The beauty of taking redundancy is that you suddenly have much more time on your hands than you ordinarily would. This gives you the opportunity to do many things, including:
- Cleaning
- Tidying
- Cooking
- Washing
- Making the flat pregnant-wife safe (the last month lends itself a little more to clumbsyness)
- Cleaning up after a cat with a delicate stomach
This exciting list could continue ad infinitum but, to balance out all of this enjoyment, I thought that I'd spend a day out visiting cafes that I hadn't been to before either due to opening hours clashing with that nasty little thing called work or just plain laziness.
It also just happened to align with my Birthday.
Many cafes fit into the criteria above but I only have a day so I had to be sensible and plan a little. After a quick review of a map and some googling, I decided on five or six places that both tracked a pleasing arc from east to west and also happened to follow the Thames, albeit from some distance.
Taylor St Baristas Shed, Shoreditch
Need to Know: TSB Shed
Coffee: Union
Machine: Linea
Grinder: Anfim Super Caimano,
Address: 110 Clifton Street,
Shoreditch, EC2A 4HT
Nearest Tube Station: Shoreditch High St
Map me...
Hours: Mon-Fri: 08:00 - 16:00
Site: www.taylor_st.com
Yup, you heard me right, it's a shed. But a very nice one. The type a banker would have in his back garden, but without the gold plated walls and the carpet weaved from 500 Euro notes. What it does have is some nice bench seating inside in front of a dark wooden bar sporting everything you need for the making of espresso based coffee. Which is useful, as it's a cafe. It also has a range of delicious looking food that is the usual fair of TSB (not the banking institution) locations. The seating area outside is bespoke and perfect for the lovely media arty types that the shed is aimed at to discuss design and java-script over a flat white.
Friendly, smiley staff and good music make this a great place to visit if you happen to be in this neck of the woods, and if you're not, it's probably even worth a visit to see this unique and funky little place.
Nice touch: great bespoke seating outside
Look Mum No Hands, Old Street
Need to Know: Look Mum No Hands
Coffee: Square Mile Spring Espresso
Machine: Linea
Grinder: Anfim Super Caimano,
Address: 49 Old Street, EC1V 9HX
Nearest Tube Station: Old St Map me...
Hours: Mon–Fri: 07:30–22:00,Sat: 09:00–22:00,
Sun: 10:00–22:00
Site: www.lookmumnohands.com
Countrylife Organic Whole. An interesting way to start but very important as this is the best milk I have tasted in some time. But I digress.
LMNH is primarily a coffee shop. An internet cafe. Or is it a bike repair shop? Possibly a art studio? No, a Bar. Who the hell knows: I certainly don't.
What I do know is that it works. It is a nice, big space on Old Street with lots of light and an outside seating area. There is no doubt that cycling is the main focus but not at the expense of all the other elements. The coffee is good, the food looks good, and the service was good. Wifi is provided, with sockets a-plenty, which would be why there were as many laptops as bikes on my visit.
There has always been a strong link between cycling and coffee and the guys who own LMNH are obviously passionate about both. There is also a selection of great beers but the winning goal for me is the fact that they have Kernel beer on the top shelf of the fridge.
I'll come for the coffee, but stay for the Kernel. Great place.
Nice touch: locks for lending to people that bring a bike.
St Ali, Clerkenwell
Need to Know: St. Ali
Coffee: St Ali Espresso:60% brazilian, 40% Guaemalan
Machine: Slayer
Grinder: Mazzer Robur E,
Address: 27 Clerkenwell Rd, EC1M 5RN
Nearest Tube Station: Farringdon Map me...
Hours: Mon–Sun: 07:00–18:00
Site: stali.co.uk/uk/
One of the newest arrivals to the coffee scene, I have been here once before but it was on my coffee route so I thought I'd pop in for a quick espresso and a bite to eat.
Whilst it's new to the UK, it's actually an established roastery and cafe/bar in Australia and this shows. It's very Clerkenwell in it's design - think exposed stainless steel ventilation ducts and brickwork - and a good chunk of money has been spent on the fit out, from the equipment (Uber, Slayer, Synesso, Tanzania, Robur E) to the garden wall next to the double height roaster space at the rear.
The thing is, is that whilst I like the food and the coffee is OK, It just doesn't feel that inviting to me. It's quite dark and there is limited natural light. It feels more like a restaurant/bar than anything else. This is fine. I would definitely come here to eat but I wouldn't come here just for a coffee.
Nice touch: Garden Wall
Wild & Wood, New Oxford Street
Need to Know: Wild & Wood
Coffee: Monmouth Espresso Blend
Machine: La Spaziale
Grinder: Mazzer,
Address: New Oxford Street 1 unit 19, WC1 A1BA
Nearest Tube Station: Holborn Map me...
Hours: Mon–Fri: 7:30-5:45, Sat: 10:00-5:30,
Sun: 10:00-3:00
Site: www.wildandwoodcoffee.co.uk
This would be the wild card (I couldn't resist it) of the day.
As soon as you walk in you are reminded of the original Monmouth. Wooden benches and tables crammed into a small space with wood lined walls with signs indicating that a table sharing policy is in action - and it has to be, as it's small. It's a very stylish little place with a range of good looking food staring at you from the window display. There is seating outside and...I have to stop there.
I have just taken a sip of my cappuccino. It is not good. The milk is steamed badly, the espresso is thin and bitter. I have a sneaking suspicion that a grind-on-demand policy is not supported here as my aural senses have been filled with the sound of coffee being crushed and left to die for the past 3 or 4 minutes.
Time to leave...the establishment and the cap.
Nice touch: intimate wood-lined 'Nook' area.
Brewed Boy, Rupert Street
Need to Know: Brewed Boy stall
Coffee: Square Mile Spring Espresso
Machine: Bezzera
Grinder: Anfim Super Caimano,
Address: Rupert Street, Soho, W1D
Nearest Tube Station: Picadilly Map me...
Hours: Mon–Fri: 08:00–15:00
Site: http://brewedboy.wordpress.com/
A cool little coffee stand that my wife frequented a lot when she was working nearby. Not a lot to say about it, as it's not a shop, apart from good coffee and good service in interesting Soho surroundings.
Nice touch?: surrounded by houses of disrepute
And so comes to an end my Birthday Cafe Tour. I had planned for more but, at that point, I had way too much caffeine in my system and was somewhat jittery. The only thing that could possibly help me out of this situation is a trip to Green & Blue in East Dulwich for the finest wines in London town because, as everyone knows, alcohol counteracts the affect of caffeine...honest.
It would also appear that another benefit of taking redundancy is that you get the time to compose and execute a lovely blog post of your birthday outing. with some handy information and nice photography.
Looks like you had a fun day Wes
Really enjoyed your writing style. More please :)
Posted by: Getnoticed | 05/27/2011 at 01:29 AM
Nice little tour. I did the same myself when visiting London from Southampton but took in a completely different set of coffee bars. the only overlap was TSB but I visited their Richmond branch - great espresso. After your recommendations I will include Look Mum No Hands on my next tour. I would add Grind Coffee Bar in Putney, Nude Espresso in Soho Square and Kaffeine for some more excellent coffee. Grind do the most amazing flat white.
Posted by: Lethers | 05/27/2011 at 03:38 AM