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Showing posts with label London. Show all posts
Showing posts with label London. Show all posts

25 July 2026

Frida Kahlo x Santiago Lastra — Mexican Art and Food at the Tate Modern

Of all the countries I've visited, Mexico is the one I'm keenest to return to. But in the meantime, I've been getting a taste of Mexican art, culture and food here in London thanks to the Tate Modern's current Frida Kahlo exhibition and a Frida-inspired food menu created by acclaimed chef Santiago Lastra.


22 July 2026

Revisiting Riding House Cafe — A Fitzrovia Brunch Favourite


I first visited Riding House Cafe, in London’s Fitzrovia neighbourhood, in 2011, soon after it opened. I’ve been back many times since — for breakfast, dinner and everything in between. But it had been a while since my last visit so I was delighted when they invited me back to try their new brunch menu.

17 June 2026

How To Spend a Perfect Weekend in East London

With its world-class markets, beautiful parks and ever-evolving food scene, East London is one of my favourite areas in the city for spending a lazy Saturday or Sunday. In this guide, I'm sharing my itinerary for the perfect East London weekend. Read on for food, art, history, markets and more!


11 June 2026

My 15 Favourite London Cocktail Bars

When I’m not hitting up London’s specialty coffee shops, brunch spots and eateries, one of my favourite things to do is to sip a well-crafted cocktail at one of the city's best bars. This guide to my favourite London cocktail bars has been 18 years in the making!


17 May 2026

How To Spend a Day in Bermondsey, London — A Local's Guide


Bermondsey is a stone's throw from top London attractions, like the Tower of LondonTower Bridge and Borough Market. The South London neighbourhood is also a worthy destination in its own right, with top-notch food, art, culture and even a beach (sort of!). I've lived here since 2012 and these are my favourite things to do in Bermondsey.

29 April 2026

The Caffeine Chronicles: Day Trip Coffee

I've written about a lot of London day trips on this blog, but not all escapes need a train ticket. That's where Day Trip in Islington comes in — a neighbourhood coffee shop that delivers a delightful change of scene alongside impeccably brewed specialty coffee.


25 April 2026

London Wanders: Little Venice to Limehouse along Regent's Canal

I think the Regent's Canal towpath from Little Venice to Limehouse is one of London's best walks. The 9.5-mile route weaves past Regency-style villas, through beautiful parks and cool neighbourhoods, and alongside striking contemporary and heritage architecture. This is my guide to the route, including all my favourite places to stops.


25 March 2026

Best Bermondsey Specialty Coffee Shops — A Local's Guide


Bermondsey's connection to coffee dates back to the 19th century, when its warehouse complexes stored coffee and other goods. More recently, the southeast London neighbourhood has become a top specialty coffee destination, with a mix of local coffee shops and top-notch roasters. I've lived in the area since 2012 and today I'm sharing my favourite Bermondsey specialty coffee spots.

31 December 2025

My 2025 Coffee, Food and Cocktail Favourites

I'm taking a break from my Guatemala and Belize blogs to pick out some of my favourite specialty coffee shops, restaurants, bars and individual dishes from all those I visited for the first time in 2025, in London and on my travels around the world.


14 November 2025

Best Specialty Coffee Shops in London — A Local's Guide (Updated 2026)


I've been writing about London's first forays and then larger leaps into specialty coffee since I started this blog in 2007. This London specialty coffee guide, first created in 2017 but regularly updated with my latest discoveries, now includes over 150 of my personal favourite coffee shops, based on my own experiences from Crouch End to Clapham, Dalston to Deptford and beyond.

10 November 2025

Five Specialty Coffee Spots To Visit in Croydon


For the past year, I've been working in East Croydon once a week and I've been exploring the area on my lunch breaks. That has, of course, included tracking down the best specialty for specialty coffee. I'll keep this guide updated with new discoveries, but for now, read on to discover my five favourite specialty coffee shops in Croydon.

12 August 2025

The Caffeine Chronicles: Commons at Old Street Works (CLOSED)

The recipe for the perfect specialty coffee shop sounds simple: great coffee served by friendly baristas in a beautiful, relaxed setting. In practice, though, it's all too easy to miss the mark on one or more of these ingredients. Commons at Old Street Works nails all three and scores plenty of bonus points for their Oreo canelés. Yes, you read that right!

Update: Commons at Old Street Works is permanently closed.


05 August 2025

The Caffeine Chronicles: The Barn, Fitzrovia

The Barn has long been one of my favourite European specialty coffee roasters so I was excited to hear they were opening their first London coffee shop. I've been to several of the German roaster's coffee shops in Berlin and visited their Mallorca café the week the London location opened. Since my return, I've been a couple of times. It's a great addition to Fitzrovia — already an excellent neighbourhood for coffee.


19 July 2025

How To Spend a Perfect Day in Notting Hill

Colourful houses, a world-famous carnival and market and, of course, a film with a certain H. Grant and J. Roberts. These are just a few of the images London’s Notting Hill conjures up. But there’s a lot more to the neighbourhood than elegant architecture and *that* movie. My one-day itinerary will help you uncover Notting Hill’s rich cultural and social history, and make the most of its excellent dining and shopping.


23 June 2025

My 50 Favourite London Restaurants (Updated 2026)

Since I moved back to London 15 years ago, I've spent a lot of time eating my way around the city's increasingly diverse restaurant scene. To help me keep track, I started jotting down my favourites in a Moleskine notebook, which eventually evolved into a Google Sheet and then a blog post in 2016. An update was long overdue and here it is: my 50 favourite restaurants in London. 


25 May 2025

11 Specialty Coffee Shops To Visit in Borough & Bankside, London

London's Borough and Bankside neighbourhood, on the South Bank of the River Thames, has long been popular with locals, tourists and food lovers alike. And in recent years, exciting new openings have made the area a specialty coffee destination in its own right. Whether you're after a post-market caffeine hit or want to elevate your lunch-break coffee game, my guide has you covered.


18 May 2025

My 25 Favourite London Brunch Spots (Updated 2026)

I've lived in London for 14 years and I've eaten a lot of brunches during that time. This guide to my favourite places in London to enjoy my favourite meal is, therefore, long overdue. Read on to find out which London brunch spots made my top 25.


09 April 2025

The Caffeine Chronicles: Calico Coffee

If you're partial to a perfectly brewed pourover coffee, there's never been a better time to visit London. One of the newer additions to the city's specialty coffee scene is Calico Coffee, a beautiful café in the Waterloo neighbourhood. I've visited several times since it opened in December, drawn back by the well-curated coffee menu, welcoming staff and peaceful design.


26 March 2025

The Caffeine Chronicles: Special Guests Coffee

London has welcomed some truly special new specialty coffee shops in recent months. One of my favourites is Special Guests, a beautifully designed cafe in Marylebone that serves an exceptional range of coffees.


20 March 2025

The Caffeine Chronicles: Scenery Coffee

I first came across Scenery Coffee when I enjoyed one of their particularly delicious Colombian coffees at Loam in Brighton earlier this month. When I found out that Scenery's café–roastery is much closer to home, in London's Borough neighbourhood, it didn't take me long to visit. With a great selection of coffees served in an airy and spacious café, it was well worth the lunchtime walk.