Ahhh just opened up my note book to write up Lucky Spot and out fell a great postcard I nicked from an art gallery, don’t you love that, when you nick something, stash it away stealthily and then forget about it, only to discover it again later…. I am debating deleting this as I sound [...]

These days it is getting increasingly more difficult to find nice places to go in central London. We are losing everything to corporations. I know that’s such a cliched thing to say, but it’s true and should be pointed out more often.  It’s not all bad though. A few little places pop up now and [...]

Unless you live there or have a particular fondness for pound shops or Argos then it’s unlikely you will find yourself on Walthamstow High Street. However if you do feel like a trip out east or you just wake up there then Rio Café and Ricco’s opposite are the places to go. A friend took [...]

A quirky little Moroccan bar on Brick Lane with tiny ornate tables, beautiful and well though out wall hangings and elaborate chairs with hookah pipes taking up every corner. They specialise in tea with a few light bites. However don’t think about bringing your laptop or getting too settled as it’s not especially comfortable and [...]

It’s great when it’s not busy but these times are rare. I suppose the fact that it’s a deli as well as a café increases its popularity. This makes it a good spot for inspiration though, so I quite like to come here to write this blog, despite it being overrun with push chairs, jesus [...]

If it wasn’t for the location this is the sort of place where old ladies would go. It’s traditional and unpretentious, spacious and it serves scones. Despite being in Spitalfields, it feels remarkably untrendy. Located on a busy thoroughfare to Brick Lane or Spitalfields Market, it doesn’t attract any particular crowd just a lot of [...]

The best way to get here is to approach through the Leake Street Tunnel which is a Banksy-created installation of stencil graffiti by artists such as the NYC collective Faile.  It’s where graffiti should be: outside. There isn’t much left now but it’s worth a look, or maybe not, anyway. When you emerge out the [...]

Now I know I have a tendency to like places that are super contrived and Verde and Co. is no exception. It’s one giant Victorian display case of fine chocolates, preserves, old fashioned tins of tea and coffee and wicker baskets full of organic vegetables. There is a tiny seating area to drink coffee or [...]

Rosie’s is owned by Rosie, a late 20-something, and her cafe is lovely.  It has a lot of charm and feels like it is a huge labour of love for her. It doesn’t fit in at all with it’s surroundings (which is a good thing – see review of Franco Manca). I made the first [...]

I feel like I should include Café 1001, mainly because I used to love it before it became a massive tourist trap. It used to be relatively small and full of trendy Spanish hippy types smoking weed (it wasn’t legal exactly, they just turned a blind eye).  Now it’s four times the size with a [...]