The Coffee Jar - Parkway NW1

I had not been to Camden in like, forever (said in my best Valley girl accent) so last weekend I decided to combine a coffee mission with the chance to catch up with Ben, Gen and (the other) Rob (all pictured looking happy and flat white expectant) and Camden was the destination.  One of the two coffee establishments we tried was The Coffee Jar, a really neat little cafe on Parkway - which is the main road that tales you from Camden to Regent's Park and is sufficiently distant from the market madness on a Saturday to make it feel oasis-like, or at least it did to me after I was reminded why I haven't been

hanging out in Camden on weekends for the last decade...  Anyway, using Monmouth beans to serve up top notch flatties and with a rather delicious looking selection of edible goodies this is well worth a pit stop when you are staggering on your platform-heeled doc martens from Camden to the park.

Tina We Salute You - Dalston N1

I can't quite believe it is almost 3 months since I wrote on this blog - my New Year's resolution, to dedicate some time every week to London Stuff, has been well and truly derailed by the pressure of 9 to 5 (or more like 8 to 8 these days) and along with not getting to the blog, I have also felt myself not appreciating my surroundings as much as I usually do.  Distracted by work pressures, I find myself hurrying through the streets, tapping away at my phone and basically, I could be anywhere.  So I decided that it was time I started taking a moment and reminding myself that I lived in London - the best city in the world!  It's amazing, how once you actually start forcing yourself to take note of your surroundings you regain that sense of wonder - I suddenly fell in love with London all over again and have had moments where I feel like I am the newly arrived, much younger (sob) version of myself that woke up every day (when I wasn't recovering from the night before) so excited just to be here.  Anyway enough blathering and happy clappy London love - the whole point of that ramble was leading up to the fact that I went to Dalston a couple of weeks ago.  Big deal I hear you say - well the

 point is, walking round the streets of Dalston, seeing the crazy hustle and bustle around the train station, the shops along Kingsland High St, the smattering of hipster joints amongst the traditional and functional shops serving a hugely diverse populace, felt like the heart of what London is about, or at least part of the heart....yeah, you know what I mean.  It is a really interesting part of London - I had been before, to see my friend Dougy who lives right opposite Mouse & De Lotz and just to really up my hipster credentials, I have also been to the Dalston Superstore (well tickle my beard and hop on my fixie I hear you say) but to be honest I am still

 a bit of a Dalston virgin (and there ain't many of those around...boom boom!).  Another side-note - many many years ago, an aspiring film-maker friend shot a short film about a relationship meltdown, with me and my friend Gen as the two stars.  We shot around King's Cross station and I was (in the script) a guy coming down from up north and meeting my girlfriend who lived in London - most of the film was shot in a cafe near the station and we were quite wired while we were doing it, so it wasn't exactly BAFTA winning stuff but the point of this story is - I remember Gen had a line when I asked her how living in London was and she said, kind of plaintively "I like Dalston" (with the emphasis on the "like" - we shot that about 4 times) and I remember wondering where the f*ck Dalston was.  So yeah, that was the story...moving on.  The purpose of my visit and my long (but interesting) trundle on the London Overground from Clapham Junction to Dalston Kingsland was to finally visit Tina We Salute You (after first wanting to years ago) - possibly the coolest named cafe EVER and I can confirm, a really lovely place to drink quality

 caffeinated beverages.  In a charming street behind Kingsland High St, heading in the Canonbury direction, TWSY is laid back, friendly and the perfect place to while away some time.  Brewing with Square Mile beans I had a perfect flattie (as you can see) and a delicious, chewy flapjack.  I read a magazine, wrote an outline for a short story I will probably never finish and felt pretty darn content.  If you are heading to Dalston, you should also check out the Rio Cinema (pictured) - I

 haven't but plan to soon as I love a shabby art-house cinema I do.  Locals tell me the pizza from Voodoo Ray (opened by my besties at the Dalston Superstore) just down the road is the perfect place for some pre or post movie nosh.

