UNUSUAL & ALFRESCO
Play a game of draughts while you enjoy a coffee, stroke a cat as you tuck into your cake, or sip on a bloody Mary as you lounge by a poolside – yes, all in London, and all in these unusual or alfresco cafés.
FRIZZANTE AT HACKNEY CITY FARM
UNUSUAL
THE ATTENDANT
Most first-time attendees of the Attendant go along purely for the novelty. And fair enough, it’s in a converted men’s lavatory. Interestingly though, people keep coming back. Why? Because it’s amazing. The coffee (beans sourced from Caravan up the road in King’s Cross, milk from a single, handpicked farm down in Somerset) is of the highest quality and served with passion and care. Meals (simple breakfasts, salads, roast-veg sandwiches) are prepared onsite, with ingredients bought the previous evening from New Covent Garden Market. As you might expect, the space itself is extremely wee (there’s a second, much larger branch in Shoreditch, which isn’t in a former toilet), and, while hardly the priciest place in Fitzrovia, you can expect to spend more than a penny.
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27a Foley Street, W1W 6DY.
020 7637 3794
Goodge Street tube.
BRANCHES: Shoreditch EC2A 3JL.
LOOK MUM NO HANDS!
London’s not short of cycle cafés, from Broadway Market’s Lock 7 and Spitalfields’ Peloton & Co to Soho’s Rapha Cycle Club, but you don’t have to be a die-hard fan of two wheels to enjoy this Clerkenwell offering. Okay, so there are bikes in the windows, parts hanging from the ceiling and it does screen the Tour de France in summer, but the crowd is often more Macbook Pro than pro cyclist. The décor is workshop-chic (white walls, bare bulbs and sanded wooden tables) and the menu ranges from fry-ups to fruit and yoghurt, with everything in between – the toasted banana and walnut bread with cinnamon butter will change your life. LMNH can get pretty busy, so if you’re not prepared to wait, try its sister venue on Hackney’s Mare Street.
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49 Old Street, EC1V 9HX.
020 7253 1025
Old Street tube.
BRANCHES: Hackney, E8 3RH.
CEREAL KILLER CAFÉ
It’s quite fashionable to knock Cereal Killer for being overpriced and gimmicky: the nadir of east London hipster balderdash. What’s often overlooked is how fun the place is. And who (honestly) doesn’t like cereal? Choose from 120 different varieties, including tantalising foreign exotica like ‘Applezings’, ‘Quisp’ or ‘Frosties Zucaritas’, then pick a milk you fancy splashing over it (such as soya, coconut or hazelnut). Better yet, take a chance on the quirky ‘cocktails’: ‘Bran Gran Thank You Ma’am’ (bran flakes/granola/raisins/soy milk) or ‘Double Rainbow’ (Froot Loops/Fruity Pebbles/freeze-dried marshmallows/strawberry milk). The décor is pitch-perfect 1990s kitsch: there’s retro videogames and Spice Girls paraphernalia. At the Camden outlet you can even sit on old-school cartoon duvets as you scoff your sweet, sugary bowl of joyfulness.
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139 Brick Lane, E1 6SB.
020 3601 9100
Shoreditch High Street Overground.
BRANCHES: Camden NW1 8AH.
LADY DINAH’S CAT EMPORIUM
Shoreditch is a sucker for novelty gimmicks, and this cat-filled café is leader of the pack. Its mauve-fronted, two-floor dining room – with patterned carpets and knowingly twee cake stands – is home to a family of felines, who mainly nap in the cosy beds and padded boxes set out for that purpose. Paying customers (a £6 entry fee goes towards the residents’ welfare) are the moggies’ guests, so there’s no cuddling, no unsolicited advances, no feeding and no flash photography. However, if a cat approaches you, you’re welcome to stroke it as you tuck into homespun afternoon teas including scones, moist yellow sponge cakes and chunky red-velvet cupcakes with thick splodges of cream-cheese frosting. Advance booking is required for afternoon tea; at other times, turn up on spec for a ‘moggiato’ (of course).
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152-154 Bethnal Green Road, E2 6DG.
020 7729 0953
Shoreditch High Street Overground.
FRIZZANTE AT HACKNEY CITY FARM
Priding itself on its association with the ‘agriturismo’ movement (a term referring to the Italian practice of smallholders welcoming tourists into their home and inviting them to sample their produce), Frizzante makes much of its enviable location within the bounds of Hackney City Farm. Somewhat less pedantic about sourcing than its Mediterranean muses (well, no one wants to see Larry The Lamb slaughtered in front of the kids just so you can be assured of the provenance of your chop), it still does very well with the produce of the farm and nearby garden. Cooking is imaginative and consistent, with strong veggie options for lunch and dinner. Fair warning: at daytimes and weekends it becomes a bit of a crèche, but on summer evenings with the odd bird twittering about the exposed beams you could (just about) believe you’re in Tuscany.
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1a Goldsmith’s Row, E2 8QA.
020 7739 2266
Cambridge Heath Overground.
