The Caffeine Chronicles: Wild & Wood Review

The cronut — a rather sinful love-child of a croissant and a doughnut — has recently crossed the Atlantic and made its way to London. I had heard that the Holborn coffee shop Wild & Wood was offering Sicilian lemon cronuts, courtesy of Cocomaya, and as I'd been meaning to visit Wild & Wood for a while, I decided to wander over this afternoon.

Wild & Wood Coffee, New Oxford Street.

Wild & Wood is at the Holborn end of New Oxford Street, an unlikely location for a good independent coffee shop, perhaps, given its proximity to the hoards of Oxford Street and the British Museum. Inside, it is kitted out with antique church furniture and wood-panelled walls, which means it feels a lot like Monmouth's Covent Garden branch (Monmouth also provide the coffee). 

There are a handful of small tables inside and, at the moment, a few more on the pavement outside. It's a cosy place, although sitting inside would probably be nicer in winter than on a hot, sunny day like yesterday.

I'd already had a delicious custard doughnut at St John's Maltby Street outpost after my run yesterday morning, so technically I didn't really need a cronut today, which was lucky because Wild & Wood were all out (they are getting more on Monday). They had various other cakes — also from Cocomaya — but I stuck to my double skinny macchiato. 

It may well be the prettiest macchiato I've had in a long time. When it comes to crockery, I alternate between minimalism and older, flowery designs, and Wild & Wood used a cup with smooth, clean lines, and a suitably flowery saucer.

Double macchiato at Wild & Wood.

The coffee was good. A little more milk than I usually prefer in my double mac, but then I'd been saving room for the cronut so it didn't matter too much today. When I went to pay, I was surprised to find that my coffee was only £1.30, which is cheaper than Nero et al., let alone most of the premium coffee bars.

If you're near Holborn and in need of coffee, especially if it's a weekend and the nearby Espresso Room is closed, you should bear Wild & Wood in mind. It fills a useful gap in the coffee geography of WC1, and the coffee is rather good.

Wild & Wood. Unit 19, 1 New Oxford Street, London, WC1 A1BA (Tube: Holborn). Website.

Up and Away

I last visited The O2 back when it was still the Millennium Dome, on New Year's Eve 2001–2. Back when I still liked clubbing. It was a fun night, but very cold, and the main thing I remember is the two-hour queue to get on the Tube.

Today, though, I was there to try something quite different: climbing over the top of The O2's tented, domed roof, an experience they call Up at the O2. Our climb was at 10.45 this morning and I was a bit worried when I woke up to torrential rain and thunder. Climbs go ahead whatever the weather, but obviously are rather more pleasant when it isn't raining cats and dogs. North Greenwich Tube is only a short yomp from where I live and we arrived a little earlier, so we were allowed to join an earlier tour.

We climbed over this. The O2 viewed from Greenwich.

Once we signed our lives away, we watched a short video and then got kitted up. They have special shoes with good grip, which, given the earlier rain, we were all recommended to wear. You can also wear one of their climbing suits, but because it was so warm and humid, I decided to take the risk and go suitless. You aren't allowed to take anything up with you apart from a mobile phone or a phone-sized camera, which goes in a special pocket in your suit (or the guide's backpack if you aren't wearing the suit).

Canary Wharf from the summit.

After a brief orientation, we were each harnessed on to the safety cable — the grips were pretty strong, so that even if you slipped you would be unlikely to fall more than a few centimetres. As for the climb, it was really fun. As The O2 is domed, the initial stages were pretty steep (a 30-degree incline at its steepest), but there is a handrail and the surface on which you walk is also made of bouncy blue rubber, with thousands of tiny foot-holds. The main problem is the temptation to want to bounce up and down on the walkway, which is not allowed, because it can disturb some visitors.

Once we reached the top, we were unhooked, and were free to walk around and take photos. I asked if I was allowed to leap, expecting to be told no, but as long as you don't climb on anything, leaping is fine. It's a little tricky to get the right pose when you are holding the heavy metal safety harness with your right hand.

