Is Coffee an Art or a Science? Local Cafe Wallen’s Argues for Science

When driving through Sheikh Zayed, you might find yourself drawn to a bright yellow sign with a bold black ‘W’ at its centre. Is it a bee? An Alexandrian taxi-plane? No, it’s Wallen’s, an Alexandrian-born coffee shop turned lab, and it’s the aroma of freshly brewed coffee that’s likely to pull you in.

Wallen’s was conceived in a lab, crafted with precision to create the ideal coffee experience and convert casual sippers into dedicated coffee lovers. As co-founder Amr Soliman puts it, “our goal is to teach people how to drink coffee.”

The idea for Wallen’s came to Soliman after countless outings where he realized he couldn’t trust the coffee at most cafés. Sometimes, the coffee was good—rarely—but most of the time it was a letdown. While cafés were paying attention to aesthetics, the coffee itself was often an afterthought. Soliman saw an opportunity to change that.

He embarked on a meticulous journey to build a coffee shop that could be trusted—literally from the ground up. A perfectionist at heart, Soliman let nothing escape his critical eye. “Numerical satisfaction in every corner was my guidance,” he says. Every counter, tile, and jar was handpicked, ensuring that the entire space would feel seamless and irritation-free for every visitor. Having visited Wallen’s myself, I can vouch for the attention to detail.

Originally based in Alexandria, Wallen’s later expanded to Cairo, aiming to reach a larger audience.

Styled as a lab, Wallen’s leans fully into the science of coffee. Baristas in hazmat suits, coffee served in beakers and conical flasks, and a periodic table on the wall all reinforce the theme. Your tea? Steeped in a test tube, naturally. This setup attracts a particular crowd: science and medicine majors, according to Soliman, are the coffee shop’s core clientele, drawn in by both the academic vibe and the ultra-fast internet. “Our primary clientele are people with a target. Their success begins here at Wallen’s,” Soliman tells Scene Eats.

While the atmosphere plays a key role in the experience, Wallen’s is, above all, a coffee shop focused on perfecting your brew. “Every element in this space plays a role in making your coffee experience more whole, more cohesive,” Soliman explains.

Wallen’s commitment to coffee is almost obsessive. For example, they use 20g of coffee per espresso shot—much more than the typical 8-12g—ensuring that your drink is robust and packed with caffeine. They also regulate their water through a specialized filtration process that removes magnesium and calcium ions, replacing them with sodium ions, guaranteeing an unblemished coffee taste. Paired with Wallen’s single-origin blends or their secret signature roast, the coffee goes beyond science and borders on magic.

But for me, the true surprise at Wallen’s is the tea. Nearly as satisfying as spilling gossip, Wallen’s offers an impressive selection of 12 freshly blended teas, sourced from the Far East. It’s a refreshing shift from the typical limited tea bags most cafés serve. From tropical infusions to spicy blends, each tea is steeped to perfection—in a test tube, of course. It’s a real treat for tea lovers in Egypt.

By the time I finished my Wallen’s experience, I realized something had shifted in me. I used to be someone who prioritized art—but now, I might just be a convert to the precision of science.