Sending it down and tuning in to Satellite Coffee
Wide open slopes, fresh snow, and creamy dreamy flat whites- it’s a rare and perfect trio! Serving up Vagabond coffees by the dozen alongside a fresh and seasonal brunch menu, this Morzine based coffee shop was an unexpected delight in the French Alps.
After a few perfect bluebird days on the slopes of Avoriaz, a morning of rain arrived, washing away our plans for the day and the fresh top up of snow. A hunt through instagram however landed us on Satellite’s page and we felt the day could still be redeemed. Swapping our snow boots for hiking shoes, we hopped on the gondola and floated down to Morzine, passing over a frozen world that thawed as we descended. A busy French town awaited us filled with sports shops and fromageries side by side. Wooden shutters swung open and the smell of croissants hung heavy. Around us people tugged up hoods, juggling skis and shopping bags through winding stone streets. We wandered through the town, idling at every patisserie and wooden framed snowboard shop. By the time we finally made our way to Rue de Bourg we were famished and in desperate need of a coffee fix.
Beckoned over by the warm golden light coming from within the coffee shop, we shook off our coats and tucked through the door. A cosy contained space lay within, its walls filled with shelves of coffee bags and cups, and plastered with cool colourful prints. Tables were squeezed into corners to maximise the small space, almost all of them filled with people chatting away in french.
Established in 2015, Satellite is a hub that celebrates the combination of speciality food and drink with outdoor pursuits- a theme reflected in Morzine as a whole. Filled with mountain bikers and trail runners in the summer and snow-sport lovers in the winter, this small space is buzzy with adventure stories being spilled over a cortado.
Coffee Jargon
With London based Vagabond being the established roasters of choice, we ordered four flat whites on the naturally processed Brazilian Fazenda Cachoira. With warmth seeping back into our bones we were soon sipping from notneutral mugs with gusto.
The first sip brought gentle tastes of apple and vanilla. From our table below the counter we had a good view of the barista at work and had high hopes for our milk and coffee quality. We weren’t let down. Subtle, light and with a full-mouth feel - this is the kind of flat white I could drink day in day out and feel constantly satisfied. The end came around far too quickly and another round was ordered alongside turkish eggs and avocado toasts.
Conclusion
We weren’t expecting to find a speciality coffee shop in Morzine, which perhaps made the coffee taste all the better. Fitting in perfectly with the French charm that’s surround it and yet still setting itself apart as something unique, Satellite is a must-stop spot for outdoor enthusiasts who yearn for a speciality coffee fix. With friendly staff, a warm ambiance and quality food, we almost wouldn’t have minded a few more days of rain!
Where to find Satellite Coffee:
152 Rue du Bourg,
74110 Morzine,
France
