The Caffeine Chronicles: Treves & Hyde (CLOSED)

UPDATE: Treves & Hyde is now permanently closed, although there's another coffee shop on the site.

Over the past few weeks, I've been trying to catch up on my London to-do list — a Sisyphean task if ever there was one — and I took advantage of a free bank-holiday Monday to become acquainted with Treves & Hyde. Set over two floors, the Aldgate café and restaurant has already built up a strong reputation for excellent coffee and delicious food. Oh, and there's the small matter of a certain pink staircase... But I'm getting ahead of myself.

I could tell from the Treves & Hyde website that the ground-floor 'café' and first-floor 'restaurant' were separate entities, but with the breakfast sitting running from 7:00 to 10:00 am and brunch starting at 10:30 am at the weekend, I wasn't certain what would await me at 10:15 on a bank holiday Monday. Everything worked out perfectly, however, because brunch was starting in the upstairs dining area in 15 minutes, which gave me time to enjoy a coffee downstairs.

There were two coffee on offer — the Volcano house roast and a guest from Round Hill Roastery. I ordered a piccolo (£2.60) with the Volcano espresso, and it was prepared by Treves & Hyde's head of coffee, James Wise, whom I recently watched competing at the Coffee Masters at the London Coffee Festival (he won, incidentally). The piccolo was really excellent — smooth, well-balanced and, of course, beautifully prepared.

If you don't have time for a longer meal, the downstairs café is a good option for grabbing a coffee and a pastry or cake (the pastéis de nata looked particularly great) in an attractively designed setting. With plenty of geometric patterns, marble table tops and millennial pink accents, the décor is very mid-century Scandinavian with a modern twist. I particularly liked the mini 'carrels' for two by the windows. And then there's the staircase that has captured the heart of every Instagrammer venturing into the E1 postcode area.

By the time I had finished my coffee, the brunch service had become so I ascended the heavenly stairway to the first floor where grey and mustard were the primary accent colours. Perhaps because of the weather (grey and muggy) or the relatively early hour, there weren't any other diners; I'm sure it's a lot livelier at peak brunch time on Saturdays. Undeterred, I made a start with the menu, which was organised into 'starters' (mueslis and granolas), more breakfasty brunch dishes and more lunchy brunch dishes. Although some of the latter sounded creative and delicious, I was still in breakfast mode and so stuck to the upper section of the menu.

One of the baristas had recommended the pancakes to me but I usually prefer savoury brunch dishes and so didn't think I'd take her up on her suggestion. In the end, though, I decided to give them a go: buttermilk pancakes with maple syrup and a side of maple-smoked streaky bacon (£9.90; other sides, including 'boozy mango' or avocado, are also available). As my piccolo counter for the day had already reached three, I thought I might try a juice, but there was only orange juice available, which isn't my favourite.

I then tried to order a piccolo, but upstairs they only serve espresso and batch-brew filter coffee — so if you've come for a piccolo or flat white fix, remember to allow time to go to the coffee bar downstairs first. In the end, I ordered an espresso; in all the excitement, I forgot to ask which roaster it was from, but it was fruity and really quite delicious (my bill said 'Colonna' — possibly it was even made with one of Colonna's capsules).

Before long, my pancakes arrived and they were outstanding. I'm not normally one to get very excited about pancakes, but these were so light, fluffy and moist, while still being slightly crispy on the outside. The bacon was excellent too and my only slight complaint was that the maple syrup portion was rather small (probably for the best given that the pancake portion was rather large).

Whether it's for a morning coffee and pastry, express lunch, brunch or cocktail, Treves & Hyde has got you covered. The quality of the food and coffee, the service and, of course, the décor were all superb and I am hopeful that I'll be able to persuade my friends that it should be our next girls' brunch club destination (I don't think I'll have to try too hard).

Website. Twitter. Instagram.

Book Review: The Futures by Anna Pitoniak

Anna Pitoniak’s first novel, The Futures, is the story of love lost — and of a lost generation. Julia and Evan graduate from Yale in 2008, looking forward to brilliant careers and a happy life together in New York City. They come from different worlds — Julia comes from a privileged Boston family, while Evan comes from a small town in the middle of Canada and got into Yale on a hockey scholarship — but they are optimistic about their future as they move in together, learning about life and adulthood.

Yet while Evan thrives at the big hedge fund where he is, to his surprise and pleasure, hired, Julia struggles to find employment, eventually taking a job as an assistant for a foundation run by family friends. As Evan works longer and longer hours, particularly as the financial crisis begins to take hold, Julia feels increasingly isolated and tries to seek purpose and meaning elsewhere. Before long, their lives have diverged and they feel more like roommates than lovers, but surely if they love each other enough, they can survive the pressures the world is throwing at them?

