Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
COFFEE & A
cake
There was a time when the only cup of
coffee that could pass muster with a
caffeine aficionado was at the splendid
survivor in Soho,
Bar Italia
, 22 Frith
St., W1 (
&
020/7437-4520
). Then a
wave of young, well-trained baristas jet-
ted in, mostly from Australia and New
Zealand, and changed the face of Lon-
don's coffee houses forever. They're all
very serious, using top coffee roasts and
the best techniques; there are often
tasting notes to accompany the brew.
Now you can get the best coffee in the
world in London. It's no idle boast; try
any of these below.
Flat White,
17 Berwick St., W1
(
&
020/7734-0370
) just off Berwick
Street Market, is a magnet for Antipode-
ans who also make up the staff. Like
many, they use superior Square Mile
Coffee Roaster beans. Open Monday
to Friday 8am to 7pm; Saturday, and
Sunday 9am to 6pm. Tube: Leicester
Square, Tottenham Court Road. The
same owners run
Milk Bar
in Soho, at
3 Bateman St., W1 (
&
020/7287-4796
).
Go for the great welcome, coffees, sand-
wiches, and snacks around £4-£5 and
changing art on the walls. Open Monday
to Friday 8am to 7pm; Saturday, and
Sunday 9am to 6pm. Tube: Tottenham
Court Road.
Another Antipodean-owned and -run
place,
Kaffeine
, 66 Great Titichfield
St., W1 (
&
020/580-6755
) is the place
for a Square Mile summer blend
espresso in a smart venue. Open Mon-
day to Friday 7:30am to 6pm; Saturday
9am to 6pm. Tube: Oxford Circus.
Monmouth Coffee House,
26 Mon-
mouth St., WC2 (
&
020/7379-3516
)
has been serving top filter coffees for
over 30 years. The original Monmouth
Street venue is cozy and a great place
for cakes from Paul, around £4. Monday
to Saturday 8am to 6:30pm. Tube: Cov-
ent Garden. Other locations in London.
Prufrock Coffee,
140 Shoreditch High
St., E1 (
&
020/7033-0500
). The UK's
first World Barista Champion, Gwylim
Davies, is the hero here, serving great
flat whites and espressos to go with
their cakes and sandwiches. It's inside
the menswear shop, Present. Open Mon-
day to Friday 10:30am to 6pm; Saturday
11am to 5pm; Sunday 11am to 4pm. Train:
Shoreditch High Street.
4
the very popular, convivial bar all day long. Straying a little from the format, tea has
Jaffa cakes, and mulled wine and pear jelly with cinnamon cream. It's as suitable for
your great aunt as it is for your next romantic interest.
Beeston Place, Grosvenor Gardens, SW1.
&
020/7396-9000.
www.goringhotel.co.uk. Afternoon tea
£35; champagne tea £45. AE, DC, MC, V. Daily 3-5pm. Tube: Victoria.
SHOPPING
London's shopping scene is eccentric, an eclectic mix of the thrifty and the luxurious.
Shopping here isn't just about the big department stores, the impressive labels, or the
obvious high-street chains anymore: It's going local, it's going boutique, and it's getting
more personalized, as London develops an affordable charm of its own. The shopping
scene today is all about being original, whether you're buying unique glassware on Por-
tobello Road, or haunting the vintage boutiques of the East End. It's about making your
shopping personal to you, and buying something that you'll treasure forever. The chances
are you've picked it up from a little-known pop-up shop that disappeared a week later.
They're all over London at the moment—it's one trend that seems to be sticking around.
