The Caffeine Chronicles: Lantana London Bridge

A couple of years ago, I set about revisiting some of my 'old favourite' London speciality coffee spots, like Flat White, which I've loved for a decade but which I had never written up properly for my blog. One such favourite — and one of the first Aussie brunch cafés I discovered in London — was Lantana on Fitzrovia's pleasant passageway Charlotte Place. I used to be a regular when I still lived in Marylebone and it featured in my first London coffee shop guide in 2011 (and its less-coffee-centric 2009 predecessor).

Somehow, though, I never ended up writing up a full review but when the café opened another branch — its third — nearer to my current Bermondsey home in London Bridge in late 2017, it was the perfect opportunity to return to Lantana. Conveniently close to Borough Market and the South Bank but far enough away to ensure that it's still possible to get a table (especially if you book), the newest Lantana is located on Southwark Street. There is scaffolding on the outside of the building so the large, glass front windows let in a little less light than usual, but the airy, bright interiors make up for that.

Compared to the Fitzrovia branch, which is better described as 'cosy' and which is usually packed, there's much more space here and the relaxing atmosphere really did transport me back to Melbourne. As I hadn't booked, I was lucky to squeeze into an empty spot a the long, L-shaped bar. I loved funky teal bar stools too. In the main dining area, there are plenty of tables to suit all group sizes.

I was in the market for a breakfasty brunch rather than a lunchy brunch, so I didn't look too closely at the cocktail and wine lists, instead skipping right to the coffee. I started with a piccolo made with Lantana's house blend, currently a Brazil/Colombia/Peru combination that tasted smooth and chocolatey with a little milk.

There weren't any hand-brewed filter coffee options on the menu so I ordered the single origin batch brew filter coffee of the day. This was an Ethiopian Banko Jirimititi from Rotterdam-based Manhattan Coffee Roasters. The tasting notes I read afterwards indicated blueberries and jasmine, but I got more orange and whiskey notes — not dissimilar to the Ethiopian Marmora I tried at Java in Kraków, in fact. So often batch brew ends up disappointing me, making me wish I hadn't ordered it instead of a pourover in a busy coffee shop in a misguided effort to be a more considerate customer. But Lantana's batch brew was very well brewed and the coffee was flavoursome and fragrant. There are currently six filter coffees in their rotation, three from Manhattan and three from Alchemy.

As for the food, it took me a while to digest the extensive weekend brunch menu. I was tempted by the coconut French toast, but I'm really more of a savoury bruncher these days. In the end, in the interests of nostalgia, I ordered my old favourite dish: corn fritters with streaky bacon, spinach, roasted tomatoes, avocado, a poached egg and lemon creme fraiche (at some point in the past nine years, they switched from lime aioli). I've always preferred juicy, flavoursome cherry and plum tomatoes to their larger conspecifics, but the roasted tomatoes here were delicious — very nearly as tasty as those in the very first brunch I had in Melbourne at Code Black, straight off the plane. The fritters were as good as I remembered, the bacon crispy, and the egg perfectly poached.

The service was both friendly and efficient, and although the cafe was full, the atmosphere remained low-key and chilled out. Several tables were engaging in the Lantana Blowout with unlimited Prosecco (£30); there's also a cheaper version with unlimited coffee and juices, which sounds like a challenge to me!

Lantana London Bridge. 44-46 Southwark St, London, SE1 1UN (Tube: Borough or London Bridge). Website. Twitter. Instagram.

Levelling Up: An Afternoon at Peckham Levels

A disused multi-storey car park turned creative and foodie hub couldn't sound any more Peckham if it tried, could it? And yes, of course I've been wanting to visit Peckham Levels since the revamped complex opened in late 2017. An unseasonably cold and snowy March Saturday turned out to be the perfect time to sequester myself away with a bunch of friends in the lively, brightly coloured zones.

If you're arriving from Rye Lane, turn off at the Peckhamplex and follow the murals round to the Peckham Levels entrance. You can take the lift to the top but it's more fun to walk up the stairs through level after colourful level. And in case you were wondering, this is indeed the same car park whose rooftop is the summertime home to the excellent Frank's Cafe.

We arrived around 1:30 pm on Saturday and the main food and drink areas — levels five and six — were just starting to fill up. The crowd included a lot of young families, and there's a kids' play area on level five, which was being well used. By the time we left, some hours later, there were fewer kids and more groups of young Peckhamites enjoying a night out.

As for food and drink, there are diverse options. I started with a cortado and an energy ball at WEST, a California-inspired wine bar and kitchen, which would make a good brunch spot. The coffee is from the always excellent Assembly, and although my cortado lacked latte art, it was nicely prepared. From WEST, there is a fantastic view over the distant central London skyline. Note: WEST and most other places in Peckham Levels do not accept cash. Typically, I managed to leave my debit card in my running jacket at home, so it was lucky I had a credit card with me — and some friends!

Next to WEST is the beautifully designed — and Instagram-ready — Near & Far cocktail bar, which was booked out for a private event on Saturday afternoon. There are a couple of other bars serving craft beer, wine and a few more basic cocktails too.

