One last Coffee Shop post for 2025…
We are not bothered whether the coffee if the finest blend of Columbian or Ethiopian Beans, slow Roasted and then ground between the cheeks of a Patagonian Barista called Fatima! We are more interested in the Size of the cup, whether the Staff are competent and can follow simple instructions like ‘Oat Milk’ and that the coffee doesn’t taste like bitter powder. So with that, here are another selection of Coffees that fit the criteria to make us happy…
We have seen this place a lot but it’s always closed when we pass, however the reviews make it seem like the best place in Manor House. A few weeks back we passed by on a Sunday and it was open and packed, we took our chance to grab a coffee. The Staff were friendly in amongst the mass of people ordering Pasta dishes and Omelettes and one oddity, A Full English Fry-Ups with a Slice of Victoria Sponge – Why?
Anyway we ordered the usual – 2 Oat Mochas to go – and waited, it was busy but it still took well over 10 minutes for the delivery of our cups. We took our drinks and sat in the park opposite and sipped away. We instantly discovered, an amazing lack of flavour, hot froth in a cup, a classic British Cafe (Not Café) Coffee, no flavour at all, just a lot of foam.
We will give a star for the staff but not the coffee.
The Wellspring Cafe – Integrated Medicine
We, unfortunately spend too much time in Hospitals especially The Hospital of Alternative Medicine their Café has recently re-opened. It used to be open prior to Covid, but shut and like the staff it was a little slow to get moving again. We noticed they serve Starbucks coffee and products so clearly there is a partnership there which is better than the usual Costa that all other hospitals have.
As a safe bet we ordered a Hot Chocolate and waited a little and was handed a rather small cup. The hot chocolate was ok… it was a bit bland, not as chocolatey as we would have wanted but eh…
This used to be Simply Organique a Whole Foods shop selling Alternative Milk, beers and a odd selection of groceries and was our favourite coffee shop in the surrounding areas of N4-N5. But then it closed down and we were left with mmmmh coffee in the surrounding area.
A couple of months back a new sign and new paint covered the front of the building and we hoped for new life. Eventually in November we noticed Clear Hearts was open so we made a B-Line for the familiar. What we found was a lot more polished and a ‘proper’ Coffee Shop, still owned by the same people, just a lot more. There is real seating areas and counters with food and staff all in uniforms. We ordered the usual 2 Oat Mochas and waited, looking around at the very Pink and Rose Gold interior and surprisingly there isn’t a scrolly font neon sign or any fake greenery on the walls like all other shops in the area, instead some inspirational and honest quotes which are neon but in a bold dramatic style.
The drinks arrived quickly, with unique Foam Art and a real smile. We took our drinks and departed to sit in the park and test the new coffee. What we got was almost as good as before, a little less chocolatey and a little less ‘Wow!’, but better than anything else in the area. We have been back a couple of times since, it’s the best choice and we are glad it re-opened!
The new open Courtyard area opposite St. Giles’ Church is filled with restaurants and coffee shops, we tried Redemption and really hated their bitter, powdery coffee but opposite is a huge new Coffee Shop, on the site of the infamous Rock Bar ‘ The Intrepid Fox – (IYKYK).
Ovis is all polish and pazazz, they sell Beetroot and Chai Matcha Lattes and the like. We ordered the usual and waited, and waited and waited, five staff and yet it took nearly 10 minutes. The staff weren’t even pleasant.
Eventually we got the two cup and took them outside to drink and what we got was another order of luke-warm frothy foam. Weightless and tasteless in a paper cup and to top that off they were clearly the incompetent idiots that they seemed because the drinks were made with normal milk and 2 minutes later we were suffering from violent stomach aches due to the Lactose in Dairy Milk. We didn’t finish the £9.40’s worth of poison.
What we realised is that this shop is staffed by people who don’t care about coffee and have no interest in being there, it’s just another job that takes little to no talent to do. Ovis is one of those places that doesn’t even actually make the coffee, it’s dispensed from a vending machine, so it’s not even real coffee and the tastes like it – you can always tell in there is no Latte Art, just Froth!
For these reasons, we didn’t forget the stars, we just didn’t give it any!
Dusty Knuckle – Highbury Fields
A little van with a pop-up side sitting in the middle of Highbury Fields, near the old Bandstand area. We have tried Dusty Knuckle in Haringey and apart from giving away the burnt bread at the end of the day, we weren’t overly impressed, but we saw the van was finally open – after about 10 times passing by and dared to try – with a lot of Trendy’s all standing around waiting for their Flat Whites! The service was fine, four members of staff in the little space and the drinks arrived promptly.
But for £9 we always hope for a cup that doesn’t disappear inside your closed hand, unfortunately that’s just what we got – It’s Artisan Coffee after all, That’s code for Small! It could be small but good, unfortunately it wasn’t, it was just as we remember the other one was, mmmmh, no taste, a frothy cup of nothingness.
On a wet and dreary Monday we exited Gospel Oak to take the dogs for a run around on the Heath, (Bad idea it turned out), but opposite is a little coffee shop, we needed coffee and popped in to get the usual! The place is pretty small, but has a real atmosphere, selling a lot of cakes and cookies, as well as a random selection of novelty Egg Cups.
The service was good, friendly and quick and we left to struggle with two dogs. As we headed for the crossing the staff ran after us and asked if we wanted Free Pastries, they were closing – at is was so very late, 2pm, you know the latest a British Coffee Shop can be open!! We gratefully accepted them and took our freebies and found a bench atop the hills to sip and munch away, while the chaotic puppy ran amok and ignored us.
The coffee was ‘Okay’ not the best flavour, lacked a chocolate kick and was an ‘Okay’ Size, the pastries were fine, all the better for being free!
We may try again in the future, being as they seem to be the only Coffee Shop in the area.
Well there you go, not the best selection to finish the year off, we will be back to Coffee Shops with our Best and Worst of the year, in the New Year.
Climbing Moss 
Can you remove the picture of me eating
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Who are you? I blurred all background to all pictures
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