It’s been a while and with all the Holiday Posts and other things we have racked up a few new Coffee Shops around London to share with you, so here are our latest additions to the list.
Just to remind you our Coffee Shop Map is available should you need it, here.
The Tuck Shop – Hackney Wick
The whole new development of High Rise apartments and offices in Hackney Wick is still under construction and has that ‘New and not quite finished’ vibe to it and the same can be said for this shop, it feels odd, it’s already overrun by 3-wheel buggies and Mums talking about the best Charcuterie boards and the like and the Deli and Wine Shop with the Coffee Shop counter is all a little too trying!
As for the coffee… The Barista or shop assistant was pleasant enough and chatty, probably bored and happy that someone actually acknowledged her existence, we ordered the usual (Black Americano and Oat Mocha)
The cups were a little small, but the taste was pretty good.
The Shed – Haggerston
We suspect this little Café adjacent to Haggerston Station has driven the Chatty Coffee Van away from his former pitch outside the station.
The Shed, with its little seating and Trendy Wine List and ‘Hole in the wall’ Serving Hatch on the side of the street. We ordered a pair of Oat Mochas and took then to hurry for the train.
The cups were a standard size for the area – aka smaller than preferred, but the taste was fine, nothing special and not one to return to.
Bureau – Greenwich
This looks and feels like the foyer of Student Accommodation, because there are a lot of people on laptops at the tables and an elevator leading up to something, but we just ordered a pair of Mochas on our way to the Ecology Park.
It’s a vast space with high ceilings and a lot of bench tables. The Staff were fine, not much interaction or talking and it was a bit slow to get the drinks, we seemed to be a hindrance to their conversation, but eventually we got the cups and left.
The drinks were pretty good but a little on the cold side.
Another of our Favourites has vanished, the Simply Organic on Manor House seems to have closed for good, so we had to find alternatives and we ended up in Finsbury Park by the lake and the huge building beside it. It’s an oddity, full of children that have dressed themselves and Mum’s too bored to be alive, old crazy people and enough chairs to fill the whole park.
The staff are friendly if a little incompetent, we have been here a couple of times (due to Organic being closed) and each time they have got the simple order of a Black Americano and an Oat Mocha wrong, serving a White Americano, a Soya Latte, in drink in cups and forgetting to put Chocolate in the Mocha, but they are always friendly, apologetic and correct their mistakes, so there is that!
The coffee when we get the right order is fine, it’s not amazing but it’s drinkable and the size is fine to – we have noticed that if we buy Oat Mochas we end up with stomach ache maybe due to oat milk being mixed with normal milk but we are not sure?
Belle Epoque – Newington Green
Again, our ‘Go-to’ Coffee Shop on the other side of the Green is no longer an option (terrible Male Barista) so we have been looking for alternatives and Lizzy’s on the Green is a joke, their cups are literal Egg Cup Sized! So Belle Opaque it is.
This coffee Shop has been open for 22 years now! Ash remembers going in here when it first opened and we have been in there a few times over the years too, but the lasting experience was when we reviewed it and tried the salad and coffee tasted of Fish! But desperate times…
The staff don’t seem to want to be there and there are always at least 3 women with grumpy faces behind the counter, they aren’t particularly quick either! There are a lot of signs around the interior with orders and requirements, like ‘Only 3 laptops allowed at any one time’ – we guess anymore and the start to form gangs and start fights! – The coffees are adequate, they don’t taste of fish anymore! It’s on the Returnable section of the Map as it’s the best in the area!
Yellow Warbler – Stoke Newington
This little Café has been passed a hundred times and we have never seen it, but it was pointed out to us the other day by a local and we popped in and ordered the Americano and Mocha, the staff was jolly and the making process was super fast, we could only have been in there for 2 minutes max!
It’s a rustic chic kind of place, mismatched wooden tables and chairs, nothing is finished and it’s all ‘Shabby Chic’. With coffees in hand we left and sipped so quick we didn’t take a photo, the overall impression of 2 Chefs was quite good, it’s certainly quick and efficient and one to add to the list to go to when we want a quick coffee!
Ochame – Victoria
We found ourselves in Victoria a while ago and was in dire need of drinks – we finally found Ochame! The staff were really really nice, had a conversation with us about their shop and our dog!!!! The drinks were also really good.
Ring at Amazon Petfest
The Ring coffee stand at the Pet fest was pretty decent just a bit on the small side and the staff kept getting orders wrong. The puppuccino was loved though.
Good Manners – Canonbury Station
We kept seeing this coffee shop when we were in a rush so we never got to try it…that is until recently.
They offer student discount which is always appreciated and the coffee was pretty good but small and a little on the cold side.
Blank Street Coffee -Battersea
This van seems to change hands all the time – at the moment it is yet another Blank Street Coffee which seems to be taking over London. The staff are pleasant, there is a bit of a wait but it was well worth it.
We tried this at St Giles Circus – a small trendy shop with very small cups. They managed to make two coffees (1 Mocha and 1 Americano) taste like hot water and not a lot else – literally no taste at all!
Franks is in an area we don’t frequent often – there were a couple of choices but we went for this one. The man serving was gruuuumpy we got the disapproving ‘your not the right clientele’ look – ie we weren’t a mum or a retired conservative couple. That being said the coffees were actually pretty good a little cold but good nonetheless.
T&Shop – Green Lanes
This is a shop we go past all the time but we took a chance and this time went in. The shop is packed and cluttered with stuff – random stuff. The girl seemed a bit odd and disappointed we weren’t making a purchase with our coffee. The coffees themselves were close to thimbles and cold and pretty gross so yeah we won’t be going back.
This is another shop we have visited before but due to closures we have been looking for better coffee around the area and this former corner shop with it’s open side window has no competition in the area. The staff was a bit sullen, but he took sooo long to make a Mocha and Americano we could have grown the beans from fresh in the time. With cups in hand we set off, the cups are standard – a little small for our preference – and it tasted, ok, not great, it may have improved a bit, but not enough to be our new go to – for that we will keep looking!
So there’s a quite extensive list of coffee shops – next week we will be back with something else
Climbing Moss 
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