Evan and Julia take turns to narrate chapters of the novel — high-maintenance and demanding, Julia is often a less sympathetic but more convincing character than Evan, who is essentially nice, hard-working and determined to make something of himself, a trait that leads him to make fundamental mistakes as the novel progresses. The Futures also jumps around in time, flashing back to the Yale years — both to happier times and to darker periods in Evan’s and especially Julia’s pasts.

The result is a sad but richly detailed portrait of a very specific period in recent American history that will ring true particularly for readers in their twenties and thirties. Pitoniak’s novel reminded me a lot of Claire Messud’s The Emperor’s Children, Christina’s Alger’s The Darlings and Jonathan Dee’s The Privileges — they all tell tales of privilege, expectation and disappointment in New York City, and if you enjoyed them, you will probably also like The Futures. I thought Pitoniak’s novel was strong both narratively and emotionally, and although it ended with more of a whimper than a bang, the ending was rather fitting.

Disclaimer: The Futures will be published by Penguin on 1 June 2017. I received a pre-release copy via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

At L'Antica Pizzeria Da Michele, a Slice of Naples in Stokey

Last summer, I went all the way to Naples to find the world's best pizza only to discover that almost all of the pizzerias on my list were closed for the Ferragosto holidays. I should clarify that visiting Naples in August was not something I planned — we were attending a family wedding in nearby Sorrento — but I wasn't fully prepared for the extent of the pizza disappointment I would experience.

One of the pizzerias on my list that I couldn't visit, L'Antica Pizzeria da Michele, has long ranked among the world's very best purveyors of pizzas. And Elizabeth Gilbert's Eat, Pray, Love — the first third of which is a love letter to Da Michele's margherita — only fuelled the pizzeria's fame and acclaim.

Perhaps Michele felt bad that I had missed out on such margherita magnificence because soon after I returned to London, the news broke that Da Michele was opening a new branch — in Stoke Newington, of all places. Although a little closer to home than Naples, Stokey isn't the most convenient part of London to get to from Bermondsey, so it took me a while to visit. Besides, I wanted to wait for the first reviews, to make sure that the high Neapolitan standards had transferred successfully to London.

I finally made it up to lovely Stoke Newington Church Street on Friday and, arriving just before 6:30 pm, was pleased to find that there wasn't even a queue. I nabbed a cosy table in the window — great for people-watching and waited for the rest of my party to arrive. The restaurant is light and modern; the interiors are understated and refreshingly non-hipster. By the time we left, around 7:15 pm, all the tables were full and it looked like a queue was about to form. They were doing a brisk trade in take-out pizzas too — how I wish Da Michele was my local pizzeria!

The menu is pretty simple: do you like cheese on your pizza, and if so, how much? The regular margherita is £7.90, with the mozzarella-free marinara £1 cheaper; you can also order a 'doppio mozzarella' for £9 and a large marinara for £7.90 Although sadly not quite Naples prices, these prices were very fair, given the location and the quality of the ingredients. As for the drinks menu, there were four Moretti beers and nine reasonably priced wines, including a Prosecco. Alas, contrary to the indication of the menu, they weren't serving the Prosecco by the glass so I stuck to tap water, but my brother and sister-in-law enjoyed their wines.

I soon found out that 'doppio mozzarella' didn't just mean 'double mozzarella', as the name suggested, but a bigger pizza too. I told my brother he could finish my pizza but I spoke too soon because it was so delicious that I managed to finish the whole thing, even most of the crust. What a pizza, though! The fior di latte mozzarella was rich and creamy and contrasted beautifully with the tart fruitiness of the tomato. And as for the base, it was chewy and delicious with perfectly charcoaled edges. Yes, I was stuffed when I finished, but could I have eaten another slice if one materialised? Very probably.

'Best pizza ever' is quite a weighty accolade and I think I need to do more research before I can make such an award, but Da Michele is definitely up there. I would also still like to make a pilgrimage to the original location, even if it means queueing for a long time in the Neapolitan heat. I'm not sure the pizza could be better, but I'd like to enjoy the experience.

What Da Michele isn't suited for is a long, leisurely dinner, but when in Stoke Newington, there are plenty of venues for a nightcap. We nabbed a booth a Original Sin, a relaxed but fun basement bar with an excellent creative cocktail menu. The music is good, the staff are friendly and there's even a pool table. Find them at 129 Stoke Newington High Street.

