08 August 2016
The Caffeine Chronicles: Flat White Revisited
My recent revisit to Prufrock encouraged me to seek out my other old favourite London coffee shops, some of which I first mentioned on this blog eight or nine years ago and also featured in my 2009 compilation of my favourite London places. Others made it into my first London coffee guide in 2011. In several cases, I've managed never to post a full review on this blog, however, so I'm filling in those gaps over the next few weeks.
05 August 2016
The Caffeine Chronicles: Bar Termini
When Bar Termini opened its doors in late 2014, its concept was very appealing: an all-day venue serving coffee and cocktails in a tiny, classy, Italian-style bar. And with cocktails from Tony '69 Colebrooke Row' Conigliaro and coffee from Illy's head of quality Marco Arrigo, what wasn't to like? But its location — at the eastern end of Old Compton Street, near the junction with Charing Cross Road — wasn't somewhere I walked past very often and I kept forgetting to stop by.
Fortunately, I was in Soho with time to kill on Sunday and I made a beeline for Bar Termini. The storefront is painted a chic navy and there is a bench on the pavement in case you are in the mood for some Soho people-watching.
Fortunately, I was in Soho with time to kill on Sunday and I made a beeline for Bar Termini. The storefront is painted a chic navy and there is a bench on the pavement in case you are in the mood for some Soho people-watching.
Inside, there are only a handful of small tables and a few stools at the bar. The seats are all pistachio leather and dark wood; colourful, vintage-style artwork livens up the walls and if you look carefully enough, you can even spot a few vintage suitcases (the bar's name is a nod to Rome's central train station). The result is a cool, calm and beautiful haven amid the hustle and bustle of Old Compton Street.
The cocktail menu and the cocktails I saw the cheerful, white-apron-clad bar tenders making for other customers looked great but it was too early for an aperitif and I was in need of coffee. Most of the coffee shops I frequent these days are coasting on the third wave, but you won't find any Aeropresses, V60s or flat whites at Bar Termini.
The cocktail menu and the cocktails I saw the cheerful, white-apron-clad bar tenders making for other customers looked great but it was too early for an aperitif and I was in need of coffee. Most of the coffee shops I frequent these days are coasting on the third wave, but you won't find any Aeropresses, V60s or flat whites at Bar Termini.
The coffee menu is simple and focuses on espresso based drinks. I had a couple of espressi (£2.50 each — Romans might baulk at the price, although at least the current exchange rate is in their favour), but there is also, among other drinks, a bicerin on the menu — a sort of small, strong mocha. I used to drink a lot of bicerin in my days as an Italian student, but I'm not sure I would be so keen these days.
Both espressi were exquisitely prepared and came in beautiful espresso cups with Termini's signature 'T' logo. I don't drink espresso very often these days, tending to favour macchiatos, piccolos and filter coffee, and when I do it's usually with a much lighter roast. I still have a soft spot for a good dark Italian roast, though, when I'm in the right frame of mind and Bar Termini's coffees were very good; they use Illy coffee, of course.
Bar Termini also serve a few snacks, sandwiches and some pastries and sweet treats. I was too late for the cornetti but I did have a rather delicious slice of almond and raspberry cake (£3.50). There was a chocolate chip cake too, but the waiter talked me into the almond cake and I think it was the right call.
My next holiday is a one-week trip to Naples and Sorrento and I'm looking forward to returning to Italy. I spent a lot of time there as a child and a student but my visits have tailed off more recently, unless you count brief road trips across the border from Cannes. Although the quality of the coffee can vary, there is something terribly appealing about the Italian espresso bar culture and it will be fun to rediscover it. And if you're looking for Italian-style coffee in London, Bar Termini is an excellent place to start.
Bar Termini. 7 Old Compton Street, London, W1D 5JE (Tube: Leicester Square or Tottenham Court Road). Website. Instagram.
Both espressi were exquisitely prepared and came in beautiful espresso cups with Termini's signature 'T' logo. I don't drink espresso very often these days, tending to favour macchiatos, piccolos and filter coffee, and when I do it's usually with a much lighter roast. I still have a soft spot for a good dark Italian roast, though, when I'm in the right frame of mind and Bar Termini's coffees were very good; they use Illy coffee, of course.
