This is the facade of our new favorite Northampton café, which happens to be located in Florence. People who live in Florence say they’re from Florence, not Northampton, which is true because Florence is very much its own place, with its own personality and ambiance. But it’s also true that they live in Northampton, because Florence is in Northampton. Confused? Don’t be, it’s just Northampton being quirky again, like with its parking garage-cum-art gallery.
In any event, the Cup and Top Café has its own distinctive personality, with bells on! It’s plain and a little worn around the edges and the menus are hand-lettered on chalkboard. It’s the opposite of slick, you might say. But the welcome is casually warm, and the coffee is good and the tea is outstanding (I’m a tea drinker myself) and the sandwiches look like your mom made them for you, and the Yumbelicious cookies are to die for.
Mothers with toddlers in tow usually gravitate toward the back section, while up front are computer heads, usually solo, gay ladies or guys who lunch, a few working stiffs, and even some oldies like us. The cup, I suppose, stands for coffee, and the top, well, it’s a toy so maybe it means kids are welcome. After all, they are. Everybody’s welcome at the Cup and Top. It’s a special place, and if you come to visit, I’ll probably take you here, even before we go check out the croissants at 40 Green Street Lunch.
Here’s a sampler gallery of what you’ll see when we go to the Cup and Top:
Touch2Touch 
what a lovely, colourful, creative place. I look forward to tea there with you one day!
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Yes, Joss! I’m going to consider that a promise —
🙂
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You betcha!
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I think I fit in the ‘oldies’ group. So, cool! If I’m ever in Florence/Northampton I’ll look you up. 🙂
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Absolutely, Gemma. Stranger things have happened —
It’ll be worth the trip for the cookies 😉
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We don’t like no stuck-up, sticky beaks around heeyah, especially if they are from Florentine. Of course that bein’ Florence, Austraaaaalia. Right next to the blimey Depaaaahtment of Philosophy, where there are NO POOFTAHS!!!!
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Beggin yeeh pardon, mate; forgot to sing off…..Bruce #6, teaches Hegelian philosophy and in charge of the Sheep Dip.
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And everybody’s named BRUCE, right, mate????
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That’s the one, mate.
Bruce #6!
😆
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I know right where that is 🙂 We really must get together – maybe when things have settled down after the holidays!
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Yes, let’s do it. The Cool Mint tea is mighty fine, and those cookies, moan!
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I want to go!!!
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So c’mon already! Isn’t it time for you to visit the Right Coast????
😉
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All the Bruces are out during sheep shearing season, but do appreciate a good mint tea. B#6
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Eh, thanks, Bruce!
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Looks to be a great cafe. You gave me a smile when you talked about people from Florence not saying they’re from Northampton. I live in Finchley but, if asked, I usually tell people that I’m from The Peoples Republic of East Finchley – we’re definitely a bit different here from the rest of Finchley (though whether that’s a good thing is open to debate!). 😉
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Big chuckle!
The Peoples Republic of East Finchley ought at minimum to have a flag, and an official bird, and flower, and maybe a motto!
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You had me pulling up a chair with the first great shot!
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Alevai!
(Yiddish for: It should only happen! Work your way north, and the latte’s on me, Patti.)
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I’m in full understanding why this place became your favourite café! I so love places like this. When/if we’re in Mass. I’ll visit … you’ll get a lot of visitors 😆
Nice little picture gallery, btw..
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Thanks about the photo gallery, Rebekah — it was such a tough fight to get that thing up and running, I was thrilled to see it appear.
And we’re on for the Cup and Top, now just think about a trip down to MA in the spring! 🙂
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What a warm and friendly place! And I love their great selection of tea – I see they have green tea – definitely a cafe I would love to hang out at!
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Green tea —- which just a few years ago was really scarce in the US — is now all over the place, in all varieties.
I think my favorite is Hojicha. What’s yours?
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It’s happening over here too and it’s great cos I can even get green tea at Starbucks now. My favourite is Sencha although I do love a cup of Japanese matcha too.
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Ooh, you remind me about Sencha. I have seen in my cupboard and I forgot about it. Now I’ll try it again, thank you!
Matcha is so bitter! But it’s beautiful, and I love the part in a tea ceremony when you whisk it up to a froth with the pretty bamboo whisk.
Let’s do tea together!
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“Yumbelicious” – is that YOUR word?? LOVE IT. And the new glimpse into your favorite haunts!
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See, you have more choices for your next visit!
It isn’t exactly yumbelicious, that’s my memory of what they actually call it at Cup and Top, but I always forget exactly.
So both names are made up!
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