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This is the flagship kiosk of a series of hole-in-the-wall cafés named after Lambretta scooter models (the others being Cento and Special Xtra). There's even a yellow Lambretta in back with the Cafe Lambretta logo written across its windscreen - a remnant from the owners first, and since closed, café foray. (There's even a Cento scooter hung way up high.) Like its sister locations, it sports heavy Blue Bottle Coffee branding. Unlike its sisters, there's a bench to sit on, a makeshift sidewalk counter in front to stand at, and a lot of metalwork that went into the store signage (all warmed up by a lone, token fern). It's these "amenities" that make the Vega location the most comfortable of the chain, but that's still saying very little. In addition to their Macau iced coffee and teas, the real love here is on the espresso. They sell Vega-co-branded Blue Bottle beans at the counter, though these can sometimes run two weeks old after the stamped roast date. From a three-group La Marzocco Linea, they pull a modest shot with a textured medium and darker brown crema that's a little on the thin side. It has a dark, semi-potent flavor of herbal pungency, but its flavor profile range is a bit narrow. It's a guess, but we suspect the bean stocks could be a little fresher for an improvement here. Served in classic brown Nuova Point cups.
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