Bar Termini also serve a few snacks, sandwiches and some pastries and sweet treats. I was too late for the cornetti but I did have a rather delicious slice of almond and raspberry cake (£3.50). There was a chocolate chip cake too, but the waiter talked me into the almond cake and I think it was the right call.
My next holiday is a one-week trip to Naples and Sorrento and I'm looking forward to returning to Italy. I spent a lot of time there as a child and a student but my visits have tailed off more recently, unless you count brief road trips across the border from Cannes. Although the quality of the coffee can vary, there is something terribly appealing about the Italian espresso bar culture and it will be fun to rediscover it. And if you're looking for Italian-style coffee in London, Bar Termini is an excellent place to start.
Bar Termini. 7 Old Compton Street, London, W1D 5JE (Tube: Leicester Square or Tottenham Court Road). Website. Instagram.
03 August 2016
The Caffeine Chronicles: Manchester Specialty Coffee Guide
This week, I spent two days in Manchester — most of it inside a conference centre. But the city soon won me over and, of course, I found a little time to hunt out some specialty coffee. I used my time wisely and managed to visit two coffee shops. I had hoped to go to a third, but Pavé (CLOSED) closed earlier than I was expecting and when I checked my train ticket and realised that I was on an earlier train, I knew I wouldn't have time to go to one of the cafés I'd earmarked near Manchester Piccadilly station.
01 August 2016
Etc — July 2016
UPDATE: UPDATE: Coleman Coffee is now permanently closed but you can order online from their Herefordshire-based roastery.
I enjoyed Karin Tanabe's previous novel, The List, about the pleasures and pitfalls of working for a POLITICO-like media outlet and was intrigued by the description of her latest, which sounded rather different. The Gilded Years is based on the true story of Anita Hemmings, who was the first African American to attend Vassar College. The twist is that Anita, who is light-skinned, is attending a white student.
My friend and I had hoped to spend a sunny Saturday night at Brixton Beach Boulevard but made the mistake of not booking tickets and so couldn't get in. It wasn't a challenge to make a new plan, however, with both Brixton Market and Pop Brixton just a few minutes' walk away.
Unusually for me, I haven't been to the cinema in several months, partly because I've been busy and partly because there haven't been any films that I desperately wanted to see. But I had hoped to catch The Nice Guys and thought I had missed my chance until I discovered there are still a few screenings in London cinemas.
The eponymous 'nice guys' in Shane Black's 1970s-set film are borderline-alcoholic private eye and single dad Holland March (Ryan Gosling) and thug-for-hire with a heart Jackson Healy (Russell Crowe). The unlikely duo team up to investigate the suspicious death of a porn star, tumbling down a rabbit hole of sleaze, corruption and murder. Despite the dark themes, Black keeps the tone light with snappy banter between the two leads and a hefty dose of slapstick comedy.
S.K. Tremayne's debut, The Ice Twins, posed the intriguing question of what you would do as a parent of twins if one of the twins died but you couldn't be sure which daughter was still alive. It was a fast, twisty read and the same is true of Tremayne's follow-up, The Fire Child.
Coleman Coffee Roasters
My usual Saturday morning routine is quite simple: run along the river with a small group of friends, finishing with a coffee at Monmouth's Bermondsey coffee bar (sometimes followed by a cocktail at Little Bird). However, the Bermondsey Monmouth is closed until 10 September, so we've been exploring a few other coffee options in the area, including Coleman Coffee Roasters, which I used to go to when I first moved to Bermondsey four years ago before Monmouth became the default.
Coleman's Spa Terminus home is in a railway arch they share with The Little Bread Pedlar, who make amazing pastries and cakes. The queue at Coleman can get pretty long — especially with Monmouth closed — but the macchiatos and pourovers are still rather good. You can buy bags of coffee beans too and follow up with a trip to The Kernel, The Ham & Cheese Co or any of the other great Spa Terminus producers.
My usual Saturday morning routine is quite simple: run along the river with a small group of friends, finishing with a coffee at Monmouth's Bermondsey coffee bar (sometimes followed by a cocktail at Little Bird). However, the Bermondsey Monmouth is closed until 10 September, so we've been exploring a few other coffee options in the area, including Coleman Coffee Roasters, which I used to go to when I first moved to Bermondsey four years ago before Monmouth became the default.
