The Caffeine Chronicles: Milkbar Revisited (CLOSED)

UPDATE (October 2020): Milkbar is closed, at least for the time being, but you can find its staff at its Soho sibling Flat White.

As part of my 'Caffeine Chronicles...Revisited' series, where I return to some of the first speciality coffee shops I visited in London, I dropped by Milkbar a few weeks ago. Milkbar is Flat White's little sister and it's located a few blocks further east in Bateman Street, which connects Frith and Greek Streets in the heart of Soho — and, indeed, in the heart of Soho's coffee scene (I noticed this as early as 2008, while the aforementioned Soho coffee scene was very much a work in progress).

Although Milkbar has a similar monochrome décor as Flat White, it is usually a little less hectic than its Berwick Street sibling, especially if you on a hot summer's day where many might prefer to be out in the sunshine. I'm happy to step into the shade, though, if it means I get a good coffee. At Milkbar, there are a dozen or so small tables inside and a bench outside in case you want to take advantage of the previously mentioned clement weather. As well as the monochrome menu board and sleek black La Marzocco, pops of red, white and blue brighten up the café's petite but well-proportioned interior.

I happened to arrive at a quiet moment on an otherwise busy Saturday, which meant that I was able to persuade the barista to prepare me a pourover, which they had initially said they weren't serving. This was lucky as I'd already had my milk allowance for the day (one piccolo's worth). They had some batch-brew filter coffee on offer too but my preference for the subtler flavour notes that are drawn out with a good hand-brewed filter coffee intensifies on a warm day, even if I do feel like a terrible human being for turning up my nose at the prospect of bulk-brew.

Like Flat White, Milkbar uses coffee from Swedish roaster Drop Coffee, and I tried a very fruity Ethiopian coffee in my pourover (£4). The barista did a great job and it was a very well brewed coffee. My recent experiences at Flat White and Milkbar have encouraged me to add Drop Coffee to my list for my upcoming visit to Stockholm.

There's plenty of good grub at Milkbar too — I had already brunched before this visit, but they make a mean avocado toast and they also do great scrambled eggs and bagels. Oh yes, and the cakes aren't bad either!

After my coffee, I chatted with one of the friendly baristas about the changing coffee scenes in London, Brussels and Paris and then stepped back out into the sunshine. Milkbar hasn't changed very much since my first visit in 2008 but as they say, if it ain't broke, don't fix it.

Milkbar. 3 Bateman Street, London, W1D 4AG (Tube: Tottenham Court Road). Website. Twitter. Instagram.

Sorrento: Sun, Sea and Sandals

Sorrento is a small but attractive resort town famous for its lemons. It lies about 30 miles south of Naples — not close enough to see its northern neighbour, although you can usually see Vesuvius looming across the Gulf of Naples. 

Grotto Hopping in Capri

The island of Capri lies just 3.5 miles from the southwestern tip of the Sorrento peninsula and about 10 miles from Sorrento town. It's a small island, about 3.5 by 1.5 miles, with about 12,000 residents. In the peak season, tourists outnumber residents by a ratio of about three to one, but the island hasn't shaken its glamorous past it remains one of the most popular Italian islands, as well as being the birthplace of the caprese salad and capri pants.

There are regular ferries from both Sorrento and Naples but we hired a small motorboat for the day and our charming skipper Teodoro steered us out to Capri, where we circumnavigated the small island in a clockwise direction from Marina Piccola on the south shore. It took us about 45 minutes to reach Capri, and we rode past some of the pretty perched villages and Roman remains on the mainland, including Villa di Pollio Felice (not Pollo Felice (‘happy chicken’) as I first thought Teodoro said!).

Capri's most famous attraction is the Grotta Azzurra (blue grotto) on the north shore, but there are dozens of other smaller and still very beautiful grottos and Teodoro took us into several of them, including the Grotta Verde (green grotto), Grotta Bianca (white grotto) and Grotta dei Santi (grotto of the saints). The water is so clear and appears in various vibrant shades of green, blue and turquoise; when the water catches the light, the effect is absolutely stunning. 

We stopped off to swim and leap off the boat on numerous occasions. This was a good call given that the relatively small beaches of Capri were all incredibly crowded; laying down your towel requires exceptional Tetris skills.

