Looking like a high-end Japanese restaurant, Kin is actually a pretty cool café based on Foley Street just down from another excellent café, The Attendant. This area has a number of cool eateries with lots of al fresco seating. Coffee – 5/5 Great coffee at a decent price. Lovely deep flavours and a smooth foam.…
Brazilian and gourmet aren’t two words that you’d normally expected together, and this cafe, despite its name isn’t what I’d normally associate with gourmet. Located on Cleveland Street near a host of other similar sized eateries, it’s has a much more rustic, street food vibe, than high-end gourmet cuisine. Coffee – 2/5 Despite Brazil being…
Named as the best coffee shop for cakes, Artisan’s Putney branch had a lot to live up to after I’d made the long journey from north London. Artisan is one of the coffee shops that takes its craft very seriously with the website proclaiming that each barista treats “each cup like a fine chef does…
One of the first of the ‘third wave’ coffee shops (they’re not cafes, you know) in London, this antipodean venue is a Soho favourite and inspiration for many imitators. Opened in 2005, it fast became a hub for Australians and New Zealanders. These days, you can still here the odd twang of an accent from…
I’m from up north where we do large portions, so I was a little wary of Reynolds, which describes itself as a small-portion cafe with a grazing menu. I like to graze and pick, but I’m also aware that many places use this to charge more for less. Which way would Reynolds go? With a…
Highgate village has little to offer in the way of good coffee. However, it is flanked on its western and eastern sides by two small enclaves – Highgate West Hill and Highgate Station – that between them offer a handful of good venues, even if they are quite a distance away from the centre. Today’s cafe/wine…
London is made up of tiny little enclaves. Sometimes it’s a town, like Brixton or Hampstead; other times it’s simply a street. These are the true London secrets. Pick the wrong road and you’re in the middle of a housing estate. Pick the right one and you’re on a Lambs Conduit Street, Church Street or, where…
I get the theory of clustering in shops when it comes to things like paint supplies or clothing. Shops where you can go from one to the next looking for a bargain or an item that’s only in stock in one of the stores. However, I don’t really understand why it happens with cafes. I…
About On my first review visit south of the river, I decided the best place to begin would be Brixton Village. Once a run-down old market, some inventive thinking by the local council has seen this area regenerated – or is that gentrified? While the market is now a nice place to visit for coffee…
London Cafe Review 