The Espresso Room WC1 (Bloomsbury Pt. 3)

This place is already on my Central London Coffee Survival Guide Map but it definitely deserves its own blog post.  A hole in the wall in Great Ormond Street, The Espresso Room has a really simple proposition - it makes kick ass coffee.  Given its dinky size, I propose that these guys open branches all around London - in fact they should take over all the existing chain coffee store sites and have an Espresso Room franchise instead, in a 10th of the space.  Londoners would start realising what good coffee tastes like and we could use all that left over shop space to make central London's retail proposition a bit more exciting.  In fact (and I'm really getting carried away now) let's turn all of Zone 1 into an extended version of Lambs Conduit Street, filled with interesting, independent shops - OK, you can keep some of the big department stores like Selfridges and John Lewis (I love John Lewis - particularly the cookware department) but other than Boots the chains have to go (*dream*).  Anyway I digress - this place is great.  Refuel after your lovely retail experience on Lambs Conduit Street - have a flat white for me.

Bea's of Bloomsbury WC1 (Bloomsbury Pt.2)

I had walked past Bea's of Bloomsbury several times and lusted after the cakes in the window but until recently had never been inside.  To a greedy fella like me, being confronted by a towering display of cup cakes, brownies and biscuits as soon as you walk in to a shop is an instant winner.  I ordered a strong latte which was actually really good (I had not expected too much from the coffee in my Aussie coffee-snob way) and made with obvious expertise (the fern leaf in the milk is always a good sign).  To go with it I had my first ever "blondie" - oh man, it was good.  It was super sweet and if you're not into white chocolate (which is what distinguishes them from brownies) then you'll hate these.  I on the other hand have always had white chocolate as a guilty pleasure, stuffing my face with Milky Bars when no-one was looking (the good thing is that now that Green & Blacks do a vanilla pod-flecked white chocolate bar I can come out of the white chocolate closet).  So I have no idea why I hadn't had a blondie before, but the important thing is now I have and I'm hooked.  The lunchtime food looked really good too - but I was in a hurry so didn't sample.  Rest assured worried readers, I will be back to test the savoury treats that Bea's has on offer - followed up by another blondie of course...

Lambs Conduit St WC1 (Bloomsbury Pt.1)

Hooray for Lambs Conduit Street - an enclave of independent, quirky shops on a truly charming street in lovely Bloomsbury.  If ever I feel a bit jaded with London (which is rare for me but does happen - particularly in Winter, usually late Feb) a trip to Lambs Conduit Street will re-kindle the love.  As I get older (*cough*) I find that I struggle to find clothes that (i) suit me (ii) look cool and (iii) are age appropriate (the last one is so important).  I can tick all three boxes in Lambs Conduit Street.  I could happily buy all my clothes from this street - my favourite shops are Oliver Spencer, Folk and the cool pop up shop that stocks different brands depending on when you visit - really great labels like Universal Works.  There is a really good grocer/food shop on LCS (as it shall now be known to save on typing) called Kennards which is the sort of shop I wish I had round the corner from my house...or maybe we should just move to Bloomsbury.  One of my favourite places on LCS is

Persephone Books.  It publishes 20th century, mainly female, writers in beautifully presented editions (think Monica Dickens or Noel Streatfeild and you'll get the vibe) and is staffed by lovely, brisk, rather posh women.  The variety of shops on LCS is the best bit - from Len Fowler's trophy shop (in case you're in the market for a trophy) to a truly great bike shop BikeFix, a print shop Matchless Prints to a bespoke suit maker Sims & MacDonald.  Bloomsbury and Holborn have some of the best pubs in London (in this drinker's opinion at least) and there is a great one on LCS -The Lamb.   I haven't actually done much eating on LCS but there looks to be some good options - I really want to try out Cigala, although the reviews always seem to mention issues with the service - eek.  I could rabbit on for hours about LCS - you just need to get down there and check it out, it is one of London's lesser known gems.

Algerian Coffee Stores - Old Compton St W1

I have always loved the Algerian Coffee Stores - it is old fashioned in a good way, there is plenty to look at and it smells so good!  From the outside it looks like a shop from a story book and the window display alone is worth the visit.  Inside, they sell all sorts of coffee (beans and ground), teas and the equipment with which to imbibe said beverages.  Also (and crucially for me) they sell an amazing range of chocolate and exotic sweets - it is a great place to come if you want a quirky present for someone or a stocking filler.  Sometimes I am in the mood for posh chocolate, sometimes I am in the mood for pistachio flavoured Turkish Delight, sometimes I want to stuff my face with that delicious hazelnut stuff that tastes a bit like Nutella.  This is one of the places I come to stock up.  In the spirit of honesty and as reluctant as I am to be negative about a place I really do love dearly, I don't buy my coffee beans here.  I have been disappointed with the ones I have bought in the past and now that we are home espresso making afficionados with  our snazzy Rancilio Silvia machine, I really care about the flavour of my beans (so to speak).  So I usually buy at Monmouth - always a winner.  Also - if you are after a take away coffee, I would not buy it here (although I love the fact they have a machine) - I would walk round the corner to Bar Italia or a little further to Milk Bar (*cheering*).  OK enough of the downer - this place is brilliant, just go and you'll see what I mean - and don't blame me if you end up with £20 worth of weird chocolate fig salami and obscure French pastilles.  I was in there today and I ran into a lovely Kiwi tourist and her family, who heard me asking for a flat white and asked me where to get good coffee, Kiwi style, in London - of course I directed them to Milk Bar (*applause*) and also advised her to check out this blog and The Central London Coffee Survival Guide Map.  So if you are reading this, nice Kiwi woman, I hope you have many happy coffee experiences during your time here.