FreeState Coffee - Southampton Row WC1

I am a big fan of Sicilian Avenue in Holborn - a rather whimsical pedestrianised strip with an ornate Italianate vibe.  Whilst I have always loved the way it looked, there was never anywhere I would necessarily seek out to eat or drink in - but that has now changed with the arrival of FreeState Coffee.  I understand that it is the New Row crew who have launched FreeState - which is good news as the former is a lovely, friendly little gem of a cafe so that augers well for FreeState.  I trundled along (a lovely walk BTW from my office in St Giles to Holborn) last week and had a rather pleasant lunch.  The space itself still feels a bit unformed  - I know they are going for the rustic vibe but there was minimal signage outside and inside also felt like it was still a work in progress.  Having said that it was all pretty

 chilled - a nice big space with plenty of seating including some stools at the "brew bar".  I sat in the big window, enjoying the (long awaited) spring sunshine and staring at this rather lovely building across the road. I ordered a flat white - made with Union beans and actually pretty good.  I like my coffee strong and this one had a punch.  I wouldn't say Union beans are my favourite (that would be Caravan) but I do like them and I really like their company ethos so I am always happy to drink a Union coffee and this one was no exception.  I also had a Cuban sandwich which is basically pork, ham, cheese, pickles and mustard.  It was also pretty good - and I happily munched away, alternately staring at the building across the road (imagining turning it into my house) and staring at the slightly awkward body language of the man and woman sharing a communal table nearby.  Ah fun times when you are dining solo.  I will definitely be back to FreeState - I do want to try the brew bar as I drink WAY too much milk due to my flat white addiction.  Plus I am always happy to sashay (and I DO sashay people) down Sicilian Avenue.

Attendant - Foley St Fitzrovia W1

When I first started this blog back in 2009 one of the main reasons was to highlight the growing London coffee scene - I would faithfully visit every new cafe and write it up.  Then as the cafes started opening thick and fast, I realised that I was falling behind - my Central London Coffee Survival Guide Map was actually looking a bit out of date.  Eek!  Anyway - I am determined to set that right, fill in the gaps over the coming months but also make sure to alert all my fellow caffeine-addicts to new openings.  Attendant in Foley St is a great example of the latter.  Cleverly taking an abandoned old Victorian public lav (I am a big fan

 of old fashioned public loos - not in a cottaging/Joe Orton sort of way but because they are often really beautiful, with amazing tiling and huge old porcelain fittings.  For fellow toilet enthusiasts, check out this blog and pay a visit to the loos at RIBA.) the Attendant crew have turned this space into a really lovely cafe.  There is a dinky little take away hatch as soon as you enter, a communal table at the back and round the edges some rather wonderful seats in the old porcelain urinals!  I can only imagine how much disinfecting and bleaching must have gone on to clear a century of pong but the result is unique and super cool.  The

 doorway with the "Attendant" sign still on it is a nod to the naming inspiration and importantly the coffees are top notch.  Brewing Caravan beans and using wonderful creamy Somerset milk, I really loved my flat white.  Gail's hot cross buns were on offer as well as other tasty looking treats.  This is a really fantastic cafe, in a quirky and well designed space, serving excellent caffeinated beverages and yummy food - what's not to love?  I for one will be back - readers of this blog will know how much I love Fitzrovia and Attendant is just another great reason to visit this corner of London.