We docked at Marina Piccola and caught a taxi up to the town of Anacapri, which is smaller and higher than the island’s main town, Capri. There isn’t a great deal to do in Anacapri and we didn't have time to take a ride on the chair lift up to the highest point on the island, Monte Solaro, but we wandered through the town’s main drag, Via Giuseppe Orlandi, and looked at the Casa Rossa (a Moorish style house in a vibrant red colour) and the church before stopping for lunch at Le Arcate, a large, rustic restaurant with friendly waiters and good value food. I had a pizza (shocker!), which was very good, although a little too crispy to be truly Neapolitan.

The taxi journey back down to Marina Piccola was just as exciting — the roads are very narrow and twisty and there are stunning views over the bay. After hopping back onto our boat, we carried on sailing around the island, passing various lighthouses, watchtowers, Roman ruins, grottos and the three faraglioni rock formations, one of which you can boat through.

Although we hoped to visit the Grotta Azzurra, we weren’t sure how long the queue was going to be. We had asked Teodoro whether we should head there first thing in the morning but he told us that the afternoon was less crowded. There were still quite a few tour boats waiting when we arrived, not to mention the long queue of people waiting on the mainland. Our skipper managed to arrange for us to jump the line, however, which must have been incredibly annoying for everyone else (sorry to anyone else who was in Capri on Saturday).

The five of us were crammed into one of the tiny row boats, which are the only boats allowed inside the grotto. After we had each paid our €13, our brusque but characterful rower sung O Sole Mio (this is not optional) and rowed us into the grotto. I was fully expecting it to be a) not much more impressive than the other grottos we had seen and b) a complete tourist trap. Happily, although it was not dissimilar to Disney’s 'Pirates of the Caribbean' ride, it really was an impressive sight and one that cameras can’t capture very well, especially not in the five minutes you get inside. The water really does glow an ethereal turquoise, like an incredibly beautiful swimming pool but without the lighting. If you stick your hand in the water, it glows too. We asked ourselves how much we would pay to have a private visit into the grotto for an hour at sunset (when the light strikes the cave mouth at the perfect angle) and the answer was quite a lot of money!

We had one last swim and then it was time to head back to Sorrento. But then disaster struck! Well, sort of. A rather large ferry-generated wave struck the boat and ruptured the belt that powers the water pump. Teodoro called for back up but started trying to fix it himself. As you can imagine, we were devastated to be lying in the sun on the front of a boat with views of Capri and the mainland for an hour! Just as the rescue boat arrived, Teodoro had got the motor started again and we were soon on our way home, just in time for a stunning sunset over Capri and Ischia. I don’t think I have ever been less bothered by a transportation breakdown!

Our day on the boat was one of the best of my holiday and I think it is one of the best ways to visit Capri, especially in August when the ferries, beaches and buses on the island are all extremely crowded. There are plenty of restaurants and some good shops on Capri, especially in Capri town, but it is expensive to stay on the island and if you are on a budget, a day trip might be a better option.

Going Coastal: A Day on the Amalfi Coast

I'm a bit behind with my Italian travel blogs thanks to a packed schedule and bad wifi, and it was on Thursday morning that we took the ferry from Naples to Sorrento. Sorrento lies just across the Gulf of Naples from its more northerly neighbour and you can take a train or taxi (both of which take about 70 minutes), but we opted to go by boat, which is a little faster (45 minutes) and rather pleasant. There isn't a huge amount to do in Sorrento itself but it’s a good base for exploring the Amalfi Coast and the isles of Capri and Ischia. 

Naples II: Pompeii Excursion and Espresso Heaven

We woke up early on Wednesday morning — too early for breakfast in our hotel's famed baroque breakfast room, but the perfect time to take the Circumvesuviana train to the Pompeii ruins before the heat and the crowds. We also had time for a cornetto (Italy's answer to the croissant) and the first of many espressi at the pasticceria opposite Porta Nolana station. My research hadn't yielded much specialty coffee in Naples, but most of the espressi I drank during my short stay in the city were decent and some very good.

Naples I: Napoli by Night

When researching this trip to Naples, I was surprised to see so much negativity for the southern Italian city. Requests for Neapolitan hotel recommendations on TripAdvisor are often met with suggestions to stay in Sorrento and make a day trip into Naples 'if necessary'. The city is often accused of being dirty, dangerous and just plain unlovely. I think most of these claims are unjustified. Sure, Naples is rough — and not just around the edges — but it is colourful, characterful and has some of the world's best pizza.