Coleman's Spa Terminus home is in a railway arch they share with The Little Bread Pedlar, who make amazing pastries and cakes. The queue at Coleman can get pretty long — especially with Monmouth closed — but the macchiatos and pourovers are still rather good. You can buy bags of coffee beans too and follow up with a trip to The Kernel, The Ham & Cheese Co or any of the other great Spa Terminus producers.
I enjoyed Karin Tanabe's previous novel, The List, about the pleasures and pitfalls of working for a POLITICO-like media outlet and was intrigued by the description of her latest, which sounded rather different. The Gilded Years is based on the true story of Anita Hemmings, who was the first African American to attend Vassar College. The twist is that Anita, who is light-skinned, is attending a white student.
We meet Anita in her senior year in the closing years of the 19th century where she begins to struggle with the tension between her ambition to continue her education and perhaps pursue a career in academia, and her burgeoning need to be able to be honest and true to her identity and her family. Can she keep her secret until graduation? And does she even want to?
Anita's story is a fascinating and important one — and one I knew nothing about before reading Tanabe's fictionalisation — and The Gilded Years is beautifully written, thought-provoking, sometimes sad but ultimately inspiring.
Seven at Brixton (CLOSED)
Anita's story is a fascinating and important one — and one I knew nothing about before reading Tanabe's fictionalisation — and The Gilded Years is beautifully written, thought-provoking, sometimes sad but ultimately inspiring.
Seven at Brixton (CLOSED)
My friend and I had hoped to spend a sunny Saturday night at Brixton Beach Boulevard but made the mistake of not booking tickets and so couldn't get in. It wasn't a challenge to make a new plan, however, with both Brixton Market and Pop Brixton just a few minutes' walk away.
We ended up going to an old favourite of mine, Seven at Brixton, a cocktail and tapas bar in Brixton Market. The cocktails are good and cheap and we shared a delicious (and huge) platter of meat, cheese and other tapas. If Seven is too busy, they now have a sister restaurant, Three Four Eight, on Coldharbour Lane.
The Nice Guys
The Nice Guys
Unusually for me, I haven't been to the cinema in several months, partly because I've been busy and partly because there haven't been any films that I desperately wanted to see. But I had hoped to catch The Nice Guys and thought I had missed my chance until I discovered there are still a few screenings in London cinemas.
The eponymous 'nice guys' in Shane Black's 1970s-set film are borderline-alcoholic private eye and single dad Holland March (Ryan Gosling) and thug-for-hire with a heart Jackson Healy (Russell Crowe). The unlikely duo team up to investigate the suspicious death of a porn star, tumbling down a rabbit hole of sleaze, corruption and murder. Despite the dark themes, Black keeps the tone light with snappy banter between the two leads and a hefty dose of slapstick comedy.
The Nice Guys is funny, fun and quirky — and a lot more enjoyable than the recent adaptation of Thomas Pynchon's Inherent Vice, which also involves a troubled private investigator in 1970s LA. The Nice Guys sometimes veers into parody but its tongue is usually firmly in its cheek, and while March and Healy aren't always especially nice, they are charming and make for an entertaining double-act. Angourie Rice, who plays March's tween daughter, puts in a fine performance.
The Fire Child by S.K. Tremayne
The Fire Child by S.K. Tremayne
S.K. Tremayne's debut, The Ice Twins, posed the intriguing question of what you would do as a parent of twins if one of the twins died but you couldn't be sure which daughter was still alive. It was a fast, twisty read and the same is true of Tremayne's follow-up, The Fire Child.
In a rather Rebecca-like set-up, Rachel marries the handsome and rich David and comes to live in his crumbling Cornish pile, Carnhallow House, along with David's young son Jamie. Jamie's mother died in tragic but mysterious circumstances the year before but her presence is felt throughout the house, and Jamie himself is — understandably, perhaps — still disturbed by her death.
Rachel wants to be a good wife and mother but she also begins to harbour suspicions about the death of David's first wife — and about whether her seemingly perfect husband is all that he seems. Rachel herself, it soon emerges, has a troubled past of her own and she thought that her whirlwind romance with David was the opportunity to start afresh.
Rachel wants to be a good wife and mother but she also begins to harbour suspicions about the death of David's first wife — and about whether her seemingly perfect husband is all that he seems. Rachel herself, it soon emerges, has a troubled past of her own and she thought that her whirlwind romance with David was the opportunity to start afresh.