TAP Coffee - Wardour St W1

Firstly dear readers (if any of you are left), apologies for the woeful lack of blog posts over the last month.  Life, as it does, has been taking me in other directions lately and I have not been able to devote the time I would like to this l'il ol' blog o'mine.  Secondly, not sure if it is as a result of the afore-mentioned slackness but the volume of spam comments has gone up considerably.  I keep getting comments from "Anonymous" in the vein of "Hello dear, this blog is truly an amazing word and changed my life, please visit me here: cheap car insurance".  I feel like London Stuff has suddenly risen to the top of some cyber-traffic-scammy thing.  Anyway - enough about that and back to the business at hand - in particular the exciting news that the lovely folk from Tapped & Packed (or TAP Coffee as they now seem to be called) have opened a new gaff at 193 Wardour Street in Soho.  The TAP formula is a simple but effective one - stripped back decor, excellent, lovingly prepared coffee and great food with lots of gourmet sandwiches and tasty salads - and they have replicated that perfectly in Wardour Street.  The space feels bigger than either Rathbone Place or Tottenham Court Road and perhaps because of this bigger space, they have decided to separate the coffee machine from the food/cash register area, which is a little weird but kinda works.  If I had to level one criticism (and I am kinda jet-lagged and snippy today so feel the need to gripe) it would be that the combination of the high seating and low-hanging lights on the right hand group of tables put me in danger of either banging my head on the lamp or at least scorching the top of my head if I lent in too far.  But you know what, that is a small niggle in what is overall a really lovely cafe, with the usual top notch flatties being churned out and a selection of really yummy food.  The TAP guys know what they're doing so if you are already a fan of theirs, or if you are yet to experience the TAP way, get your arses down to 193 Wardour and check out this welcome new arrival on London's ever expanding coffee scene.

Tried & True - SW15

It's always a mistake to make rash generalisations and wouldn't you know it, the minute I "break" the news that there are now two great places to get coffee in Putney, I am informed (via a faithful commenter) that there are actually 3 (this is the cue for someone to tell me there are actually 10).  Pointed in the right direction, the other half and I visited the rather lovely Tried & True on the Upper Richmond Road (almost where Putney becomes East Sheen).  Slightly Scandi in it's decor, my first thoughts were that

 this was a charming, chilled, perfect neighbourhood cafe.  We ordered flat whites (creatures of habit, I know) and they were spot on - using Square Mile beans and nice and strong, I was impressed.  I had a super tasty toasted chicken bagel and the other half had a healthy beetroot salad - we shared a chocolate peanut butter cookie on the way out - so big tick on the food options also.  So how lucky you are residents of SW15 - whatever quadrant of this fine part of south-west London you inhabit you are never far from quality caffeine - Grind, Artisan or Tried & True.  Happy days.

Protein by DunneFrankowski - EC2

I first encountered Rob Dune & Vic Frankowski and their mastery of all things caffeine-related at Tapped & Packed in Rathbone Place.  I used to work just round the corner from T&P and when it opened I was so excited (although it also came tinged with guilt as I abandoned Milk Bar at that point, although I then abandoned T&P for Nude in Soho Square and now I've moved offices I have moved on to Damson....so fickle I am).  Vic & Rob created a really great cafe there before they moved on.  Given their expertise, it is no surprise that the boys have set up a coffee consultancy.  Luckily they are still making quality beverages for the masses (or at least that portion of the masses that know the lesser travelled streets of EC2A) and last year opened Protein by Dunne Frankowski, in a lovely space at 18 Hewett St, which is "endorsed" by creative agency Protein.  It's a lovely space and it encourages chatting with the barista whilst your coffee is being brewed, dripped, pressed and poured - and boy, do these guys like to talk about coffee, their passion is admirable and I think of them as the purists, the "caffeine monks" if you will.  I finally got there on the weekend - the other half and I went and checked out the Hewett St Block Party, 'cause that's the way we roll yeah - weekends are all about Shoreditch block parties and pop-up fun (OK, I admit it, mixed in with a little, OK a lot, of Deliverance take-away and Gardener's World re-runs...).  As well as an absolutely top notch flat white prepared by Vic, we also had a truly sublime burger at the Elliot's stand - still drooling thinking about that one...  Anyway this is a post about Protein by Dunne Frankowski so back to the coffee - my advice is, take a detour into the back streets of Shoreditch, have some primo quality coffee and loiter a while talking to the friendly caffeine monks in their snazzy monastery-cafe.  Happy days.

