Nesso Coffee Morley: Inside the stylish Leeds cafe serving afternoon tea with a uniquely Italian twist
Afternoon tea is a beloved British tradition - but at this stylish cafe in Morley, it’s been given a distinctly Italian makeover.
Nesso Coffee, on Queen Street, opened last year offering flavour-packed brunches to the south Leeds town.
It has also made a name for itself with its unique Mediterranean twist on afternoon tea, that includes plenty of indulgent treats.
For two people, the attractive display includes cupcakes, baked scones with clotted cream and jam, colourful cannoli, and even two dishes from the Italian brunch menu, as well as a glass of prosecco each.
“It’s not like a standard afternoon tea,” explained Bobby. “We wanted to do something different.
“We’ve been open for a year now. The cafe takes its name from a village near Lake Como - and we wanted to bring that taste of Italy to Leeds.”
A quarter-finalist on MasterChef: The Professionals, Bobby has worked in some of the world’s top kitchens. In Leeds, he’s already made his mark with the stylish fusion eatery Fleur at The Light, and more recently with Kerala Canteen, a bold Indian tapas concept.
But Nesso Coffee is offering something different entirely. He continued: “We wanted it to be a brunch place that serves amazing coffee, which is only ever 100 per cent single-origin Arabica.
“We love our coffee, so we didn’t want to compromise on it at all. The coffee is the star, but you can enjoy it with our amazing brunch options.”
Included in the £39.95 brunch deal for two are a dish each from the main menu. They include vibrant options such as eggs purgatory, which is a deliciously comforting take on Turkish eggs served in a rich tomato and marinara sauce, finished with anchovies, jalapeño, hollandaise, cheese, grana padano and olive focaccia.
Meanwhile, the bacon pancakes blend sweet and savoury, topped with maple syrup and fresh ricotta. Then there’s the show-stopping Nesso French toast - a thick slice of toasted panettone adorned with berry compote, Biscoff sauce, crumbs, maple syrup and, most indulgently, a swirl of soft serve ice cream perched on a cone.
When asked about the idea behind the concept, Bobby said: “Afternoon tea is part of English culture, and we wanted to do something unique and different with it. We thought - why don’t we combine it with an Italian spread?”