But are Rachel's past demons responsible for her newfound fears or is there something more sinister going on at Carnhallow House that could threaten her life? The Fire Child is an engrossing read, packed with depictions of the beautiful and dramatic Cornish scenery, and with a cracking twist towards the end — great if you are looking for holiday reading material.
Disclaimer: The Fire Child is out now, published by Harper Collins. I received a pre-release copy via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.
Disclaimer: The Fire Child is out now, published by Harper Collins. I received a pre-release copy via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.
29 July 2016
The Caffeine Chronicles: Prufrock Revisited
Update: In September 2022, Prufrock offered an experience where customers could try a shot of specially prepared Il Grifone espresso brewed on a vintage Faema espresso machine, lovingly restored by James Hoffmann, alongside Square Mile's Red Brick blend. I had to go along and try it for myself, and I shared a few photos on Instagram,
My second ever Caffeine Chronicles post was about perennial Clerkenwell favourite Prufrock, and it remains one of my most read blog posts. I can just about get to Prufrock and back from my King's Cross office in a lunch hour and I used to go regularly, but as my lunch breaks have shrunk and often vanished, my visits to the Leather Lane café have become less frequent.
Although I love to try out new coffee places, the hunt for the next great thing can mean that I neglect old favourites — and Prufrock has remained in my top ten London coffee shops since 2012 (I hadn't discovered it in time for my first list in 2011). This is a rather long-winded way of introducing my return to Prufrock for weekend brunch a couple of weeks ago, but the take-home message is that favourite places are usually favourites for a reason and that the pleasure of re-discovery is as great as the joy of discovery.
Prufrock itself needs little introduction: founded in 2009 by former World Barista Champion Gwilym Davies and Jeremy Challender, it started life as a (now-defunct) concession in a men's boutique in Shoreditch High Street, before expanding to the large, airy café and barista training school on Leather Lane.
Although I love to try out new coffee places, the hunt for the next great thing can mean that I neglect old favourites — and Prufrock has remained in my top ten London coffee shops since 2012 (I hadn't discovered it in time for my first list in 2011). This is a rather long-winded way of introducing my return to Prufrock for weekend brunch a couple of weeks ago, but the take-home message is that favourite places are usually favourites for a reason and that the pleasure of re-discovery is as great as the joy of discovery.
Prufrock itself needs little introduction: founded in 2009 by former World Barista Champion Gwilym Davies and Jeremy Challender, it started life as a (now-defunct) concession in a men's boutique in Shoreditch High Street, before expanding to the large, airy café and barista training school on Leather Lane.
The name is, of course, a reference to the eponymous narrator of T.S. Eliot's poem, The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock, who talks of measuring out his life with coffee spoons. Whimsy is one of the café's best features: I love that the eight-ounce takeaway cups feature an illustration of an eight-legged creature (currently a crab), the six-ounce cups a six-legged creature (currently a cricket) and the four-ounce cups the signature Prufrock bunny.
Leather Lane itself is very hectic during the week when market stalls take up the road and much of the pavement, but it's usually calmer at the weekend. I arrived at Prufrock just before noon on a Sunday and it wasn't yet too busy — by the time I left, some 90 minutes later, there were barely any free tables and a queue had formed at the coffee bar. There's another motto: the early bird gets the avocado toast.
The coffee menu is, as you might expect, extensive with various single-origins from Square Mile, Tim Wendelboe and Colonna. I ordered a piccolo (£2.60) and then asked the barista for advice on my filter choice: there was a Colombian coffee roasted by Tim Wendelboe brewed through the Chemex, and two V60s, a Colombian from Colonna and a Kenyan from Square Mile (all £5). The barista recommended the latter and so I went for it. It had been at least a week since my last avocado toast so I ordered that too (£6.50). Twist ending, I know.
I took a seat opposite the coffee bar — coincidentally, I ended up sitting at the same table as on my first visit — and just next to the wall display of spoons; Eliot (and Private Eye) would be proud. My piccolo arrived first and it was both beautifully presented and impeccably prepared: rich, strong and smooth, and with the perfect amount of milk to bring out rather than mask the flavours of the coffee.
The V60 was also excellent. I sometimes struggle to pick out the flavour profiles even when I know what they are but as soon as I brought the cup to my lips, my nose picked up the blackcurrant notes right away. I looked up the coffee (a Gichathaini PB) when I got home and was pleased to see that I had got it right for once.