Artisan - Upper Richmond Rd SW15

You know the London coffee revolution is spreading when leafy SW15 has not one but two places to go for a decent flat white.  If you are Putney river side (perhaps having just downed your oar and needing a restorative coffee with the other member of your eight) then Grind is your place - a lovely cafe that was a breath of fresh air to the rather tired Lower Richmond Road when it opened.  However, for coffee addicts from the southern reaches of Putney, the pickings were slim and chainy until the arrival last year of Artisan on the Upper Richmond Rd.  Except for the fact that Artisan is on one of SW London's worst traffic roads (oh how many traffic jams I have been stuck in on this road - if only I could have those hours back...) the cafe is really chilled.  The requisite friendly Antipodean staff, some cool seating and lighting, tasty food and a pretty decent flat white (a little weak for me but perfect for the other half) made with Allpress beans all adds up to a top spot for residents of SW15 - every neighbourhood should have at least one place like this.

Caravan - Kings Cross N1

I love love love Caravan in Exmouth Market - amazing coffee (with beans roasted on site), great food, lovely staff, cool space, great street - what's not to like?  So I was super excited to learn that the Caravan crew were opening a new gaff in King's Cross.  I was meeting my friend Neil for lunch on Sunday so thought it would be a good chance to check it out.  Once again, I was struck by the transformation of the area behind King's Cross station - and even though I am nostalgic for my old clubbing days in the area, so far I like everything that is happening back there - Eat St rocks, Shrimpy's is ace and the new Granary Square development (where Caravan is) is a really cool redevelopment of an old Victorian warehouse and manages to keep the character of the old rail yards/Regent's Canal area whilst feeling very "now".  My only worry is that Eat St and Shrimpy's are both temporary happenings and I wonder what this area will be like when the entire redevelopment is done - however if Granary Square is anything to go by, it may be spectacular.  If I was pushed, I'd probably still opt for

 the somewhat bleak, abandoned warehousy vibe that used to characterise this locale, but that's just me, I'm a sucker for urban dereliction.  In front of the huge Granary Square building is a large open space, with water fountains shooting jets of water into the air and on Sunday there were hordes of little kids running round in their undies (and in one kinda gross case, what looked like a very full nappy...ewwww).  It was super cute and was topped off by the fact there was an Ice Cream festival going on so there was a real fairground vibe.  It took us some time to work out where Caravan was - if you are looking front on at Granary Square, look for the green hedgey thing on the left, the entrance is behind there.  Before we worked this out, we had an interesting wander through the Central St Martins campus that is also in the building (I tried to adopt my best Brit-art face and not look like I was lost).  The first things that strikes

 you about Caravan is that it is vast, a massive barn of a place but as with Exmouth Market, the fit-out is done really well and it feels welcoming and buzzy rather than cavernous.  The place was chock-a block, so we were given a bag off coffee beans with a number on it and advised to wait at the bar, which we did, having a magnificent flat white while we were at it.  The wait to be seated was quick (maybe fifteen minutes) and then we were seated on a communal table (I couldn't help but think of Wagamamas!) to peruse one of the best brunch menus in London (IMHO).  Neil was up for us both ordering different things and sharing,

 which is always an excellent way to try out more of the menu - so I went for the Jalapeno corn bread, fried egg, black beans & green tomato and Neil chose the Smoked haddock & keek rarebit with poached eggs & rocket.  And yes people, they were both friggin' delicious - not sure which one I would rate more highly, we did the plate swap thing a couple of times and each time I thought "oh yes".  Seriously good brunch food and a world away from the standard greasy fry up (which obviously has its place but not here, oh no, not here).  Being a couple of booze-hounds we decided that Bloody Marys were in order - well to be accurate, I ordered a Bloody Mary and Neil got a "Sunshine Mary", made with Kamm & Sons (a botanical spirit made with ginseng, grapefruit and manuka honey!), yellow tomato and capsicum.  The bloody Mary was fierce - great but almost

 too much for me.  The Sunshine Mary was delicious - we did the swapsies on drinks also.  We couldn't manage a pudding each so shared a super sweet and super delicious Ginger Treacle Tart with Clotted Cream, which was a perfect end to a perfect meal.