L'Antica Pizzeria da Michele. 125 Stoke Newington Church Street, London, N16 0UH (Stoke Newington rail). Facebook. Twitter.

Emirates Air Line, Isle of Dogs and Greenwich Photo Walk

For various reasons, I've spent very few weekends in London this year and I've been feeling the urge to explore my city again. On Sunday morning, the weather was lovely so I decided to check another activity off my London bucket list: taking a ride on the Emirates Air Line, AKA the cable car that runs 1 kilometre between North Greenwich and Docklands.

The Air Line has not been without its critics — it's been referred to as being as pointless as a Garden Bridge, and indeed, it's far from practical, given that there is a Jubilee Line Tube station five minutes' walk from either terminal. Nonetheless, I have a certain fondness for cable cars and so on Sunday, I hopped on the Tube to North Greenwich and then walked to the Air Line. It was so quick from my Bermondsey home I couldn't believe I hadn't done it before. The sun was shining and the sky was blue; everything was going well until I realised I'd left my camera's memory card at home. Undeterred, I pressed on using my iPhone.

You can buy a £10.70 'Discovery Experience' ticket or just swipe in through the barriers using your Oyster or contactless card, which costs £3.50 one way ("but you do have get off, touch out and touch back in again if you want to come back," the sales assistant warned me). Unsurprisingly, it wasn't very busy, despite the clement weather, and I had a car to myself for the ten-minute ride. There was a commentary playing throughout, which included some information about the history and construction of the cable car, but I was too busy taking photos of The O2 and the London skyline. The views were really excellent.

I planned to return to North Greenwich using the cable car but finding myself in the Docklands — a part of the city whose architecture and development has always interested me but which I rarely visit — I decided to walk down to the Greenwich Foot Tunnel at the southern tip of the Isle of Dogs instead. It's about a three-mile walk and if you like countryside rambles, it probably won't be for you, but if you enjoy gawking at the Docklands' shiny and often brutalist modern architecture, give it a go.

It took about an hour to walk down to the tunnel, including plenty of time to take photos of Canary Wharf (there's a particularly striking view from Blackwall Basin), The O2 and North Greenwich. By the entrance to the tunnel, there is an excellent view across the river in Greenwich of the Old Royal Naval College, whose staid, symmetrical architecture contrasts starkly with the buildings of the Isle of Dogs. I have run through the Greenwich Foot Tunnel a few times but it's still a novelty for me and before long, I was emerging into the sunshine next to the Cutty Sark.

I walked through the Old Royal Naval College (home to the Painted Hall, among other things), which I've visited a few times before  and then crossed over into Greenwich Park where the Queen's House is located (entrance is free, although donations are very welcome). Inigo Jones created the residence for Anne of Denmark, wife of James I, in the 17th century and the whole building is exquisitely designed. Perhaps the jewel in the Queen's House's crown is the feat of geometry that is the Tulip Stairs, a beautiful, Venetian-inspired cobalt-blue spiral staircase that was England's first self-supporting spiral staircase.

By then, it was time for me to head home, but I have also made a mental note to return to the Royal Observatory — there's so much to see in Greenwich and it makes an excellent day- or half-day-trip from central London (if the weather's nice, take the boat).

Book Review: New Boy by Tracy Chevalier

Tracy Chevalier’s novel New Boy is the third book I’ve read in Vintage’s series of modern interpretations of Shakespeare plays. I enjoyed Vinegar Girl (Anne Tyler’s retelling of The Taming of the Shrew), and Hagseed (Margaret Atwood’s clever re-imaging of The Tempest), and I like the sound of Edward St Aubyn’s forthcoming Dunbar (his take on King Lear).

In New Boy, Chevalier transports the story of Othello to a suburban Washington DC schoolyard in the 1970s. The titular new boy is Osei (‘O’), the Ghanaian son of a diplomat, who has lived in a number of different countries and who is used to being the perennial new boy. Amazingly, given that a lot happens, the action in the novel takes place over the course of a single day — Osei’s first at this DC school — in the final weeks of sixth grade. Setting the story among 11- and 12-year-olds is a bold but somehow fitting move. These children — who would now be dubbed ‘tweens’ — are the kings and queens of elementary school and have formed firm friendships, which could soon been uprooted as they move on to their various junior high schools and start again at the bottom of the hierarchy. There is a heady mix of confidence and uncertainty among the characters in New Boy, and great precociousness.