Hatton Garden EC1

Most people only visit Hatton Garden if they are shopping for a diamond ring - I reckon it's worth a wander even if you haven't just "popped the question" (and you never know, it may inspire you to do the right thing...). As I keep banging on about, I have a bit of a love affair with Fitzrovia and everything east of it, being Bloomsbury, Holborn, Clerkenwell etc - and Hatton Garden is in that geography. The area has been associated with the jewellery trade for hundreds of years and the street itself is now lined with jewellers, some of whom have been in residence here for generations. One of the things I love about this area is that you get these streets, sometimes only a few hundred metres long, that have really distinct personalities - Leather Lane, Lambs Conduit Street, Exmouth Market, Cowcross Street, St John Street and Hatton Garden. I could happily wander around here - obviously re-fuelling regularly at Dose near Smithfields Meat Market (another favourite). Actually to digress for a moment - for those who don't know, Smithfields is not really a "consumer" market (although there are great butchers shops open to the public) - it is a working meat market and if you go early enough in the morning they'll be washing the blood down into the gutters. The appeal for me is the architecture of the market building, the history of the place - along with Tyburn the area was used for public executions in the middle ages, it just missed being burnt by the great fire of London in the 17th century (you should check out the "Golden Boy of Pye Corner") and then became a notorious slum with all sorts of dodgy characters making it their home. I only mention all this because I once recommended to someone they go there and I think they thought they were going to Spitalfields Market and expected clothes and organic vegetables and quirky knick-knacks - whoops! Anyway - to finish up with Hatton Garden (which this entry was actually meant to be about) - one of the other reasons I like it is the retro 60s shop signs - like this one. If I had a diamond ring to buy, I'd definitely check out Carlo's - wouldn't you?

32 Great Queen Street - WC2

This logically named restaurant is one of my "Winter places" because the food is really hearty and the place is all gastro-pub cosy (although having said that they need to work on their heating as it was freezing in there today!). If you don't like the stripped back British, almost-St John like eating you won't go for this place - I can imagine some people reading "Lambs Hearts with Mint & Barley" and going a bit green around the gills. I look at it and think "no thanks, but this place looks interesting". Anyway - I had lunch there today for the first time since last Winter and I did pass on the hearts - instead I had Cuttlefish, Pork & Fennel sausages - which I thought meant all of that was IN the sausage, but in fact there were chunks of pork & fennel sausage and bits of cuttlefish in a kind of rustic stew. It was super tasty and didn't feel too heavy. With some new potatoes and greens on the side I actually felt like this was a relatively healthy lunch. My lunch companion had Plaice & Creamed Spinach, which looked great. Given my no cakes/sugar heavy food kick I resisted the puddings but that's what usually does for me here - I love puddings in places like this because you always get poshed up nursery food or olde English puds (like trifle or syllabub) and today's selection looked great - a couple I refrained from ordering were Chocolate Fritters & Chestnuts and Prune & Almond Tart. There is a really cool little bar downstairs that you can hire out - I need to come up with a reason to have a party. This place is a winner - go there with good mates in the evening and settle in for a hearty meal, lots of wine and definitely pudding - oh yeah!

Hopton Street - SE1

One of the (many) things I love about London is the contrast you encounter on a daily basis and I was reminded of this wandering down Hopton Street in SE1 on the weekend. Hopton St is a really small street that runs from the Tate Modern to Southwark Street - not somewhere you would normally walk unless, like me, you were diverted from the Thames Path (they were doing work on Blackfriars Bridge I think). I love finding new streets and Hopton St took my fancy for some reason - I think it was mainly because of the weird mix of utilitarian modern architecture, imposing Victorian warehouses and this little house which I just loved. Not sure how old this is and if it is now part of the Purdy Hicks Gallery in the warehouse next door, but the way it was dwarfed by the buildings around it made me imagine it was the last remaining cottage in the street, holding out against development. A bit like the old guy's house in the new Pixar movie "Up". Maybe it was the manager's house for the warehouse, but it kinda looks older. I hesitate to even go there because my architectural knowledge is super sketchy, but it looks a little bit "Queen Anne" in style to me? I can just hear the howls of protest from those who know better but thought I'd put that one out there. Anyway, whatever - next time you're at the Tate Modern, take a stroll down Hopton Street and let me know what you think.

Kaffeine W1 - Welcome!