What's in My Bag: An August Wedding on the Amalfi Coast

I rarely travel in August, preferring the cooler and somewhat quieter months for the destinations I tend to visit of May, June, September and October. However, I was very excited to receive an invitation to my cousin's wedding, which takes place in Sorrento this week. I've spent a lot of time in Italy, but mainly in Milan, Bologna, Rome and Sardinia, and, despite my love of Neapolitan pizza, I've never been to Naples.

We will spend a couple of days in Naples and then travel down to Sorrento, hopefully taking in Pompeii, Capri and the Amalfi Coast along the way. It's going to be hot and sunny all week, although I'm hoping we will get a bit of a sea breeze. And, of course, I needed to bring clothes for various occasions, from sight-seeing and island hopping to more formal wedding events. As usual, I brought my Rimowa Salsa Air cabin suitcase and the almost-matching small Longchamp Le Pliage tote. 

Clothing-wise, I kept things simple: five colourful, casual dresses; two pairs of shorts, five tees and tanks, a light cardigan, two bikinis and my running kit. I also brought two more formal dresses, one for the wedding (the one I got tailored in Hoi An) and another for a drinks reception. I also brought my cobalt blue Mulberry Lily to use as an evening bag.

I usually stick to a limit of three pairs of shoes when I travel, which, for warm climates, means running shoes, ballet flats and flip flops. For this trip, I also packed a pair of blue leather sandals. I'm not quite sure they are quite suitable for the wedding but I didn't have anything else that worked with my dresses, and I'm also hoping that I might pick up a new pair in Sorrento, which is well known for its leather shoes. We will see!

I added in my usual toiletries, cameras and other electronics, but there is still room in both the suitcase (which I carried onto the plane to maximise pizza time) and tote for any souvenirs. Not pictured: the hat I almost forgot and my DSLR.

I'm not sure coffee's third wave has reached Campania, but I'm hoping to enjoy some good Neapolitan-style espresso; I would welcome any good coffee/cafe recommendations for Naples or Sorrento. I have an overfull list of restaurants and things-to-do but please let me know in the comments if there is anything you think I shouldn't miss. Grazie mille!

The Caffeine Chronicles: Kaffeine Revisited

This week's instalment of my 'Caffeine Chronicles...Revisited' series shifts a few blocks north from Soho to Fitrzovia for an updated review of Great Titchfield Street's Kaffeine. I first visited Kaffeine back in 2009 when it was a relative spring chicken; now,  it has just celebrated its seventh birthday and has a second location, just around the corner on Eastcastle Street. Unlike some of my other 'old favourite' cafés, I've always been a regular customer at Kaffeine over the years, not least because of its proximity to one of my favourite London restaurants, the Riding House Café. I never got round to writing a full review, however, so I went back yesterday with my camera.

Kaffeine's Great Titchfield café is small and sleek. There are a few seats in the window, a handful of tall tables that run the length of the monochrome coffee bar, and several more tables in the wood-panelled section at the back. I've always loved Kaffeine's logo, with its playful font, and the illuminated version on the back wall adds a cheery pop of yellow to the décor.

The menu includes the usual espresso-based drinks, cascara (coffee cherry tea) and a coffee tasting flight, along with various teas and soft drinks. There are no hand-brewed filter options, but they are serving cold brew at the moment; I tried it a few weeks ago and thought it was fruity and refreshing. I had planned to order my usual piccolo but was seduced by the coffee flight (£6). This included the same coffee (Square Mile's Red Brick) served as an espresso and as a flat white; unusually, it also came with a palate-cleansing cascara shot.

The espresso was expertly prepared and the coffee's fruity, nutty smoothness came through very nicely. The flat white, I found out later, was only a single shot and was, as such, a little too milky for my taste and I think I would have enjoyed it more as a piccolo, which would have allowed the coffee's subtler notes to shine through more strongly. That said, it was still a very well prepared drink and milk:coffee ratio is very much a matter of personal taste. The cascara was served cold and it did make a good refreshing palate cleanser. I'm not a big tea drinker so I probably wouldn't order cascara on its own, but it makes a nice addition to some cocktails!