This is 1970s DC and the pupils and even the teachers are wary of having a black boy join their school. And Osei, who has lived in London, Rome and New York, among other places, is confident and well-travelled, and this very worldliness acts as a catalyst, bringing out both the best and the worst in his various schoolmates. Popular future homecoming-queen Dee is the only character who immediately warms to Osei, and they end up sitting next to each other, trading pencil cases and even — in this world where relationships form and disintegrate within the space of a single day — agreeing to ‘go with’ each other. Later, Dee questions her own motives as to why she is so drawn to the new boy, but compared to her classmates, whose reactions vary from wary to downright furious, she is warm, welcoming and protective of her new friend.

The course of true love never did run smooth, however, and especially not in the sixth grade. Our antagonist Ian watches the new boy with shrewd, calculating eyes and, with a textbook youngest-son inferiority complex, realises that his own power within the schoolyard could soon be under threat, especially when he sees the sudden alliance between Osei and Dee. To nip this possibility in the bud, Ian quickly crafts a plan involving his minion Rod, girlfriend Mimi, Dee’s friend Blanca, Casper — the most popular boy in school — and a strawberry pencil case. The consequences are devastating for the whole school.

Chevalier’s novel is powerful, compelling and often shocking, with convincingly written characters who, as they deal with love (or something like it), friendship, jealousy and betrayal, and grapple with their own — often racist — beliefs. Although Othello works all too well in this sixth-grade 1970s setting, the teachers in New Boy are no better than their pupils. Some catch themselves before they explain how they always knew that a “bl—a new boy” would cause such disruption to their comfortable school ecosystem. Others barely bother to disguise their prejudices. 40 years after Chevalier set New Boy and over 400 years after Shakespeare penned Othello, and we still have a lot to learn from the story. New Boy demonstrates that — in the words of Lindsey Lee Johnson — school really can be the most dangerous place on Earth.

Disclaimer: New Boy was published by Vintage Books / Hogarth on 11 May 2017. I received a pre-release copy via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

Weekend Brunch at Dirty Bones, Soho

The latest venue for my monthly girls' brunch club was the newest location of meat-centric modern American restaurant Dirty Bones. As soon as I saw the extensive and varied brunch menu, with everything from avocado on crumpets (yes!) to chicken and waffles, I knew it was our kind of place. We were only able to get a reservation for our group for 10:30 am in the new Denman Street restaurant (NB: don't confuse this branch with their 'Carnaby' location, which is also technically in Soho), but I quite enjoyed walking from the Tube through the near-deserted streets of Soho.

The restaurant's exterior is so low-key that it's easy to walk right past — two of our party did — but I rather like the minimalist design and typography. The interiors are also dark and rather sexy with exposed-brick walls, velour banquettes and low lighting.

Most of my friend ordered the Dirty Mary cocktail (£9) to start, which came with lemon and pickle juices, hot sauce and a sour cream Pringle rim. They looked great and I almost regretted my choice until my lavender martini (£9) showed up. I'm a sucker for lavender, but the lemon juice and Tanqueray gin prevented it from being too cloying. It also arrived with a dried lavender stem, which the waitress promptly set alight — my second smoking cocktail in a month. Needless to say, I was impressed. Note: if you're feeling boozier than we were, you can order a 'Boozy Brunch Flight', which allows you to order up to four drinks from a set list.

Deciding which food to order was much trickier because there were so many dishes that sounded fantastic. Crumpets are one of the Soho Dirty Bones' signature dishes and I really liked the sound of the crumpets with beef short rib. But then there were the fish tacos and the egg-dishes...and that's before I even get started on the sweet options. In the end, though, I went for the burger (£11). Not just any burger, though: the Mac Daddy is a regular steak burger topped with both pulled beef short rib and mac and cheese. A little excessive, perhaps (and reminiscent of my recent OTT burger experience in Boston), but it was an excellent choice. The burger was perfectly medium rare and the 'toppings' were also delicious. I shared some fries with one of my friends but honestly, they were somewhat surplus to the requirements (especially given that it was barely 11:00 am). My friends' dishes — which included the chicken and waffles, crumpets, spicy chicken burger and short rib hash — all got the thumbs-up too.

The dessert menu arrived and it included a peanut butter cookie cup (£6.50), which sounded amazing. My usual rule is that if a pudding involves chocolate, peanut butter and caramel, I will order it no matter how full I am, but alas, this was one time I had to break it. That just means I'll have to find an excuse to return a little later in the day when I'm more likely to manage a second course.

Dirty Bones Soho. 14 Denman Street, London, W1D 7HJ (Tube: Piccadilly Circus). Website. Twitter. Instagram.