Although it was a cloudy day, the clouds were pretty high and we had a great view of Canary Wharf, Greenwich, the Isle of Dogs, the Emirates Air Line, the countryside and even the City, on our way down. I would recommend wearing the suit unless it's a scorching day, as it means you can keep your camera for a bit longer on the ground and take a few shots of the preparations. Our guides were friendly and fun, and overall, we had a great time. I'd love to come back at sunset. Tickets cost about £25, although you can get a discount if you're an O2 customer.

Leaping at ground level.

We were tempted to have a go on the Emirates Air Line, when we had finished, which is another activity I've been meaning to do for yonks, but we decided we would save it for another day, as the view would be pretty similar. 

Instead, we walked along the river to Greenwich proper. I'd hoped to go to an Italian restaurant called Bianco 43, which The Bro says makes the best pizza he's ever had. Unfortunately, they were fully booked, so we had to settle for Byron instead. And when I say "settle," I mean "have a delicious, medium rare Byron burger and an Oreo milkshake." No, I suppose it wasn't too much of a compromise...

Byron Burger. The flags are a nice idea.

Up at the O2. The O2, Peninsula Square, London, SE10 0DX (Tube: North Greenwich). Website.

The Caffeine Chronicles: Tonic Coffee Review (CLOSED)

Update: Tonic Coffee is no more.

A coffee collective might not be the exact opposite of a coffee chain, but it's getting that way. As such, when I found out that The Department of Coffee and Social Affairs had a new Soho sister, I was keen to check it out, even though its opening hours required me to go before work this morning. Next time I go for a pre-work coffee, I definitely need to build up my baseline caffeination by making myself an Aeropress to take with me.

Tonic Coffee Bar, Soho.

Anyway, the new arrival is called Tonic Coffee Bar, and is tucked away in a tiny space on Sherwood Street, near Piccadilly Circus and just around the corner from Mele e Pere. They have room for three stools in front of the stunningly stylish white La Marzocco, and a small selection of cakes and pastries is available, but it's not really a drink-in kinda place.

What a beaut.

What they do have room for is some excellent coffee. I had my usual double skinny macchiato, of which, in my hurry to caffeinate, I forgot to take an attractive photograph. Trust me, though, it tasted great: strong and very smooth. As it turned out that I had run out of ground coffee at the office, I probably should also have taken a big artisanal filter coffee to go, but l'espirit de l'escalier is a wonderful thing, and there is always next time.

The remains of my macchiato.

Tonic's design is also great: the green-tiled walls make me think 'New York Turkish bath circa 1968,' and I do mean that as a compliment. Meanwhile, the shelves are lined with custom-designed "invigorating" Tonic Coffee Bar bottles. Oh and you can even buy the accompanying Tonic trucker cap. Because of course.

Tens of green bottles.

It's great to have another place to get great coffee in Soho. It's not as though the area is particularly deprived of good independent espresso bars, but because it was the first London area whose coffee culture I really got to know, I've been going to places like Flat White and Fernandez and Wells for years, so a bit of variety is good. My only slight disappointment is that they don't switch over to a gin-dispensing speakeasy by night. Maybe later in the year?

Oh, and as for the Coffeesmiths Collective, it also comprises a few other coffee bars, including The Liberty of Norton Folgate, which I walk past every time I go to Shoreditch or Spitalfields and which I really must visit one of these days.

Tonic Coffee Bar. 15 Sherwood Street, London, W1F 7ED (Tube: Piccadilly Circus). CLOSED

The Burger Bulletin: Giant Robot Review (CLOSED)

Update (2015): Giant Robot is no more.

Giant Robot, in Clerkenwell, is sort of on my way home from work, but is just that bit too far east along the Clerkenwell Road for me to get there and back in a lunchtime. Every time I walk past on a weekday evening, the place is rammed, with the sidewalk tables filled and a buzzy atmosphere inside. It's a quieter affair at the weekend, but that's Clerkenwell for you.

Giant Robot, Clerkenwell.

