Cafe XS in Parnu was a pleasant little surprise on our weekend off. Was everything perfect? Of course not. But one thing at a time.
How does EstoniaCoffee write cafe reviews?
Our reviews are a result of a visit, not just Googling some basic info. That’s why there are just a few reviews at the start. We come, we have a coffee, sometimes we eat. I go to the toilet a few times (damn my kidneys). We try to be as objective and unbiased as we can. If we don’t have anything nice to say, we won’t write a review.
Some of the main factors we take into consideration are:
- Interior
- Menu
- Toilet
- The service
- Value for money
- Location
- Cleanliness
These are not promo reviews. We are not that famous. When people start giving us the stuff to promote their business, you will see the PROMO ARTICLE label. Until then, it’s all about how we felt in the cafe. And it’s our money that we spent. You can check our official disclaimer page.
Cafe XS (Parnu) Official info
Name: Cafe XS
Address: Munga 2, Pärnu, 80010 Pärnu maakond, Estonia
Phone: +372 443 1316
Email: uuskohvik@gmail.com
Hours: (subject to change)
Mon-Sun 09:00 – 22:00
The official page is quite simple. Homepage, menu and contact. You can check the prices, order cakes and get annoyed with unresponsive design.
The Facebook page mainly serves for advertising the offer of the day. In the gallery, you can find photos of their usual meals. The page was created in 2011, and it is not very active. The 72 reviews for 10 years is not too much, but the 4,8 rating is OK.
Cafe XS (Parnu): An honest review
Location
We found Cafe XS on one lousy rainy morning while trying to enjoy a weekend in Parnu. We just got off the bus and headed to the sea. In the middle of the walking, a large Lavazza sign drew my attention. I am a sucker for Lavazza.
The location cannot be much better. Cafe XS is located in the Parnu Old Town, in the Munga 2 street. If you happen to miss it, it’s right next to Sweet Rosie Irish Pub. The location is excellent for weekend tourists like us. Our visit was in the first half of November. No tourists, besides my wife and me. The view isn’t to die for, but you can watch people go by while sipping your coffee. Everything is near, from the beach to the bus station.
Interior
Cafe XS is living up to its name in almost every aspect. The interior is minimalistic but elegant. It resembles old-school Italian cafes. Lots of wood, with some pictures on the walls. And a great glass wall, perfect to enjoy a little sunshine in the autumn morning.
There are 25 sitting places inside and 25 on the terrace. Not bad for a small cafe.
The chairs were comfortable and had an unusual design. The space inside is truly XS, but the terrace is quite large, and we assume it is crowded in the summertime. All in all, the interior is well maintained and clean.
The toilet is, of course, XS size and unisex. But it was clean and had everything it needed.
Service
We were here on Saturday and Sunday. On Saturday, a few very young ladies were working. They were polite and friendly. In fact, so polite you can forgive them minor inconveniences, like slow service and forgetting to bring water with coffee. The lack of skilled waiters is a world issue, not just in Parnu. On Sunday, the staff was more experienced and more professional.
Overall, we can’t complain about the service. Not top-notch, but truly friendly and polite. We got answers to all our questions, free WiFi, and we got our phones charged.
Looking at their reviews on Tripadvisor, Google and Facebook, you will notice the service is the thing that most negative reviews are focused on. Our experience was pleasant, but we were here in the autumn. We assume that summer crowds are something else.
Menu
It is always great when a cafe or restaurant has a menu online. Here is a link to their menu: Cafe XS menu. The offer is the usual one for tourist places. Ranging from snacks, children menus, and meat dishes to cocktails, pancakes and smoothies. Indrek Kivisalu, the former head chef of the Estonian President, compiled this menu, and he did a damn good job, especially for a small cafe.
We had the usual: espresso for me and cafe latte for my lovely wife. On Saturday, she added the syrniki to the equation. On Sunday, same for her and pancake with smoked salmon, cream cheese and capers for me. The pancakes were great, and they didn’t go cheap on the filling.
As for the coffee, Lavazza always has a special place in my heart. The espresso was great both times, and the latte was decent. The prices are not too high, 2€ for espresso and 3€ for a latte. The pancakes were 6 euros. Honest price, along with adequate quality and decent size of pancakes.
Cafe XS (Parnu) Pros and Cons
Conclusion
Cafe XS lived up to our expectations. We got great coffee, excellent pancakes and decent service. All that for a moderate price. Also, it seems that the locals love it, too. Most of the complaints we found online were about slow service, so be prepared for that, especially in the summer rush.
Overall, our experience was great, and we will definitely come back again.
