Magnus H.
Yelp
Bergen's oldest coffee shop, and still a fairly good 'un! Cakes are better than coffee, and make sure you ask about coffee sizes. Combine with a trip up Fløien!
I used to live right on the other side of the little street this place is in, and this is where I learned to love coffee. Naturally, I'll be a little bit biased. However, I'll keep this as on-point as I can.
The place hasn't changed much since back in 2005. Still tiny and cozy with as much outside seating as inside (which doesn't say much. There are three tables inside plus window seating). In fact, the bar takes up about a third of the entire café space! It's not spacious and if you're looking to hide away, you're in the wrong place. That's not a BAD thing, it's just a thing.
They do your regular assortment of coffee beverages, and though they don't have Flat Whites on the menu, they can make you one. Be aware that names for things are different in Norway than they may be where you're from, so make sure you ask them what form your drink of choice takes before you order. I got a "Flat White" (they call that a Cortado) somewhere between the size of a cap and a latte (by UK standards) but they made me the next one smaller, more like a Flat White as I know them.
Now, the quality of the coffee has been up and down through the years. DLK have passed through different leadership and has been on the brink of bankruptcy more than once since 2005, and quality seems to shift with it. For a while, I didn't even bother going when I was visiting Norway. Now, the coffee is decent enough, though the microfoam is structurally not great. This is an issue that I see in a lot of Norwegian coffee shops, and I can't quite get why. The foam looks beautiful when it's completely fresh, but quickly the micro foam collapses into bubbles that look almost like soapy dishwater. It's not as bad as I've seen some places, but you can see what I mean in one of my photos.
I've also long been disappointed with the taste in Norwegian cafés. When I moved in 2007, DLK was ahead of the UK in developing an interesting coffee culture, but as the "Third Wave" coffee shops have progressed in the UK, Bergen seems to have called behind. Bad foam and watery, bitter liquid seem commonplace, and DLK is no exception. They're better than before, but they could (and should!) be so much better. Im probably being harsh, but that's only because I have so much fondness for the place.
Now, the CAKES! That's a different story. Their cakes were already good when I was living here, and they're still terrific. I had an apple cake around lunch time, and it was just like the traditional Norwegian apple cakes I remember from childhood. Moist and not overly sweet, it was just right. Could maybe have used a bit more cardamom and tarter apples, but I'm nitpicking.
Being so central, and right next to the Funicular (take the funicular up and walk down for a coffee after, it's a great trip!), as well as just how cozy and friendly the place is, it's hard not to recommend!