I went today for a girls' brunch and there were enough other people to give it some ambiance, but not so many that we were hurried out of the door; far from it, in fact, as we lingered for almost three hours over our food. With its casual, all-day-dining vibe, Giant Robot has a very New Yorky feel — I could easily see it in Nolita — and the menu is mainly American with dollop of Italian.

At the weekend, brunch is served from 10 until 3, and I ordered a bottomless coffee while I perused the menu. I was tempted by a dish that isn't on the online brunch menu: I think it involved scrambled eggs, as well as avocado, tomato, bacon and sourdough. That felt like the brunchier option, but then there was the burger. 

The Rotary burger, specifically, Rotary Bar & Diner being a sister restaurant to Giant Robot. The reason this attracted my attention was that at Disco Bistro N1C the other week, the burgerista had mentioned Disco Bistro were collaborating with Rotary. I don't know if this means that the Giant Robot burger is also a Disco Bistro burger, but decided to order it anyway.

The burger came medium rare, with cheese and grilled onions. The burger itself ("rare-breed beef") was great: juicy and flavoursome, although just on the more medium side of medium rare. The fries were a little less exciting and ever so slightly soggy. Overall, though, I'd recommend the burger, and I'm keen to try out the sliders and meatballs that are available on the main menu. My brunch companions went for the veggie brunch (with bacon), which also looked good; the portions were pretty generous.

Giant Robot is also open for drinks and nibbles (cicchetti) and the cocktail menu impressed be both with its design and its contents. Yes, a return visit is definitely in order.

Giant Robot. 45 Clerkenwell Road, London, EC1M 5RS (Tube: Farringdon). CLOSED

The Burger Bulletin: Elliot's Burger Bar Review

Borough Market is on both my regular weekend running route and my route home from work if I'm walking. Pretty much every time I pass through, I think, "I really must find a way to sample the burgers at Elliot's Café." You see, although the regular menu, which changes daily, is always very tempting, they only serve burgers on weekday lunchtimes, when I am at work.

Elliot's Burger Bar, Borough Market.

This summer, however, for four weeks only (well, for at least four weeks, anyway), Elliot's is putting on a pop-up burger bar, just across Stoney Street from the main café. They have a number of long trestle tables, some under the cover of the market roof. I was worried there might be a queue, but there were still a few tables left when I arrived at about seven last night. While I waited for my companions, I ordered a frozen margarita (£5), which was fruity and delicious — they also serve Kernel beer, Prosecco and a few other drinks.

Great styling of the cups and straws.

The menu is deceptively long-winded, given that there is only one option: a cheeseburger and fries for £10. It's not just any cheeseburger though; it's a "55 day aged native breed beef patty with homemade brioche and..." Well, you can read the rest on the chalkboard when you get there. The burger was really, really good. Very juicy and meaty and complemented perfectly by the cheese and the beef-fat fried onions. The Grauniad reviewer who was so critical of the Shake Shack bun will definitely approve of the seeded brioche.

Elliot's cheeseburger and fried potatoes.

The fried potatoes, however, were good rather than great. They are triple-cooked Maris Pipers, and for some reason, I've never had much luck with triple-cooked chips. Some of them taste fine, but the bigger ones tend to be a little dry. I would have preferred regular fries with salt and rosemary.

The epic menu.

£10 is also the price of a burger and fries at Disco Bistro. Maybe I've been spoiled by Bleecker St Burger and the other street-food vans, but I've got into the habit of sharing fries or having the option to order them when I want them. Somehow £10 feels more than £2 pricier than a £5 burger and £3 fries.

Burgernomics aside, Elliot's Burger Bar is a cool place to hang out on a warm summer evening. Stoney Street is right in the heart of Borough Market and there are lots of people hanging out having a pint or a nibble. The only slight negative note of the evening was when we were asked to move on after we said we weren't ordering another round because "it's getting busier," even though it wasn't busier than when we arrived and there was at least one free table and no queue. 

