Soul Arch Coffee Roasters is a cafe and roastery at 36C Gloucester Street in Washington Valley, Nelson, holding a perfect 5.0 rating from eleven Google reviews and posting updates on Instagram. Roastery cafes work a step beyond the ordinary pour: beans are usually roasted on site or close by, so it is worth asking what went through the roaster most recently — coffee tends to taste its best from a few days to a few weeks off roast, and fresher is not always better. Menus at a good one are short and confident, with the house blend in the grinder, a single origin or two alongside, and someone behind the counter who can tell you exactly what is in each cup. Regulars buy bags to take home and often ask the roaster to choose for them. Tucked into Washington Valley a short stroll from central Nelson, Soul Arch is an easy detour for anyone who takes their flat white seriously.