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

When I found an opening in my travel schedule 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. Despite the variable weather, I packed for the weekend with my usual travel backpack. I took an afternoon flight from London, arriving in Kraków on Friday evening, and my return flight wasn't until Sunday evening, giving me a full 48 hours in the city — enough to visit some of the key sights and develop a taste for more. This is what I got up to.

Friday
19:00
With no luggage to collect, I walked straight from my plane to the train station at John Paul II Krakow-Balice International Airport. Tickets, which cost 9 zł (about £1.90), are available from the machine on the platform, and the journey to Kraków's Główny station takes about half an hour. I stayed at Home Hotel, a small hotel I chose primarily because of its price (about £45 per night) and proximity to the Stare Miasto (Old Town), the Kazimierz neighbourhood and Java Coffee Company. My room was small and basic but clean and comfortable, and the staff were very welcoming. The hotel is located on a quiet street, although there was some noise from other guest rooms both nights.

20:00
I stayed in my room just long enough to drop off my backpack and dig out my hat and gloves before heading back out into the cool, crisp night. I was ravenous and the cold weather made me crave comfort food. Luckily, I had come to the right place: the land of those delicious parcels of joy called pierogi. I strolled south through Kazimierz, the historic Jewish neighbourhood, which was lively on a Friday night, and enjoyed some of Kraków's varied and interesting street art on the way to dinner.

For dinner, I went to a cosy, homey restaurant called Marchewka z Groszkiem (carrots and peas) and found a small, candlelit table at the back. I had planned to have the titular carrot and pea soup, but they were all out and after confirming from the waitress that it would be a bad idea to order potato pancakes and pierogi, I just went for a portion of ten beef and pork pierogi. They came served with butter and bacon and were delicious and very filling. Not bad for 15 zł (£3.20). Afterwards, I stopped briefly at a relaxed neighbourhood bar called Alchemia, a few blocks further north, before heading for a spin around the 13th century Old Town square, Rynek Główny. My carb quotient for the day not quite complete, I picked up a still-warm pączek (doughnut) filled with rose jam at Gorace Pączki in the Old Town.

Saturday
09:00
I went for breakfast at Blossom, a coffee shop, cocktail bar and all-day eatery with an impressive breakfast menu. I've highlighted some of Krakow's best coffee shops in this guide.

10:00
Whenever I visit a new city and especially when I'm short on time, I try to take a walking tour. This time, I took a free Walkative tour of Kraków's Old Town, which took about 2 1/2 hours. It was a beautiful morning for a walk, and we saw and learned a lot about the history of the city — there is some World War II history included, but the scope is a lot broader. From St Mary's Basilica and the Cloth Hall in the Rynek Główny, to the Franciscan Church (unassuming from the outside but with stunning stained glass), our cheerful guide Iza regaled us with facts and tales, sometimes asking whether we'd believed one of the myths and legends she had imparted.

We finished the tour at Wawel Castle, the fairytale castle perched on the hill above the Old Town. After a quick tour through the (free bits of the) cathedral, we looked down at the fire-breathing dragon perched on the banks of the Vistula River. I originally planned to spend the afternoon visiting the cathedral tower and the palace, but the latter is being renovated and it was too nice a day to be inside.

13:00
After two more coffees and a quick bite to eat at Karma, I went on another walk of my own, hunting out street art murals in the neighbourhoods just to the west of the Old Town. I then continued down to the river, walking past the castle, stopping to people-watch at Forum Przestrzenie, an industrial space turned bar and event space on the waterfront.

15:00 I followed the river round to Podgórze, the south-of-the-river neighbourhood where the Jewish Ghetto was once located. The architecture was striking and there was lots of street art to see; with more time, I would have liked to take a guided walk in this neighbourhood too. My next destination was Kazimierz, just across the Vistula from Podgórze. I had a coffee shop to visit and there was a lot going on in the area, from street food markets to live music, and even more murals.

19:00
For dinner, I walked to a hip, industrial-chic area northwest of the Old Town, which centres around the tobacco factory turned foodie hub and cultural centre, Tytano. I had a casual dinner at gourmet sandwich joint Meat & Go, where the porchetta sandwich was only 23 zł (£4.85), but huge and tasty. There are more formal restaurants, like Cargo, too and I had planned to go for a post-dinner drink at a sleek, cool bar called Lastriko but wasn't feeling well.

Sunday
09:30
My original plan was to go for a morning run around the Planty, the verdant park that wraps around the Old Town, but I still wasn't feeling well enough. Instead, I went for a brisk walk back to the Podgórze area. I planned to have breakfast at BAL, but Google Maps took me to the (closed) MOCAK museum cafe instead (enter the industrial estate from Przemysłowa, and BAL is ahead of you and to the right). I ordered coffee (a flat white that looked the part but didn't seem to be made with speciality coffee) and breakfast, but the breakfast didn't arrive before I had to leave for my museum appointment. Other people's meals looked lovely, however.

