I have been a fan of Prufrock at Present for some time. Not just because it's Gwilym Davies' baby, but because every single drink I have ever had from there has been of great quality: each barista who works there is constantly driving for the best drink that they can produce and they are always happy to make time for light hearted, or more profound coffee conversation. Admirable stuff.
That doesn't mean to say that there were things that I don't like about it - well two things:
- People buying 'fashionable stuff' getting in the way
- No seating
So hurrah and huzzah for Prufrock at Leather Lane as it plans to address these issues in no small way. How?
- No clothes of any kind getting in the way (apart from the ones being worn by the staff and customers)
- A colossal amount of space for seating, or standing if you prefer the old Present style.
So, what is this two floor behemoth all about then?
First Impressions
Before I continue any further, I need to point out that the café is still a work in progress (there was a queue outside, they decided to serve some coffee - then they decided that they would stay open in the day and work on the café out of hours). The downstairs isn't open yet and the main café is still in development - but that doesn't matter. The coffee is as good as ever, and the space feels relaxed and friendly, if somewhat sparse at the moment.
The entrance, in fact the entire café, is well hidden (at least in the week) behind market stalls. Even knowing its rough wherabouts, I still had a little trouble finding it immediately. I'm sure this will change as some signage is displayed and it gets better known outside the coffee community but, until then, the below makeshift open sign will have to suffice.
As you enter, the first thing that hits you is the large bar area: it's basically a big square, larger than some London cafés in their entirety. Facing you is the brew bar, sporting a range of brewing paraphernalia (more on this later). To the right, you see the espresso end of the stick. The plan is that space behind the bar will be used more effectively but, until then, it's a large square space to make coffee and play the organ.
Details
White plastic, figure-hugging, ribbed designer chairs, white tables, and railway-sleeper (correction: ex-groyne) benches provide somewhere to park yourself. These are complemented by some high stools for those who want to watch the action at the brew bar.
Prufrock escorts the coffee beans to their final resting place in the usual way when it comes to espresso - high quality machines, grinders, etc. but has also added a few nice little surprises to set it out from the crowd when it comes to filter.
First, a Trifecta. they are playing with this at the moment (not unlike Tapped & Packed did some time ago) and I'm sure that if they get consistent, good quality results it will stay as a quick filter offering.
They also have the now-essential Siamese twins of the specialty coffee world: the Uber boiler & Mahlkoneig Tanzania grinder, for the filter coffee offering.
They are currently concentrating only on syphon brews, but gas heaters weren't enough for the guys at Prufrock. Oh no. The only way forward was Beam Heaters! Two of 'em! Syphons produce great coffee and great theatre but this is only enhanced by the lovely glowing light and wide contact area of the first beam heaters I've seen in the city.
Other noteworthy items? A mix of retail is spattered around the shop on various shelving units (ask any of the baristas what the shelves, and bar, were in a previous life) ranging from whole bean Square Mile coffee to brewers and grinders.
Drinks
What can I say. The drinks, as to be expected, were delicous. I had various drinks made by various baristas and my base-line drink - the cappuccino - was a winner: great taste, great consistency and the perfect drinking heat.
I didn't try a syphon or anything from the Trifecta as I was caffeined out (maybe next visit?) and the teas (Postcard) are still officially unavailable but, if you ask nicely, you never know...
If you're struggling to decide what to drink, and you see Gwilym on the bar, be sure to ask him for a 'Classic' Cappuccino.
Need to Know: Prufrock Café, Leather Lane
Coffee: Square Mile Coffee
Machine: Nuova Simonelli 2010 WBC Edition
Grinder: Mazzer Robur E, Anfim Super Caimano,
Mahlkoenig Tanzania
Address: 23-25 Leather Lane,
London EC1N 7TE
Nearest Tube Station: Farringdon Map me...
Hours: Mon-Fri: 08:00 - 17:00. TBC
Sat: 10:00 - 16:00. TBC
Site: www.prufrockcoffee.com
Food
At the time of writing, a few different cakes are on offer although this will change as the shop goes from half to fully open!
Customer Service
Customer service seems to have become a hot topic for specialty cafés over the past 6 months and I'm not quite sure why as it's so rudimentary to any retail business of quality.
If I receive bad customer service chances are I will not return to an establishment. Also, it will have a negative effect on the enjoyment/taste of the product I purchase. Conversely, if I receive great customer service and a sub-standard product I may well give the place another chance and, possibly (although I need to test this a little more scientifically), the service will physiologically influence positively the way a perceived a product to taste.
In the case of Prufrock, the product was great and the service was superb. And I'm not talking about just for me. Every customer who stepped through the door was treated like a friend and each question or query was given time and consideration. Where advice was asked it was given in a non-condescending way and everyone was made welcome. This is how service should be.
Conclusion
This is a great place, and with so much more potential to develop further. Moving forward we will see lever machines in action (instead of languishing in the window display), cupping sessions (on ex-Penny University counters), training for new (and used) baristas, machine repairs and much more.
We may even learn the secret of the magic levitating window pour over...


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