves the freshness of the beans. Just rest assured that your $4 dose of java was prepared especially for you by the class-act staff.

3 Designer Beans

Old City Coffee, 221 Church St., 215-629-9292

What's the ultimate caffeinated luxury? Brewing your own rare blends for cupping at home. If you're so inclined, your shopping list should include Old City Coffee's $39/pound Hawaiian Kona, harvested in the state's famed "coffee belt." There are certainly worse things to drink in your own bed on your own silk sheets.

4 Reserve Coffee

Torreo, 4950 Rhawn St., 888-286-7736, torreo.com

So you want the (extremely uncommon) goods? Local roaster and wholesaler Torreo has the hot stuff for you. The El Salvador Los Alpes will challenge your taste buds, with its flavor combination of cocoa, apple and spices. A 12-ounce bag priced at $16.50 should satiate your inner coffee snob.

5 Mate Dulce Latte

Arbol Café, 209 Poplar St., 215-284-5788

A quick, exotic café getaway can be found in NoLibs in the form of Arbol's decadent mate dulce latte ($4.75 for a large). A spin-off on the national drink of Paraguay, coconut-creme-infused mate (steeped from the yerba mate plant, somewhat comparable to tea) is pumped up with espresso and drizzled with chocolate for a beverage that's both sweet and potent.