For a blog that does coffee shop reviews it’s actually been a while since we have, because we have been over the last few weeks because we have been on a bit of a routine and going to ‘the usual suspects’ for the most part.
There have been a few new shops and so here are the newest ones for the ever growing Coffee Shop Map and should you want to find a coffee shop with a honest review you should check out the map here.
For reference ‘The Usual Suspects’ are;
Caffe Nero at Islington Green , Planet Organica at Manor House, Coffee Joint at Newington Green
But for the new stuff, well there have been the usual summer selection of Bubble Tea Shops as well as the few coffees, so let’s start with…
Kova – Battersea Power Station
This little building outside the Power Station itself is a quaint glass box belonging to the Japanese Bakery, where they sell rather expensive slices of Pistachio Cake and Chocolate Cake (£8.50 a slice!) but they also sell Bubble Tea, so instead of getting a Frappuccino one day we tried this.
There isn’t a big choice as obviously we needed vegan milk etc so we simply got 2x Dirty Oat Milk Bobas and waited while the rather grumpy staff hurriedly made them. The service was quick, but without a smile or a care so we took the cups to sit on the lawn and drink.
Overall the drinks were good, but for the price and size they were nothing special and not worth a return and at nearly £10 for two medium drinks not worth it.
601pm – New Malden
This is possibly our furthest reach so far for an addition to the map. This is a Bubble Tea and Bingsoo (shaved Ice) Shop – in ‘Little Korea’ as New Malden is otherwise known. Being as we are unable to have the Shaved Milk Ice (we can get it else where) we opted instead for just two of the Bubble Teas. The interior is like any of those diary Ice Cream parlour you see, loud, shiny and full of flashing neon, the staff are indifferent but the drinks were OK just nothing to return for.
In all a long way and not worth going again but there is a number of other places worth going back to try.
Go Nuts – Holloway Road
Another Bubble Tea Shop in the middle of the desolate part of Holloway Road (by the station). The shop looks pre-made a standard interior with the fake grass wall and a bit of neon, we timed it perfectly as some of the family were just finishing work so it was a bit hectic. We ordered, there was a special deal where we got 1 free drink (so we chose Mango/Passionfruit Green tea) and sat and waited, a long wait in the end, nearly 15 minutes and while it poured with rain outside we sat and drank saving our extra one for later. We drank the pair of Classic teas while the staff screamed and ran in and out of the front door making the sensor bleep over and over! The Mango Green tea was really nice!
Overall what yu’d expect for Holloway Road!
Black Sheep Coffee – High Holborn.
Black Sheep seem to be the new Chain, having started with little shop in King’s Cross, then onto Highbury – they are suddenly on every street in the centre of London and in Holborn there is one every 100metres.
The one in High Holborn (not to be confused with the one opposite the station), is a larger shop with a lot of seating, but is mostly all self service, you order at the screens and have no interaction with the staff at all, they simply make your drink, shout your name and vanish before you can ask for a drop of cold water or enquire over what other options there are. It is very impersonal.
The one thing about Black Sheep is the coffee tends to be good and on the large side, something they didn’t tell the barista here, the small cup was foul, so bad we didn’t drink it and dumped it in the bin (that is bad!)
So overall, this isn’t the best of the chain and we won’t be returning.
So that was the round up of Bubbles and Coffee for this month or so hopefully we will find some more places soon but don’t forget to check out the coffee map here
Climbing Moss 
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