DRAUGHTS
The jumbo-sized railway arches by Haggerston station have played host to all manner of hip openings. Noodle meister Tonkotsu East (two doors down) is anything but a flash in the pan, and dining and arts space Trip (by the canal) boasts an eclectic programme of yoga classes, dance workshops and jazz gigs, alongside rotating chefs-in-residence. Draughts fits in. In London’s first-ever board game café, patrons are invited to rock up with a small gang of like-minded coves and spend an evening (on weekdays it opens at 5pm) or a lazy weekend afternoon playing one of around 500 board games including Scrabble, Risk, and Monopoly, as well as retro/foreign editions, and, if you prefer, Hungry Hungry Hippos. As you’d expect from the area, the beer is craft and the food (light salads, charcuterie boards) is tasty and trendy.
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337 Acton Mews, E8 4EA.
No phone.
Haggerston Overground.
DRINK SHOP & DO
The name says everything you need to know about this King’s Cross café. Drink: coffee, tea, cocktails and more. Shop: gifts, cards, sweets in jars. Do: well, anything from screen printing and clay modelling to building Lego robots in a series of free and cheap craft nights and workshops. With its retro furniture, secondhand china and bright art prints, DS&D has a cutesy vibe, though the space (once a Victorian bathhouse) makes it feel grand and special. Afternoon teas (hen dos and parties book these with a ‘craft’ element) are available on weekends, or if you’re feeling worse for wear on a Sunday, try the ‘Bloody Marys and Board Games’ session. There’s also purely grown-up fun downstairs in Drink Shop & Do’s bar and club.
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9 Caledonian Road, N1 9DX.
020 7278 4335
King’s Cross tube.
THE WREN
Since setting up in the previously disused St Nicholas Cole Abbey, the folks behind The Wren (favourite of discerning City workers, since it’s only open weekdays) have done blissfully little to alter the space: marble floors, soaring stained glass windows and pulpit all remain. The church is something of a patchwork, since the original medieval building was destroyed in the Great Fire, rebuilt by Christopher Wren, bombed during the Blitz and reconstructed in the 1960s. As for what’s on offer now, the coffee (made with Workshop Coffee Co beans) is superb, the sandwiches and cakes are fabulous (the carrot cake and banana bread can sell out within the hour) and the excellent pastries come from Sally Clarke’s in Notting Hill.
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114 Queen Victoria Street, EC4V 4BJ.
No phone.
Mansion House tube.
FOWLDS
Housed in the dinky former cutting room of a still-operational upholsterers, this community-run café – a lovely find just off the Kennington-to-Camberwell drag – was funded and established by residents. When not baking goods for the enterprise (such as lavishly iced carrot cake with walnut-studded sponge), they can be found sipping Square Mile coffee and cold-pressed juices on the close-set benches of the charming, unreconstructed interior, or quaffing prosecco on the makeshift terrace in the warmer months. Breakfasts range from an abstemious half-grapefruit to porridge topped with a decadent duo of cream and golden syrup, plus modish options such as granola with orange, star anise, roasted plums and yoghurt; for lunch, there’s a trio of sandwiches with changing fillings. And the trump card? It’s just yards from leafy Burgess Park.
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3 Addington Square, SE5 7JZ.
020 3417 4500
Oval tube.
BEN’S HOUSE
This city is packed with individuals, and Ben Leask, the jovial personality behind this charming shop-café, is not only one of the capital’s many one-offs, he also stocks the produce of London’s many unique businesses. In this simple, modern shop, you can pick up artisan ingredients you never knew were ‘cured, curated and crafted in London’, from Château Tooting wine and Kernel Brewery beer to charcuterie by The Gay Farmer and even a London version of dulce de leche. Nab one of the tables dotted around the shop, or retire to the stylish snug and enjoy a Volcano coffee (roasted in Peckham) with, say, a savoury deep-filled quiche, a Ginger Pig sausage roll, or a devilishly sweet banana-and-salted-caramel Crosstown doughnut. It’s a proper taste of London.
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64 Grafton Way, W1T 5DP.
020 7388 0850
Warren Street tube.
TRIO
This large, bright café has nailed a tricky balancing act: it’s a carefully thought through child-friendly destination that considers parents equally. The close attention to detail is evident: from the ample buggy space and toys that span age groups to the diverting mobile in the well-appointed changing facilities. While the adults enjoy a cup of joe courtesy of Mission Coffee Works with a fortifying cake from the tempting spread, or scarf a truly delicious gourmet toastie with a homemade juice, their kids can go nuts in the designated play area, or attend workshops ranging from dance classes to mask-making. Staff are angels, making zero fuss about mess, noise or pint-sized explorers, and the children’s menu is just right. If you don’t have little ones, try Anderson & Co over the road.
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182 Bellenden Road, SE15 4BW.
0207 635 4175
Peckham Rye Overground.
