Soundtracked by the gentle rattle of the light rail on Devonshire Street, Beta is a specialty coffee shop by award-winning barista Chris Maybury. On any given day, you’re likely to find him investigating a new piece of equipment or brewing method behind the counter.

In addition to the typical black and milk-based coffees, Beta has a few points of difference. One is the Cafe con Miel, a signature coffee with Malfroy’s Gold wild honey and cinnamon throughout. Another is the pourover coffee list arranged by market price, as if the coffees were coral trout or steak on a restaurant’s menu.

Importantly, the service is sans pretentiousness here – important if you think of yourself as a coffee fan rather than a fanatic. If that’s the case, consider hitting one of the regular cupping sessions in the workshop out the back.