I've written about a lot of London day trips on this blog, but not all escapes need a train ticket. That's where Day Trip in Islington comes in — a neighbourhood coffee shop that delivers a delightful change of scene alongside impeccably brewed specialty coffee.
I think the Regent's Canal towpath from Little Venice to Limehouse is one of London's best walks. The 9.5-mile route weaves past Regency-style villas, through beautiful parks and cool neighbourhoods, and alongside striking contemporary and heritage architecture. This is my guide to the route, including all my favourite places to stops.
Like Vienna, just over the border in Austria, Bratislava has a cafe culture that dates back to the 17th century. And for a city of its size, Bratislava has an impressive specialty coffee scene. As I was only there for a day, I barely scratched the surface. But I’m excited to report back on the four coffee shops I visited on my very well-caffeinated day trip!
With its Renaissance-style castle, picturesque Old Town and sweeping views of the Danube, Bratislava has a lot to offer, even if you're only visiting for the day. The Slovakian capital is the only world capital bordering two other sovereign states (Austria and Hungary) and it makes for an easy day trip from Vienna, which is what I did.
As signs of spring emerged last weekend, I headed out into the sunshine. My destination? Belgravia, where one of my favourite London roasters, Workshop Coffee, has returned after a year-long absence with a gorgeous new specialty coffee shop.
Barcelona is one of Europe's best cities for specialty coffee and has a huge variety of excellent coffee shops, cafes and roasters. In this guide, I'm sharing my favourite coffee spots from my recent long-weekend trip — plus one from a previous visit and even a bonus coffee cocktail experience!
I've been visiting Cannes for over two decades and until recently, there was little in the way of specialty coffee in the French Riviera city — unless you count the pourovers I brewed at my parents' place! Over the past few years, that's started to change and in this guide, I'm rounding up some of my favourite specialty coffee shops in Cannes.
Antibes is a city of contrasts, where luxury yachts moor alongside the centuries-old ramparts of the historic Old Town. Smaller than Nice and less showy than Cannes, Antibes makes a great day trip from both. Here's my guide to making the most of that day, with lots of ideas for things to do and places to eat, drink and shop.
Soon after I got back from holiday, it was time to visit some specialty coffee spots closer to home. I have the couple I met while snorkelling in Belize to thank for putting Taith Coffee on my radar. They clearly have great taste because Taith is truly special, from the welcoming staff and well-stocked bookshelves to the outstanding coffee.
During my recent stay in Antigua, Guatemala, one of the first activities I booked was a coffee farm tour organised by De La Gente. Whether you're a coffee lover or just want to learn more about it, the half-day tour is a great way to learn more about how coffee is grown and meet some of the farmers whose dedication makes it all possible.
I'm taking a break from my Guatemala and Belize blogs to pick out some of my favourite specialty coffee shops, restaurants, bars and individual dishes from all those I visited for the first time in 2025, in London and on my travels around the world.
I knew I'd find great specialty coffee in Antigua. But I wasn't sure what to expect from the cafes in Lake Atitlán, another of Guatemala's main coffee growing regions. I needn't have worried: I found at least one excellent coffee shop in each town I visited, many of them serving coffee grown, processed and roasted locally.
The erstwhile Guatemalan capital Antigua is located in one of the country's main coffee growing regions, where the fertile volcanic soils and subtropical highland climate combine to produce delicious coffees. Antigua is also one of the best cities for specialty coffee in a producing country and I spent several days exploring its beautiful coffee shops and cafés.
Last month, I travelled to Central America for the first time in a decade to spend two weeks in Guatemala and Belize. First stop? The historic city of Antigua. I spent three days exploring the cobbled streets, baroque architecture, Mayan culture and coffee scene, in the shadow of the volcanoes that surround the city. Read on to find out what I got up to.
The recipe for the perfect specialty coffee shop sounds simple: great coffee served by friendly baristas in a beautiful, relaxed setting. In practice, though, it's all too easy to miss the mark on one or more of these ingredients. Commons at Old Street Works nails all three and scores plenty of bonus points for their Oreo canelés. Yes, you read that right!
Last Saturday, I took a day trip to Leigh-on-Sea: a new-to-me seaside destination that's just a 45-minute train journey from London. Once a busy fishing port, Leigh has stacks of character with its cobbled streets, historic buildings and wide array of wonderful restaurants, cafes and shops, as well as some great specialty coffee spots and a lovely sandy beach. Just be sure to check the tide times if you fancy a swim!
