The Gasperich neighborhood finally has its own coffee shop! “Gentle” has just opened its doors on Route d’Esch, offering specialty coffee as well as toasties. We discovered this gentle space designed and imagined by Oleg and Kate.
A coffee place by coffee lovers
Oleg and Kate have no experience as baristas, apart from a brief stint at Starbucks when Oleg was a student, yet opening their own coffee shop had been on their minds for some time. “We’re mainly coffee lovers, especially for working, and we wanted to create a space for socializing, working, or just relaxing before a workday or over the weekend.”
When a commercial space became available on the ground floor of a building on Route d’Esch, the couple decided to take the leap and create the café of their dreams. “By the first weekend of opening, the room was full of customers chatting with each other””some came with their children, others with their dogs. It really pleased us to see the place come alive because that’s the reason for this café’s existence,” says Oleg, smiling.
A café full of warmth
The name “Gentle” truly comes to life once you walk through the door. “Kate made all the interior design by herself ” Oleg confides proudly. “We wanted to create a beautiful ambiance, with lots of softness,” says Kate.
The pink and pastel colours, along with the use of materials like wood and wicker, especially on their lovely canned chairs, bring a natural and comforting feel to the space. A terrazzo counter (a material used in small touches elsewhere) along the window allows guests to enjoy their coffee in a peaceful cosy vibes. In the back room, a long velvet bench in Indian red offers the perfect spot to work or simply take a moment to relax alone or with friends.
Specialty coffee and toasties
Coffee, of course, takes center stage at Gentle, and to ensure a high-quality brew, Oleg and Kate have chosen specialty coffee from “Jolt” (Belval). “We particularly love their coffee, which we find excellent, and our customers do too. We also wanted to support a local roaster,” explains Oleg. The ingredients used in the kitchen are also sourced as much as possible from Luxembourg.
To accompany a cappuccino or a flat white, customers can enjoy pastries from the nearby bakery “Au Pain de Mary,” as well as vegan cookies from “Bloop Cookies,” a cookie shop in Arlon, or homemade cakes like the lemon and poppy seed cake “which our customers already love.”
For those who enjoy a savory breakfast or a lunch break, there are four types of toasted sandwiches on the menu. “We’re big fans of toasties, and since they’re simple to make and especially delicious, we wanted to offer them to our customers,” they explain.
You can enjoy a toast with grilled onions, tomato and mozzarella, or with bacon and cheddar, all served with a green salad and a condiment. The sandwiches are made with bread from the “Au Pain de Mary” bakery, because for the couple, “their bread is simply excellent and unmatched.”
The young entrepreneurial duo is still full of ideas for their café, aiming to create a welcoming space that reflects their image.