Ginger & White - Silver Place W1

Coffee drinkers of leafy Hampstead (and now Belsize Park also) will be aware of Ginger & White, serving quality caffeine to NW3 for some years now.  Walking through Silver Place in Soho last week (taking the alleys and small streets as is my wont) I stumbled across the newest member of the Ginger & White stable, a rather lovely cafe in W1.  Staffed by a couple of friendly handsome chaps, the coffee was top notch, the vibe more relaxed than I remember from their super busy Hampstead cafe and the location spot on.  So if you have resisted dropping in to Fernandez & Wells or Flat White (depending on which direction you are coming from) then you could do a lot worse than drop in to this little gem.

Ozone Coffee Roasters - Leonard St EC2

After hearing good things about the newly opened Ozone Coffee Roasters cafe, just off City Road in Shoreditch, I finally made it there as part of an East End coffee mission this past weekend (Salvation Jane was also on the agenda).  I have to say, the whole experience was absolutely lovely - it was one of those mornings where all just felt good with the world and from the moment I walked in the door at Ozone everything about my visit was spot on.  The first thing you notice is the space - in a huge old warehouse-like building, the inside has been cleverly

 converted to focus on what look like original features but are actually spot-on reproductions (the magnificent windows being one example).  The cafe space is really big - a large bar in the middle splits the back boothed area from the front counter and window seats (where I perched myself).  Originally established in New Zealand (of course!) the Ozone guys have apparently been roasting beans in NZ since the late 90s but this is their first

 UK cafe/retail space.  The flat white I sampled was top notch, smooth and creamy whilst being nice and strong.  Even though I had had an early morning breakfast at home I decided to sample something off the menu and went all antipodean by ordering tomato and avocado ("avo" to you Aussies) on toast.  As you can see from the photo this was simple food done well and I happily munched away whilst slurping on my flat white (must have been nice for those around

 me).  Actually thinking about it, the fact I had a "second breakfast" at Kiwi outpost Ozone was quite appropriate (that's a reference only fellow Lord of the Rings geeks will get - stay with me you others...).  I checked out the downstairs roastery before I left.  It was impressive and looked the business (not that I could tell either way).  There is more seating downstairs and what looks like a private room that my friend (and nephew) Ben tells me can be hired out for meetings - which is a great idea.  The staff are super friendly and informative on the origins of the beans and such stuff.  So if you are in the environs of the Old Street roundabout get yourselves down to Ozone, it's really really good.

Salvation Jane - City Rd EC1

I have always been a big fan of Lantana - I remember thinking that I had finally found somewhere in London that did breakfasts like I remembered from Melbourne.  The fact that I only worked round the corner was an added bonus and I have bought a lot of coffee, many breakfasts and way too many blondies from Lantana.  So I was delighted when I heard that Shelagh, owner of Lantana, was planning to open a sister cafe in Shoreditch and have been hanging

 to check it out.  As an aside, for some reason whenever I talk about Salvation Jane, I keep referring to it as Proud Mary, not quite sure why....  Anyway I finally made it there yesterday - I had a lovely Saturday East End coffee adventure (more to come on that) and made sure that Salvation Jane was on the itinerary.  Situated just where the East End morphs into the City, this is a really different location for the Lantana crew and the interior is also very different from what regulars are used to in Charlotte Place.  It is much more industrial and modern than the mothership - but it kind of fits into the locale.  I perched myself up

 at the bar and ordered a flat white and a blueberry friand.  I was presented with this rather fine specimen

with an expertly poured swan on top - the coffee is of the same quality as Lantana and I loved my flattie made with Square Mile beans.  I am a late convert to the friand but have taken to them with gusto and this blueberry version was a perfect sidekick to my coffee.  So nice one Shelagh - you've opened a really cool cafe to your (hopefully) expanding empire, long may you thrive.