10:00
I booked my ticket for the Museum of the History of Kraków, located in Oskar Schindler's Factory, online but it didn't seem to matter as despite the queue, everyone was able to get in, booking or none. I paid 29 zł (about £6) for a ticket for both this and the neighbouring MOCAK. As for the historical museum, it was detailed, informative, interesting and sobering. You don't really need a guide, as most displays have English translations, but it might help you get even more out of your visit.

11:30
Just next door, the MOCAK is well worth a wander for an hour or so. The modern art gallery has a large collection of Polish art and it is well presented and enjoyable to walk through. Don't miss the famous Kunst macht frei (art will make you free) sign in the permanent collection — particularly thought-provoking after hearing about Auschwitz and the other concentration camps near Kraków.

12:30
Having missed breakfast, I needed a filling lunch and so it was definitely pierogi o'clock. I stopped at Restauracja Polakowski, a cheap and cheerful self-service restaurant in Kazimierz. My eight pierogi cost 12 zł (£2.50), and this time I opted for the ruskie style with potato and cottage cheese. I had the choice of butter or bacon on top, but the crunchy, crispy bacon pieces were so tasty before, I couldn't quite keep my meal vegetarian.

13:00
I spent the afternoon walking and people-watching in the Old Town. I climbed the 70m town hall tower, a steep climb with very old, if not original, steps. There's a nice view of the city from the top — worth the 10 zł (£2.10) fee. I wasn't able to go into the main section of St Mary's Basilica, the Rynek Główny church with two towers of uneven heights, as I had used up all my cash and you can't pay for the 10 zł ticket with card. Instead, I had a quick peek through the prayer entrance, and the church's bold, bright interiors are indeed impressive. I could use my credit card everywhere else (apart from tipping my walking tour guide), so you may find you can avoid having to withdraw any złoty altogether.

16:30
After buying one of the hoopla-ring-shaped breads called obwarzanki krakowskie from one of the  many vendors around the Old Town and basking in the sunshine a little longer, I visited one final coffee shop and then eventually made my way back to the station, to return to the airport. I hope I'll be back again soon, although a trip to Warsaw may be on the cards first.

It turned out to be a very cheap weekend: I spent just over £200 on flights with BA and my hotel. I then spent about £60 on everything else — food, drink, sightseeing, transport and coffee. I ended up doing no shopping at all, mainly because most of the shops I found were in the Old Town and very touristy. If you have an extra day, you could consider taking a half-day trip to the nearby Wieliczka salt mine, or to Auschwitz-Birkenau. I visited a different concentration camp on a school history trip two decades ago, and although it was a tough experience, it was an important one.

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.

But just a short walk outside the Planty — the slim, leafy park that encircles the Stare Miasto — there are numerous and coffee shops where you can find a great cup of coffee. I visited six of the eight on my list (one is closed at weekends and the other is too far from the city centre for a flying visit), of which one didn’t serve specialty coffee and isn't included below, although it did have a nice line in latte art.

Among the cafes I visited, I found some striking similarities. They all open late, for example — some as late as 9 pm some days — and most also serve food, wine, beer and/or cocktails as well as coffee. They also tend to offer a wide variety of different single-origin beans, in some cases from diverse roasters. And although it’s easy to find Aeropress, Chemex, V60, Kalita Wave and even siphon filter coffee brew methods, the espresso menus tend to be shorter, with ‘espresso macchiato’ being the only short beverage with milk (asking for a cortado or piccolo generally generated a negative response). The coffee is also very cheap, especially by London standards. Roasters included some from Poland, especially Warsaw, and those from further afield. You will find it hard to pay more than 12 ZL (about £2.50) for a coffee — even for a hand-brewed filter coffee for one.

So, if you’re heading to Kraków, here’s my specialty coffee starter for five:



Blossom
A short walk northeast of the city walls (or where they once were) and an even shorter stroll from the main train station, Blossom is a bright and attractive coffee shop, cocktail bar and all-day eatery. It was my first port of call on Saturday morning and it had a lovely relaxed, welcoming atmosphere, with as many young families as groups of friends and lone diners. I particularly liked the repurposed bicycle seats positioned at the brew bar, but if you’re not quite ready to get back in the saddle, there are plenty of other seating options in the spacious cafe.

The coffee menu has fab typography but was somewhat vague, especially as the coffee beans themselves were tucked away. When I asked what they were serving through the Aeropress, I was given a box containing several bags of beans, most of them from Berlin-based Five Elephant and Hungarian roaster Casino Mocca. I picked a Kenyan Muthigi-ini from the latter and then scanned the extensive breakfast/brunch menu. I was in a bit of a rush, so I stuck to the scrambled eggs with bacon, but there were some more exciting dishes, such as challah French toast, and various filled bagels on offer too. My coffee was very well brewed, with very intense redcurrant notes, and the food was tasty and filling too. I had hoped to return another time to try the espresso but it wasn’t on the cards this trip.