As it was such a hot day, I didn't feel like a big lunch and luckily, as well as a few sandwiches and plenty of tempting sweet treats (I'm a particular fan of the blondies), Kaffeine always serves a varied selection of salads. I ordered the smaller size (£5.50) of the stone fruit salad with mozzarella, tomato and granola; it was absolutely delicious and with hindsight, I should have opted for the larger serving (£7).

I don't think I've ever been to Kaffeine when it has been quiet. You can usually nab a table if you are prepared to wait or share, but the café's long, thin shape means that it fills up quite quickly. The Eastcastle Street branch was thus much needed, although, with apologies to Cyril Northcote Parkinson, queues do tend to expand to fill the great speciality coffee shops available. Both Kaffeines are only a few minutes' walk from Oxford Circus but are havens of cool serving top-quality coffee that feel a world away from the crowds of Oxford Street.

Kaffeine. 66 Great Titchfield Street, London, W1W 7QJ (Tube: Oxford Circus). Website. Twitter. Instagram.

A Perfect Peckham Sunday at Frank's and Pedler

On those rare summer Sundays when the sun comes out to play in south-east London, there is one obvious destination: Frank's Café, Peckham's most famous, if not its only, rooftop bar. I've been to Frank's a few times, but only in the evening. At lunchtime on a Sunday, though, Frank's is a lot more relaxed but just as fun.

No matter how many times you have seen the view of London's skyline from the rooftop of the multi-storey car park on Rye Lane, you can't help but stop and gawp as soon as you emerge from the pink-hued staircase. On a clear day like last Sunday, you can see way past The City to the north and beyond Crystal Palace to the south.

The other advantage to going to Frank's earlier in the day is that you can secure a table — even one with a view — and don't have to wait too long in the drinks queue. Our family's dinner reservations weren't until later but boldly, I decided to go for a negroni (£6) and it was perfectly cool, crisp and strong. Most of the cocktails are around £6 or £7 and there are also various beers and wines, as well as the British summer staple: Pimm's. We had a few nibbles to keep us going (the spicy hummus was particularly good) and there are a few more substantial dishes too.

After savouring our drinks and the view, we made our way down the pink stairs, down the ever-colourful Rye Lane and onto Peckham Rye. Since it opened almost two years ago, Pedler has remained one of my favourite restaurants in London. It's the kind of neighbourhood restaurant everyone wishes they had in their own neighbourhood: relaxed, stylish and whimsical, and with great food and drinks, it's a bit like having dinner at a friend's house — if your friend is a fantastic cook with immaculate taste.

This time, our group was big enough that we qualified for the gorgeous, padded teal booth towards the back of the restaurant. On Sunday afternoons, you can opt for brunch or a roast, and although I find to very hard not to order brunch dishes when they are available, I followed the herd and ordered a roast. I had the BBQ baby chicken with cornbread and corn-on-the-cob (£16). About half of our party ordered the chicken, and the others went for the roast beef; before long, our table was buried under a small mountain of food. Everything tasted great and embarrassingly, we managed to finish most of it. I tried some of the beef too and it was really, really good. The roasts at Pedler never disappoint, but don't take my word for it — try one for yourself!

It may look as though I'm atoning for my ambitious food order with a healthy juice, but in fact, my drink is a gin cocktail. Pedler is run by the same people as the good folks of Little Bird Gin, and my cocktail, the Sippin' On (£6), combined the house gin with apple, cucumber, mint and lime. It was refreshing, fruity and possibly even somewhat healthy. Possibly.

Although the restaurant was closing, the staff, who are always incredibly friendly and welcoming, let us stay at the table chatting and clutching our full bellies; afterwards, we ventured onto the pavement to drink our coffees before vain attempts to walk off a big but delicious meal. What a great way to spend a Sunday! And if you already like Pedler, you will be pleased to know that their new pizza and cocktail joint, The Beautiful Pizza Boy, will be opening soon a few streets over on Bellenden Road.

Frank's Cafe. 10th floor, Peckham Multi-Storey Car Park, 95a Rye Lane, London, SE15 4ST (Peckham Rye Overground). Website. Twitter. Instagram.

Pedler. 58 Peckham Rye, London, SE15 4JR (Peckham Rye Overground). Website. Twitter. Instagram.