NEWSFLASH - Caravan to open in King's Cross

The wonderful Caravan in Exmouth Market is soon to have a sibling - a new Caravan is planned for the Granary development at King's Cross.  Planned to open mid to late July, this is great news for the residents of N1 and for London in general!

Grind - Battersea SW11

Fans of Grind Coffee Bar in Putney (and I am one) will be pleased to know that Grind has a little sister in Battersea.  Somewhat oddly situated in the Plantation Wharf development on the river, this is nevertheless a lovely little cafe.  We actually used to live just around the corner - so I'm not dissing the area (Battersea love) but Grind is tucked away in a primarily residential development.  Anyway - I hope the many local residents discover and hang out at Grind because these guys do the cafe thing really well.  Top notch flat whites made with London Coffee Roasters beans, yummy food and friendly antipodean service - a winning formula in my book.  I love the fact that the SW coffee scene is expanding and that places like Grind are branching out into new locations.  The only thing that would improve Grind Battersea?  Being open on the weekend - then I could visit more often.

Newsflash! St Ali & Sensory Lab become Workshop Coffee

Fans of St Ali in Clerkenwell and Sensory Lab in Wigmore Street will now be dirnking fine caffeinated beverages in Workshop Coffee, the new brand.  Check it out here.

Damson Cafe - St Giles High St WC2

As the time approaches for our office move to Central St Giles I am starting to work out what my closest coffee locations will be.  Luckily for me, my current fave Nude Espresso in Soho Square is still relatively close, plus Monmouth and Wild & Wood are but a hop, skip and a jump away.  I was really excited when Flat Cap kindly located their new cart in the grounds of St Giles church and thought that was definitely going to be my closest location for that emergency caffeine hit.  But I was wrong people!  Winning the race by a matter of metres is newcomer to the London coffee scene, Damson.  A cute little cafe on the corner of New Compton St (those of you who are used to sashaying down Old Compton St may not realise there's a "new" one too) and St Giles High St, Damson is on the site of the old Panchetto Bistro, a pretty standard cafe who did a better than average fry-up.  Damson is a really lovely cafe and the flat white I had there last week was spot on.  My sis and I also shared a delicious raspberry muffin thingy which we both agreed was the perfect size and consistency for a muffin - which means the exact opposite of those gross, tumorous looking things you get from Starbucks.  So check out this lovely new cafe - I can't wait for the office move to happen so I can become a regular!

Browns of Brockley SE4

Last weekend we finally made it to Brockley Market (awesome and the subject of another post) but we were also keen to check out local cafe extraordinaire, Browns of Brockley (Twitter feed here).  Unmissable when you come out of Brockley overground station, Browns is an absolute gem.  How I wish these guys would consider opening an exact replica in my neck of the woods (it's not that much of a leap from SE4 to SW18 right?) - if they did I could promise them that I would be there every morning for breakfast and they wouldn't be able to get rid of me on the weekends.  What can I say - amazing looking food (which we had to resist because we had come to Brockley to eat food at the market), perfectly made flat whites (using Square Mile beans) and a laid back vibe that positively encourages long, lazy sessions with a book and multiple coffees.  Top that all off with super friendly service and you can probably see why I fell in love with this place.