Blossom is located at Rakowicka 20. Website. Instagram.

Java Coffee Company

One of the reasons I chose my hotel was its proximity — a five-minute walk — to the ‘coffee showroom and cafe’ of Java, a Warsaw-based roaster. Located in Kazimierz, the historic Jewish neighbourhood, Java occupies a small but cosy and immaculately furnished space on a quiet street. After I’d ogled the gorgeous mid-century furniture, my attention turned to the beautiful, colourful designs on the bags of retail coffee beans.

Java was serving four or five single-origin house-roasted coffees as pourovers, and another two were available on espresso. I opted for an Ethiopian Marmora brewed through the Kalita Wave — the whiskey tasting note attracted me as much as the pretty packaging. And I really could taste the delicate whiskey flavours of the coffee, which also paired nicely with the vegan peanut butter, coconut and chocolate cake I tried. I returned the following day for an espresso-based drink; in the absence of a piccolo or cortado, I ordered the espresso macchiato with a Tanzanian bean, which made for a fine, fruity brew.

Java is located at Joselewicza 12. Facebook. Instagram. 

Karma
A few blocks west of the Stare Miasto, Karma is a cosy coffee shop that roasts its own coffee and serves various vegetarian and vegan dishes. There were three single-origin filter coffees, one from Rwanda and two Ethiopians, including the natural Dimtu coffee that I opted for. Brewed as a pourover, it was incredibly flavoursome — one of the tastiest filter coffees of my trip — with lovely floral notes.

The food menu was in Polish and I didn’t want to make the barista translate everything, so I stuck to one of the soups I could translate — a creamy pea and carrot soup, with a side of toasted sourdough. As will become clear once you read my Kraków travel guide, a lot of the food I ate in the city was heavy and/or meaty so it was nice to have a lighter meal. Meanwhile, the cafe was simultaneously buzzing and calm with its rustic décor was a nice place to sit and chill after my busy morning.

Karma is located at Krupnicza 12. Website. Instagram. 

Tektura
Just across Krupnicza from Karma is Tektura, another coffee shop and all-day eatery. The coffee menu was heavy on filter brew methods and I was a little overwhelmed. When I asked what coffees they were serving through the Kalita Wave, the barista told me they currently had an amazing 15 bean varieties available! Rather than making her show me everything, I suggested that I might like a Kenyan or a Rwandan. The proffered Kenyan was from Warsaw roaster Coffee Lab, a Kiambu Maasai, so that’s what I went for. I also ordered a macchiato, as I felt I couldn’t completely skip espresso-based drinks while I was in town.

There’s a big communal table at the front of the cafe, which benefits from the natural light from the street, and some smaller tables along the side. I took one of the smaller tables, not quite appreciating that my photos would be bathed in the red light of the neon ‘kawa to podstawa’ (I’m not sure the exact translation, although kawa means ‘coffee’ and podstawa ‘basis’) sign. There were also some cool Polish Aeropress championship posters.

The macchiato was nicely brewed and came with a latte-art heart (not always easy in such a small drink). Appropriately, given the red tint, and in common with several of the other filter coffees I drank in Kraków, redcurrant was the predominant flavour note.

Tektura is located at Krupnicza 7. Facebook. Instagram. 

Wesoła Cafe
Not too far from Blossom and the train station, Wesoła was the last coffee shop I visited before I caught the train back to the airport, and it was also one of my favourites. I was glad there was a short queue when I arrived late on a sunny Sunday afternoon because it gave me a little time to parse the menu, which was divided into kavy białe (white coffee) and kavy czarne (black coffee). Even here, there was no piccolo or cortado on the menu, which skips from espresso macchiato to flat white, and then all the way up to ‘mega latte’.

I stuck to the other side of the menu, where you could go for an Aeropress, V60 or Chemex (distinguished by size: 200 ml, 400 ml and 600 ml, respectively). They also serve a przelew, which I think is a batch-brew filter coffee. Brew method selected, I then had to choose my bean. There were four coffees from two roasters, Roastains from Kraków and Warsaw-based Coffee Republic (no, not that Coffee Republic!). I chose a Coffee Republic Kii AA+ microlot from Kenya’s Kirinyaga region. Brewed through the Aeropress, it wasn’t the clearest of filter coffees, but it was delicious with tart redcurrant and sweet elderflower notes. It was, in fact, the perfect end to my coffee tour of Krakow.

Wesoła Cafe is located at Rakowicka 17. Website. Instagram. 

Two more coffee shops I didn’t have time to visit, but which were on my list:

Coffeece Kawiarnia. Mogilska 15A. Website. A few blocks east of Wesoła. Note that it doesn’t open at weekends.

Proficiency Coffee — Coffee Cargo, Aleja 29 Listopada 155c. Website. Instagram. There used to be a Coffee Cargo in town, close to Oskar Schindler’s factory in Podgórze, but it has closed and you will now need to journey two miles outside the city centre to sample their coffee. It’s closed on Sundays.