The Caffeine Chronicles: Daisy Green

After hearing Brian, of Brian's Coffee Spot, sing the praises of Beany Green, I have been wanting to pay a visit to the Aussie-inspired mini-empire. There are four Beany Greens around London, but none of them are in my regular stomping grounds. But their relative — parent, I believe — Daisy Green, which is just a couple of blocks from both Marble Arch and Selfridges was in just the right neck of the woods when I was in need of a coffee break while shopping in Marylebone on Sunday afternoon.

Daisy Green is in the heart of Portman Village, on the corner of Seymour Street and New Quebec Street — it's actually just a five-minute walk from my old flat, so it was nice to re-visit my former neighbourhood. There are a couple of deckchairs outside, ten or so seats in the cafe's sunny ground floor and further seating in the whimsically decorated basement. I arrived just at the sunniest point of Sunday afternoon and although it was gorgeous to sit in such a bright, sunlit cafe, the combination of the sun's rays, large mirror and white walls led to some challenging photography. Not that I'm complaining.

Mid-afternoon, Daisy Green was still bustling but the staff were all remarkably unflustered, and friendly to boot. I had already eaten so wasn't able to sample the Aussie brunch menu — I'll have to come back for the broccoli and corn fritters and for the shakshouka (both £9) another time. Instead, I ordered a piccolo (£2.50) and a slice of banana bread (£2.50) and took a seat at one of the bar stools that surround the ground-floor cafe.

With its vases of colourful flowers and flower-inspired décor, Daisy Green is one of the prettiest cafes in London. I also liked the way the neon pink and green of the bags of coffee beans — from The Roasting Party — matched the flowers. The weather was nice enough to sit outside but I settled for people-watching near the window instead.

My coffee was good — a rich, chocolatey piccolo — and came in one of the loveliest, and most colourful cups I've ever used. The banana bread arrived slightly afterwards; I had it toasted, as recommended by the barista, and it was so good that I could easily have managed a second slice.

My visit to Daisy Green has persuaded me to check out some of the Beany Greens. The Broadgate Circus location is the most local to me so I'll have to make time to stop by next time I'm in Liverpool Street.

Daisy Green. 20 Seymour Street, London, W1H 7HX (Tube: Marble Arch). Website. Twitter. Open: M–F: 7–6, S–S: 9–5.