Penny Blood's Black Book – My Independent Guide to London - Penny Blood's eclectic collection of favourite places in London to drink coffee, eat cake, have tea, eat out, buy clothes, watch movies, kill time, read Voltaire, quote Baudelaire and write this blog.

This is probably my favourite café in London (and like many others, I use as an office) due to the fact that it’s black and white and it’s rare that you see anyone in there who is not either consciously or subconsciously dressed in black or white. It’s great that they don’t care if you stay there for hours as they are too busy socialising. Situated on the corner of Kingsland Road, Old Street and Shoreditch High Street, it’s heaven for watching people walk by checking out their ooh-so-very-cool (Oh but they really are, if I had a pound for every pair of Rayban Wayfarers that walked by) reflection in the windows just to catch you staring at them. I think there is a photographer’s studio next door as there are always freakish looking models schlepping back and forth looking lost and gormless. It also turns into a bar in the evening. It’s frequented by people who spend their salary in American Apparel and wear ironic high waisted jeans with the bottoms turned up. I love how Swedish people all dress the same.

Old Shoreditch Station, 1 Kingsland Road, London, E2
020 77295188
Monday – Saturday 8am – 6pm Sunday 12pm – 6pm (the bar stays open to late)

Related posts:

1. Shoreditch Electricity Rooms
2. The Bridge (Shoreditch) Rio Café and Ricco’s (Walthamstow)
3. The Willow Shoreditch