We weren't planning to stay all night, but being able to linger for a few more minutes would have been nice (to be fair, it was probably about to get busier, but still). Nonetheless, the burgers really are great, so I'd recommend you stop by sometime between 6.30 and 10 pm, Tuesday to Saturday, until 10 August.

Elliot's Burger Bar. 12 Stoney Street, London, SE1 9AD (Tube: London Bridge). Website.

Double Skinny Macchiato

When I started this blog, over six years ago, it was an experiment. I didn't know what I was going to write about and it ended up erring on the personal side. As such, the name of the blog — Me, Myself & Moi — and my pseudonym — Bexquisite (pronounced to rhyme with the way a Frenchman would say exquisite) — fit the blog rather well. These days, however, the focus has changed and most of the posts fit into one of the following categories:

• The search for the perfect macchiato
• Lessons in hamburgerology, and other food and drink reviews
• Other fun things I've found to do in London, New York and my other travel destinations
• Movie reviews

I wanted to choose a new blog title, but finding something that encompassed all of these aspects proved tricky. I also wanted something that would make sense to international readers. Then I realised that one of the most common phrases that I utter is: "Can I have a double skinny macchiato please?" and hence Double Skinny Macchiato was born.

My new address is: http://www.doubleskinnymacchiato.com. I've created a new Instagram account and updated the RSS links — to follow me on Feedly you can click here). The old links are being redirected, and will probably continue to be for the foreseeable future. I've made a few minor tweaks to the design, and hope to do a bigger overhaul in the coming weeks and months.

The Burger Bulletin: Disco Bistro N1C Review (CLOSED)

Update (2015): Disco Bistro is no longer boogying on in King's Cross, but follow them on Twitter for their latest news.

Even though it was basically on my bus journey home from work, I never made it out to Disco Bistro's residency at The Rising Sun, which was a pity, given the good things I had heard about the burgers. As you can imagine, I was dead pleased to discover that Disco Bistro's latest venture is a pop-up at Skate King's Cross, a roller-skating rink that is gracing Granary Square with its presence until the beginning of September. This meant the Roller Disco Burger is now barely a five-minute stroll from my desk.

The Skate King's Cross rink.

I'm hoping to go for a spin on the rink in due course, but you can sample the food and drink without buying a skating ticket, so Friday lunchtime saw us seeking shelter from the epic sunshine on one of the shaded picnic tables next to the rink. 

The menu is basically: burger, veggie burger, or chicken wings, but obviously I didn't need any time to make up my mind. The Roller Disco Burger comes with cheese, bun sauce, pineapple and bacon jam, and chips. At £10 for the lot, it's a little pricier than Bleecker St Burger or Mother Flipper at the nearby KERB, but then Disco Bistro is also more of a restaurant than street food.

Disco Bistro N1C.

I always used to be quite fussy about having my burgers relatively plain, but these days, I prefer to go with the flow and enjoy them as the chef intended. They didn't ask how we wanted the burgers cooked, but I was fairly confident they would turn up medium-rate to juicy-medium, and I was right. 

The burger was delicious and a complete nightmare to eat, with cheese and sauce and juice oozing out from all sides. I find the best way is to keep on eating and not to put the burger down, or it will only fall apart. I wouldn't have thought to put pineapple in my burger, but the pineapple and bacon jam was the perfect foil to the meaty, flavoursome burger. Definitely go for the burger as is.

Boozy shakes are also on offer, although banana, spiced rum and raisins definitely isn't my thing. If I hadn't been so stuffed, I would have liked to try the Disco Sundae, though: raspberry ripple ice cream, strawberry sauce, fresh berries and shortbread. See? It even sounds healthy!

I'll definitely be returning to Disco Bistro before too long, hopefully with some undoubtedly hilarious skating fun too. Skating is £13 plus booking fee for a two-hour session, including skate hire. Some tickets are available on the door, and it was pretty quiet on Friday lunchtime.

Disco Bistro N1C. West Handyside Canopy (next to Central Saint Martins, behind Granary Square), London, N1C 4AA (Tube: King's Cross). CLOSED