Prufrock does a mean avocado toast: thin slices of avocado on a hunk of sourdough toast, with olive oil and a liberal sprinkling of chilli. £6.50 is a little pricey given that it wasn't the hugest portion, but it's hard to mind when it tasted so great. If you aren't in the mood for brunch, there are a few lunch dishes too and a selection of cakes — the 50p brownie bites are hard to resist.
Prufrock is also a great place to come for a little coffee-themed retail therapy. They sell various bags of coffee beans and a bewildering assortment of coffee-making equipment and coffee-related books. And if you'd like to sign up for some barista training, they run SCAE courses at various levels.
Absence certainly did make my heart grow fonder in the case of Prufrock. It's still one of my favourite coffee shops in London and I'm going to try to go back more often — on lunch breaks or otherwise. In the words of J. Alfred Prufrock himself, "Let us go and make our visit."
Prufrock Coffee. 23–25 Leather Lane, London, EC1N 7TE (Tube: Farringdon or Chancery Lane). Website. Instagram. My original 2012 review.
Leather Lane itself is very hectic during the week when market stalls take up the road and much of the pavement, but it's usually calmer at the weekend. I arrived at Prufrock just before noon on a Sunday and it wasn't yet too busy — by the time I left, some 90 minutes later, there were barely any free tables and a queue had formed at the coffee bar. There's another motto: the early bird gets the avocado toast.
The coffee menu is, as you might expect, extensive with various single-origins from Square Mile, Tim Wendelboe and Colonna. I ordered a piccolo (£2.60) and then asked the barista for advice on my filter choice: there was a Colombian coffee roasted by Tim Wendelboe brewed through the Chemex, and two V60s, a Colombian from Colonna and a Kenyan from Square Mile (all £5). The barista recommended the latter and so I went for it. It had been at least a week since my last avocado toast so I ordered that too (£6.50). Twist ending, I know.
I took a seat opposite the coffee bar — coincidentally, I ended up sitting at the same table as on my first visit — and just next to the wall display of spoons; Eliot (and Private Eye) would be proud. My piccolo arrived first and it was both beautifully presented and impeccably prepared: rich, strong and smooth, and with the perfect amount of milk to bring out rather than mask the flavours of the coffee.
The V60 was also excellent. I sometimes struggle to pick out the flavour profiles even when I know what they are but as soon as I brought the cup to my lips, my nose picked up the blackcurrant notes right away. I looked up the coffee (a Gichathaini PB) when I got home and was pleased to see that I had got it right for once.
Prufrock does a mean avocado toast: thin slices of avocado on a hunk of sourdough toast, with olive oil and a liberal sprinkling of chilli. £6.50 is a little pricey given that it wasn't the hugest portion, but it's hard to mind when it tasted so great. If you aren't in the mood for brunch, there are a few lunch dishes too and a selection of cakes — the 50p brownie bites are hard to resist.
Prufrock is also a great place to come for a little coffee-themed retail therapy. They sell various bags of coffee beans and a bewildering assortment of coffee-making equipment and coffee-related books. And if you'd like to sign up for some barista training, they run SCAE courses at various levels.
Absence certainly did make my heart grow fonder in the case of Prufrock. It's still one of my favourite coffee shops in London and I'm going to try to go back more often — on lunch breaks or otherwise. In the words of J. Alfred Prufrock himself, "Let us go and make our visit."
Prufrock Coffee. 23–25 Leather Lane, London, EC1N 7TE (Tube: Farringdon or Chancery Lane). Website. Instagram. My original 2012 review.
27 July 2016
Swing When You're Winning: Swingers London
When I was much younger and my dad was going through a golf phase, he would sometimes take my brother and me with him to the local driving range. I would work my way through a bucket of balls, hitting them into the abyss — too much power and not enough control was always my problem. It's an issue that is exacerbated on crazy golf courses where my solution is to whack the ball as hard as I can and hope for the best.
25 July 2016
The Caffeine Chronicles: Frequency Coffee
The King's Cross speciality scene is developing slowly but surely with Caravan, Notes and Lanark all clustered fairly close to King's Cross station. There are some great options in Islington and Clerkenwell too but there hasn't been anywhere to get good coffee in the triangle between these three areas. That's why coffee- and music-lover Justo didn't waste any time when he spotted a vacant shop on King's Cross Road, a few minutes' south-east of King's Cross station.
