Siblings.

I will be the first to admit that my coffee order, a latte, is not very exciting. I am not one for bells and whistles; I like what I like. I don’t need ice or syrups to enjoy my coffee, just maybe a bit of dairy milk. So, what makes buying a coffee so exciting? The creator, of course. The holy hands of a barista whom I trust not to ruin my 3.20 purchase.

I am no coffee expert, but I am also not ignorant of what a nicely made coffee tastes like. Siblings are allergic to making bad coffee; I don’t think they even know the meaning of that phrase, and I am very appreciative of that. They have never failed me. The perfect accompaniment to a boring conversation, which I cherish.

I have only ever bought one glass of white wine from Siblings, normally favouring a morning coffee over an evening drink, but I remember it disappeared unfairly quickly – maybe telling you all you need to know. It is definitely a place to savour things before you realize you’ve consumed them too quickly, leading to the inevitable strong pang of nostalgia for something you had five minutes ago. I can vouch for the incredible banana bread, which, regrettably on my part, is the only food I have ever bought there; I often find myself staring at someone else’s plate, wishing I’d taken the plunge when I had the chance.

All the while, our two printed friends, Franc and Chenin, in their individual picture frames, watch over endless conversations with the same never-ending glass of wine perched in each of their hands. I find myself almost envious of them. I wonder what their own conversation is about? I wonder how many secrets they know? They don’t look like gossipers, more like the type to share a knowing look with one another and never mention it again.

Amongst the bustle sits a shelf for terracotta plates, a shelf for Perello olives, a shelf for graphic Triple Co Colombian roast coffee bags – which, from experience, is very good. About ten shelves are dedicated to bottles and bottles of natural wines with beautifully designed labels. That is always one of our talking points: are there any new bottles, and which labels are our favourites? We relish that time to just look around. Everything feels like it has a place, creating a sense of order that satisfies an itch in my ever-hungry prefrontal cortex.

There are so many facets of charm to Siblings: sitting inside when it’s raining, watching the warmth of the inside fog up the windows slightly so the outside world becomes a simple blur, in contrast with sitting outside on the benches when the sun is shining, where time ceases for just a minute or two.

It’s small, but not in a claustrophobic way. When it is busy, there always seems to be more room. My very own Tardis, one of my favourite places in Cardiff.