The Last Coffee Shop

Well it’s happened, the coffee shops have shut down, life is over!

Well maybe they will reopen, but when you get an email from Caffe Nero saying they are shutting their doors until further notice you know the end is nigh.

But then on Monday we discovered a magical secret….

Kobo Cafe in Upper Street, Angel (Islington) has remained open, for the take away coffee addicts out there, they have blocked off the majority of the shop and are operating a small kiosk area in what was already a rather small café. Now there are two guys standing at the entrance taking and making orders and being very nice about it too!

Every other coffee shop in the area and lets face it there are a lot, (even if most are terrible) are now shut, the 34 Costa’s the 5 Starbucks, the 2 Nero’s and the plethora of Artisan Bakery Shops that sell thimbles of strong tar like espressos and shot glass of frothy coffeeless lattes, have closed their doors.

So when we spotted this little open door while traipsing home, ladened down with shopping on Monday, we figured ‘Oh Well’, we must admit that Kobo always looked like a place we should frequent, but never did, thinking it another of the Artisan Brigade, but desperate times call for desperate measures and so we stopped and ordered a couple of drinks. A Soya Mocha (Ash) and a Black Americano (Bob).

Bob edged her bets fearing the Cacao in the Mocha may have been too sour and thus destroy the coffee!

We chatted with the Barista and soon were presented with two hot cups, with extra sugar to combat the sour cacao, we paid and left, walked into the empty Camden Passage and sipped…

WOW! This was a shock, a surprise, a revelation, we are sorry Kobo, we are sorry we ever doubted you! The Mocha was sublime, probably one of the best I’ve ever tasted, seriously. The Americano was pretty bloody good too, what did they do, or more to the point what didn’t they do? If it is possible to make a good cup of frothy coffee or even a simple froth free black filter, then why are there so many places selling tarmac in a plastic beaker, out there?

Well whatever they do and we don’t need the secret, just the knowledge that this place remains open, fights the ban and is still there when the trend to wear masks in public is over

So if you find yourself out for your one outing a day, either walking the dog or exercising or even getting shopping, then make the excuse and get a coffee from the last coffee shop in town, we will certainly be back.

Well there you go a single coffee shop review and maybe the last for a while.

Keep Safe and come back soon for another review or observation on Life in London.