Victoria Embankment Dragons - EC4

I have written before about some of the (many) dragons in the City of London - my favourite being the amazing weather vane on top of St Mary-le-Bow in Cheapside.  Once you start looking for dragon imagery in the square mile it seems to be everywhere - but the dragons you certainly can't miss are those welcoming you (or warning you not to enter?) at the boundaries of the City of Westminster and the City of London.  These two magnificent specimens are located on the Victoria Embankment and once guarded the entrance to the Coal Exchange in Lower Thames Street.  I am seriously thinking about creating a dragon walking tour of London and I think these two fellas would be a good place to start.

Barbecoa Butchery - EC4

In my lovely walk around the City yesterday (love the City on weekends - so peaceful and so much to see when you're rambling rather than dodging stressed out bankers) the last thing I expected to do was buy bacon.  I had been on the hoof for some time (failed mission to find the mouth of the Fleet River at Blackfriars Bridge - high tide d'oh! - and then successful mission to locate the London Stone) and I really needed caffeinating so was heading to Bea's in One New Change, when I stumbled across this crazy but kinda wonderful butcher's.  Linked to Jamie Oliver's Barbecoa restaurant (to which I haven't been and which has had a bit of a critical pasting) this is the sort of butcher's shop you wish was in your neighbourhood - old school in totally modern surroundings.  All gleaming glass and steel contrasted with hanging carcasses and cuts of meat straight out of Smithfields Market.  I couldn't resist some plump bangers and some smoked bacon (had them for breakfast this morning - lovely) and as always I ended up with stuff that looked good but that I didn't really need (in this case an overpriced jar of raspberry jam and a copy of Jamie's mag).  If I worked in the City this place would be a regular stop-in for me - so much nicer to buy the protein for your evening meal from a butcher's shop than a supermarket.  I did wonder how much business they do but even on a lonely Sunday there were three other customers in there with me so I imagine during the week they must do a healthy trade.  Oh yeah and of course the coffee and red velvet cupcake at Bea's next door was just what the doctor ordered.

The London Stone - Cannon St EC4

This rather unobtrusive grille covers an object that some consider to safeguard London itself.  Given the protective glass in front of it and my crappy photo, you can't actually see it - but let me assure you that within resides the London Stone.  Linked to all manner of legend - Brutus of Troy in 1,000 BC, an ancient stone circle on Ludgate Hill, even the mythical stone from which Excalibur was pulled by King Arthur - the stone is first referred to in 10th century Saxon records.  Once much larger and up until the 18th century, located in the middle of the road that eventually became Cannon Street in the City, the London Stone has been moved several times - including being set into the wall of St Swithin's Church.  In smaller form, but still to many containing all the mythical power that its name conveys, the stone ended up in its current home in 1962.  It really is a bit "blink and you'll miss it" , but take the time to seek it out, stop and read the plaque, crouch down and gaze at one of the most fascinating (at least in my mind) London landmarks and give thanks (just in case) to the stone that keeps us all safe.

Bea's - One New Change EC4

I was in the vicinity of St Paul's today so decided to check out the new(ish) One New Change shopping centre and my main reaction...meh.  I am not a fan of these mall-type shopping centres and particularly next to the magnificence of St Paul's Cathedral.  Anyway - I'm sure it's lovely for the people who work there to have some concentrated retail therapy to occupy their lunch breaks.  Anyway, the best thing by far about this development is that there is a Bea's there (is it still Bea's of Bloomsbury if it's not in Bloomsbury?)  I am a HUGE fan of the original Bea's in Theobolds Road WC1 and so as far as I'm concerned the more Bea's (and also bees) there are in the world the better.  In fact Bea - how about SW18?  Hmmm?  As much as all the food at Bea's looks delicious I can never go past their version of the red velvet cupcake - not as sickly sweet as Hummingbird and the like, these babies are cup cake perfection and the Square Mile flat white I had with it was spot on.  I sat staring out at a corner of St Paul's and decided that whilst One New Change was pretty naff, the fact it's provided a new home for Bea's makes it a winner in my book.

Flat Cap Fleet St - EC4

The wonderfully located caffeine experts Coffee by the Clock have had a name change - they are now called Flat Cap Fleet St to link them more closely with their progenitor (who knew I would ever use the word "progenitor" in my blog...) Flat Cap Coffee in Strutton Ground SW1.  These guys know what they're about when it comes to coffee and whether it's at one of these cool coffee carts or the lovely lovely Notes Music & Coffee you will get great service along with your primo flat white.  Keep breeding Flat Cap, we need more of your coffee carts.

Fleet St Dragon - EC4/WC2

I do love a good London dragon (look around people, they're everywhere!) and after the weather vane on St Mary-le-Bow in Cheapside, the  handsome specimen on a plinth in the middle of Fleet St is a favourite.  It stands at Temple Bar, the point where the City of London becomes the City of Westminster (hence the two postcodes) and also marks where Fleet St morphs into The Strand.  Handily it is also really close to Coffee by the Clock coffee cart so you can sip a primo flat white whilst gazing at this fine statue. 

Coffee by the Clock - Fleet St EC4

Alerted by my friend Gen that those lovely people behind Flat Cap and Notes Music & Coffee had started a coffee cart in Fleet St, I mounted a Boris bike and cycled eastward on my lunch hour to suss it out.  Situated in the picturesque courtyard of St Dunstan-in-the-West, just near the corner of Fleet St and Fetter Lane, Coffee by the Clock (so named because of the giant clock attached to the church) is run from a cute little red van.  Not sure if it was because of the chilly ride but my flat white tasted really amazing - it's not as if I am a stranger to expertly poured Square Mile coffee and steamed milk, but this one just really hit the spot.  As I sipped happily away I gazed on what is apparently the only known statue of Queen Elizabeth 1st - which originally adorned the old "Lud" gate on Ludgate Hill, then languished in storage in a pub basement and was finally mounted on the wall of St Dunstan's in 1839.  Quite a story - and a very

impressive statue of Good Queen Bess.  I did feel sorry for the friendly barista, shivering away but as she pointed out, when the weather improves, her job will be the envy of all her friends.  I love everything these guys do - Notes in particular - so I am delighted that they are bringing good coffee to the needy workers of Fleet Street.