Flat Cap - St Giles WC2

As London enjoys the plethora of great coffee options now available (remember those times when it was Monmouth or nothing people - it ain't that long ago!) we need to take some time to give a nod to the people that have helped this happy state of affairs occur.  In my mind, one who deserves special attention is Fabio Ferreira - from the first Flat Cap cart in Strutton Ground, SW1 - Fabio's coffee outlets have put a smile on my face.  Typified by good service, great coffee (made with Square Mile beans) and a whole lotta class, all of Fabio's locations are great.  Notes Music & Coffee on St Martin's Lane is something really special and marked Fabio's move from cart to cafe.  The follow up Notes in Covent Garden is just as good and the other Flat Cap carts are worthy additions to the fold.  I still haven't visited the Borough cart (although I plan to soon) but I was an early visitor to the Fleet St one (thanks to my friend Gen - who alerted me to the very first Flat Cap cart as well) and I am delighted to welcome the latest, Flat Cap St Giles, which (joy of joys) happens to be directly across the road from the building my company is moving into in April.  Not good news for the surrounding cafes however as it's unlikely I will feel the need to look further afield, when I have a Flat Cap cart on my doorstep - hurrah!

ADDENDUM: Alerted by a helpful commenter on this blog post, it appears I am only up with half the story and should have also given a shout out to Fabio's business partner, Rob Robinson as well.  Certainly was not meaning to exclude Rob - so big up to him too.  Thanks for the (continuing) service to London's caffeine-starved population.  You guys rock!

Foxcroft & Ginger - BOXPARK, Shoreditch E1

These days it seems to be all about pop-ups, whether it's restaurants, cafes, galleries, clothes shops or bars so I suppose it was only a matter of time before pop-ups got super-sized and we got a pop-up mall.  Strictly speaking though BOXPARK is not really a pop up, as I think it will be in place for 5 years and in the fickle world of hipster tastes that's more like two normal retail lifetimes.  A collection of various brands housed in old shipping containers over two levels, BOXPARK kinda won me over - I was prepared to be sceptical but I actually really liked it.  There are some cool shops here and I found myself getting caught up in the retail vibe, so much so that I bought a pair of jeans that are arguably way too skinny for my 40 year old self...anyway.  Upstairs on the second level is the new outpost of one of my favourite Soho coffee joints, Foxcroft & Ginger.  F&G offers what I consider to be Soho's best breakfast - ham & cheese brioche French toast drizzled with maple syrup and for that I will love them forever.  This new location is very different to the Berwick St branch but is really cool and serves the same great coffee made with Monmouth beans and a yummy selection of food, the BOXPARK (you like how I am buying into the capitalised thing?) branch is a great place to re-fuel in between buying your Kangol hat or your Vans trainers.  And I cannot recommend that French toast too highly - it ROCKS (and that capitalisation is totally justified).

Full Stop - Brick Lane E1

My friend Rob, who works near Edgeware Road (in that sort of no-mans land that isn't St John's Wood, isn't Marylebone and isn't Paddington) is still sad about the departure of Peter Duggan's Indie Coffee cart.  I'm sure there are many workers and residents of NW8 who feel the same sense of loss.  Conversely, there must be lots of E1 folk who love the fact that Peter upped sticks and found a permanent home on Brick Lane, called Full Stop.  As a fan of Indie Coffee's flat whites, I was keen to check out Full Stop but it has taken me a while to get there - first impressions were that this was a really cool space, it reminded me of bars/cafes from my home town of Melbourne, with that old sofa, booth kind of vibe.  I ordered a flat white and a ham & cheese sandwich and both were great.  Peter is definitely a master of the bean and the combination of his skill and Square Mile's finest, meant my flat white was mighty fine (as you can see).  Brick Lane was

pretty quiet on Saturday morning so the whole experience was really relaxing - I imagine when Spitalfields and Brick Lane are in full force, it is probably more hectic but there is plenty of seating here, so I can highly recommend Full Stop as a the perfect pit-stop during your market trawling.  There were all sorts of tasty treats on display and the service is great - as you can probably tell, I'm a fan, NW8's loss is definitely E1's gain.