Finally, there are various more casual street-food vendors at the far end of level six. I had heard great things about the dumplings from Hao Hao Chi, but in the end ordered the honey butter fried chicken sandwich from Other Side Fried. The chicken was perfectly juicy with gorgeous crispy batter, and the accompanying fries were just spicy enough to have a bit of a kick. The wings were epic too. And from duck poutine, to Kurdish falafel and vegan pizza, there's enough choice to satisfy most palates.

Elsewhere in the complex, there are small creative businesses, from film makers to jewellery designers, and yoga to ceramics. I didn't get chance to explore beyond the central two levels, but would like to go back to see what else is going on — and to try some more of the food!

Peckham Levels. Levels 1 to 6 Peckham Town Centre Carpark, 95A Rye Lane, London, SE15 4ST (Peckham Rye Overground). Website. Twitter. Instagram.

A Weekend in Kraków, Poland

With deciding where to go for a weekend break in March, Kraków fit the bill perfectly. Attractive, easy to explore on foot and with plenty of history, culture and, of course, coffee to keep me busy for a weekend, the southern Polish city had long been on my list. I knew that travelling in early March meant there was a good chance of bad weather, but after a chilly first night, I was treated to beautiful sunshine and highs of 17C.

Five Specialty Coffee Shops To VIsit in Kraków

After a stroll around Kraków’s Rynek Glówny, the grand square at the heart of the Stare Miasto (Old Town), and its immediate vicinity, you might well think that the Polish city has little to offer in the way of specialty coffee. International chains abound — I counted three or four Costas, several Starbucks and a Columbus Café, for example.

Five Coffee Day Trips from London

Although one day isn't enough time to spend in many of the cities I visit, it's definitely a good start. And if you choose a day-trip destination that has a good or growing specialty coffee scene, you can combine sight-seeing with coffee-shop hopping.

My Picks for the 2018 Academy Awards

Ahead of the Academy Awards ceremony each year, I try to watch as many films nominated for the Best Picture category as possible — this is easier some years than others, given the UK cinema release date schedule. This year, I watched the last remaining film on my list, which means I have now seen all nine films nominated for Best Picture, as well as most of the films that feature in the nominations in the other seven categories I consider in my own almost-annual 'Oscar picks' post.

Best Picture: Lady Bird [9/9 watched]
Of the nine films nominated, I really liked seven (I wasn't wowed by Darkest Hour or Phantom Thread) and of those, I found it very difficult to choose between Lady Bird, The Shape of Water, Three Billboards and Call Me By Your Name. This year's nominated films are so diverse and I loved them for different reasons. The Shape of Water and Dunkirk stayed with me for a long time after I watched them, but the understated but funny, moving, keenly observed and well-acted Lady Bird won me over in the end. As someone who graduated from high school around the same time as Lady Bird, albeit across the pond, I found that the movie rang very true and was a delight to watch. It sounds as though Three Billboards — or perhaps The Shape of Water — will win this tonight.

Best Director: Guillermo Del Toro, The Shape of Water [5/5 watched]
Regular readers will know that Christopher Nolan is one of my all-time favourite directors and until I saw The Shape of Water, I couldn't imagine any film would persuade me to choose anything other than Dunkirk for my best director pick. And yet, Guillermo Del Toro won me over with his beautiful, enchanting and ethereal tale of love, communication...and amphibians. Like Dunkirk, this cinematic magic is best experienced on the big screen, if you have the chance.

Best Actress: Frances McDormand, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri [5/5 watched]
Best Actor: Timothée Chalamet, Call Me By Your Name [4/5 watched]
All five of the women nominated for Best Actress put in superb performances and I would be happy to see any of them take home the prize. My personal choice is also the likely winner — Frances McDormand, as the feisty, uncompromising Mildred in Three Billboards, whose strong performance anchors a sometimes uneven movie. In the Best Actor category, I have a different problem: I've only seen four of the films and wasn't overly enamoured by either Darkest Hour or Phantom Thread. I thought both Timothée Chalamet (my pick) and Daniel Kaluuya were great, but probably won't win (not this year, anyway), as it is Gary Oldman's year...

Best Supporting Actress: Laurie Metcalf, Lady Bird [4/5 watched]
Best Supporting Actor: Woody Harrelson, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri [3/5 watched]
Although I did enjoy Allison Janney's performance in I, Tonya (which will probably win), it was rather obvious and OTT, whereas Laurie Metcalf's quieter, more nuanced Marion McPherson — mother of the titular Lady Bird — was more interesting and complex. In the Best Supporting Actor category, although Sam Rockwell is likely to win for his role in Three Billboards, I thought his co-star Woody Harrelson was the stronger of the two. Again, Harrelson is more understated, but impressive nonetheless.

Best Original Screenplay: Get Out — written by Jordan Peele [5/5 watched]
Best Adapted Screenplay: Call Me By Your Name — screenplay by James Ivory [3/5 watched]
It was a close call between Get Out and Lady Bird in the Best Original Screenplay category. I missed Get Out when it was first out in cinemas, but caught a recent screening at BAFTA and it entertained me greatly, while challenging my expectations. The script is sharp, funny and very, very dark. Over in Best Adapted Screenplay, despite my soft spot for Sorkin, I was a little underwhelmed by Molly's Game, while James Ivory's adaptation of Call Me by Your Name was by turns sweet, sharp, funny and sad, but always utterly engaging.