I am always delighted to report on a new venue for great coffee in central London and of course that means a new "pin" on my Central London Coffee Survival Guide. These guys have only been going for around 3 months - I had heard about them but only visited them in Great Titchfield St in Fitzrovia (another one of my favourite London areas) today. I liked the look of the place from the outside and inside was cool too - lots of wood, some yummy looking food on display and a kick-arse espresso machine manned by a super-friendly Aussie lass who I chatted to about milk steaming technique. The coffee looked and tasted good - not sure where they source their beans, but the flavour was really good and it was nice for me to mix it up a bit as I tend to buy 90% of my coffees from Milk Bar (not that that's a bad thing!) The food looked great - if I wasn't trying to cut down on pastries, sugar-laden food and bad stuff in general (the last few weeks have been a bit of a binge - sigh) I would have sampled some of the tasty looking treats. They also had some great looking salads - anything with pumpkin, walnut and goats cheese is fine with me - I am definitely going back there for lunch. So check it out - this place is cool.

Russell Square WC1

As the days close in and the weather gets chillier, I wanted to remember a really pleasant lunch I had in Russell Square. I think I have already written about my fondness for Bloomsbury and the squares are a big part of why. Russell Square has the advantage of being open to the public and on this particular day in September, it was a lovely spot for an early Autumn impromptu picnic for one. I bought a sandwich from the London Review Bookshop Cafe and sat in the sun watching people and squirrels, feeling very at peace with the world.

Chez Bruce SW17

Chez Bruce on Wandsworth Common is hands down my favourite London restaurant and as such I find myself there on important occasions, like last night, for my 40th....gulp. Moving on - this place is seriously good. It is in a lovely position - staring out over lovely Wandsworth Common, the interior (or at least the downstairs - upstairs is still good, but not as great a vibe as the main room) strikes the right mix between cosy & local and sophisticated, the food is SENSATIONAL! Last night I started with possibly the most perfect fishcake I have ever had (quiet down you Ivy freaks - I know, I know) - it was made with smoked haddock and had a perfectly poached egg sitting on top and lovely creamed leeks dotted around it. It was tasty, warming and incredibly comforting and accompanied perfectly by a glass of Pouilly Fuse. I followed up with Duck magret with a crisp potato terrine - the crunchy texture of the terrine went perfectly with the rich duck and the whole thing was surrounded by lentils cooked in red wine. Sitting on the plate also was a perfect miniature stuffed cabbage - cute AND tasty. Washed down with some Austrian (yes Austrian) Pinot it was a lovely dish and I was starting to get a little delirious. We really didn't need dessert but the £40 for 3 courses deal sort of forces your hand so we had it anyway - as I often do when I know it will be done right, I had creme brulee. Oh man - it was perfect. I can actually take or leave the caramelised sugar on top, it's the custard below that I love and this was textbook - flecked with vanilla, creamy and rich. I managed to stuff in a few complimentary chocolate truffles and even had some of the dulche de leche stracciatella ice cream they had brought to the table with a candle in it to recognise my encroaching age (sob). We staggered out of there and into a taxi - full once again of amazing food from London's best restaurant - hands down!

CentrePoint W1

The great debate - is CentrePoint a triumphant celebration of mid 60s phallic architecture or is it an eye-sore dominating the intersection of Tottenham Court Road and Oxford Street? Personally (and unsurprisingly given I am writing about it) I love it. Even before its recent renaissance I loved it - when it was mostly unoccupied and had a bleak, grey aura around it. I do admit that the combination of the urine-scented tunnels leading from Tottenham Court Road tube (now closed due to the Crossrail development), the "past its best" shabbiness and the ever-present druggies around its base made CentrePoint hard to love at one time. I still did though and I always really liked the fountain out the front, which seems to have also fallen victim to the CrossRail juggernaut. Then suddenly CentrePoint became cool again - a swanky new members' club Paramount opened up top (if you can get up there the views across London are really spectacular), companies like EA Games moved in and there seemed to be a shift in people's opinions. Suddenly CentrePoint was cool. Which is great - but I just want to be on record saying that I loved it even when no-one else did!

Roupell St SE1

I really like the area surrounding Waterloo Station. The Cut, just behind the station has the Old Vic theatre and the Anchor & Hope pub and it's a short walk to the South Bank (which I have already blogged about). A lesser known area is just east of the station - in particular Roupell Street which is an almost perfectly preserved slice of Victorian London. If you take the exit from Waterloo that leads you to Tenison Way you can walk through the grounds of St John the Evangelist church, come out on Exton St and wend your way through to Roupell Street that way. The best bit is, once you get there you can buy a cake from Konditor & Cook on the corner to munch on while you

contemplate the terraced Victorian houses. These guys make a mean chocolate brownie and also a delicious jam and coconut slice (I'm sure it has a proper name) - in fact I love most of their cakes. The coffee is not bad - OK to be honest, by say Milk Bar standards it is not so good, but if I had written this blog 5 years ago I would probably have been raving as it is still miles ahead of chain store crap. I plan to do a Winter pub crawl around this area - there are some really cosy looking ones within walking distance. I would happily live around here, do the weekend shop at Borough, start seeing all that theatre I keep planning to do...