PAPER & CUP
As if the reasonably priced Union Coffee, delicious brownies and pleasing distance from the perenially cool Shoreditch High Street wasn’t enough, Paper & Cup is also a not-for-profit social enterprise, providing training and work for vulnerable people with the support of Spitalfields Crypt Trust. The shop’s white walls, pale wood floors and almost entirely glass front make it feel spacious and light, while the shelves of secondhand books and select records on the wall (Dire Straits, Salt-N-Pepa) not only give you something to browse, buy or borrow, but they also give the place a real sense of character. Grab a table outside for a lovely view of St Leonard’s church across the street.
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18 Calvert Avenue, E2 7JP.
020 7739 5358
Shoreditch High Street Overground.
BRANCHES: Poplar E3 4AJ.
SCOOTER CAFFE
Time stands still in this one-of-a-kind little place. If it weren’t for the wifi, it might feel like you’d travelled back in time to some non-specific decade of the middle of last century: the creaky furniture and vintage coffee machine do their best to convince visitors they’ve stepped off the streets of Waterloo and into another era. Food is limited to baked-on-the-premises cakes (all wonderful) and a cat roams around settling on any laps she favours. In the best sense, Scooter doesn’t belong in London; it’s closer to the Paris or Berlin of literary imagination in that it’s a proper café-bar, where jazz plays and a strong Campari-based pick-me-up goes down as well as a caffeine-based one. Many patrons tap away at laptops but a paperback seems more appropriate.
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132 Lower Marsh, SE1 7AE.
020 7620 1421
No website.
Waterloo tube.
CAKEHOLE CAFÉ
Tucked into the back of a vintage homeware shop, this cosy Hoxton tea room has the vibe of a carefully curated jumble sale, with assorted pots, mirrors and tapestries lining its walls. You might struggle to get a seat on a Sunday, when the crowds seek refuge from Columbia Road Flower Market outside, but retro rummagers will be right at home waiting for a table among the cut glass and crockery for sale in the front. Putting the cake in Cakehole is Louise, who runs the café and bakes many of the sweet treats herself – don’t miss the coffee and walnut, or the tangy lemon drizzle. There’s also a small selection of sandwiches and a cream tea. Open weekends only.
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Vintage Heaven, 82 Columbia Road, E2 7QB.
No phone.
Hoxton Overground.
ALFRESCO
THE LIDO CAFÉ
There’s a summery feel all year round at this pared-back shabby-chic cantina, with its paper pom-poms, bunting-strewn interior and plum views of the gorgeous art deco Brockwell Lido. You don’t have to brave the chilly waters to enjoy the café – it’s a popular local haunt even for non-swimmers, especially those with kids. Luxurious breakfasts and brunches can be lingered over with a glass of prosecco or a bloody Mary; the gigantic house burger comes with crisp chips and a superb homemade buttermilk slaw; desserts range from elegant pistachio and cardamom tart to homemade salted-caramel ice-cream sliders; and they all show the skill and scope of the kitchen team. Poolside sundowner cocktails are also a hot ticket – it’s like South Beach in south London.
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Brockwell Lido, Dulwich Road, SE24 0PA.
020 7737 8183
Herne Hill rail.
PETERSHAM NURSERIES TEAHOUSE
Petersham Nurseries’ Michelin-starred restaurant has had quite the roster of chefs to its name: Skye Gyngell, Greg Malouf and now Damian Clisby, former head chef at Hix Soho. And though the neighbouring Teahouse is more humble, it’s still quite unlike any other venue in London: it’s a large greenhouse draped in plants, with an uneven sandy floor and mismatched and occasionally rusty furniture. The menu features an informal range of salads, quiches and pastas, with a focus on local produce and garden freshness (think courgettes with ricotta and artichokes), and the cakes are hearty and delicious – plenty of fresh fruit and unusual grain blends, no buttercream. The pricing is slightly ambitious at times, befitting the verdant wonderland of the surroundings, but the atmosphere is jolly and kids can roam freely between table legs.
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Church Lane, TW10 7AB.
020 8940 5230
Richmond tube.
PAVILION
Like your brunch with a view? Bag a window seat at this café in east London’s prettiest park – or better yet, a table outside on the terrace for a prime vista of the lovely lake, complete with fountain and fowl. Inside, light streams in through the little pavilion’s glass-domed roof and it’s a pleasant place to relax come rain or shine. Coffee is from the nearby Square Mile, meat comes courtesy of high-class butchers Ginger Pig and fresh pastries are piled high on the counter. As well as the usual brunches and posh sandwiches, the menu sometimes features quirkier offerings – fancy a Sri Lankan breakfast, complete with egg curry? Work off the calories afterwards with a turn around the lake on a pedalo, which you can pick up next door.
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Victoria Park, E9 7DE.
020 8980 0030
Bethnal Green or Mile End tube.
TOWPATH
When Towpath opened in 2010 it was a convincingly rustic piece of rus-in-urbe minutes from Kingsland Road. A few more apartment blocks have sprung up around it since then, but it’s still a pleasingly pastoral place to sit with a coffee (or tumbler of wine). When it’s packed (as it often is), or the weather is less than clement, inside seating is available. The café is idiosyncratically spread over four shallow units with mismatched furniture, and it’s easy to wile away the hours watching the buggies, bikes and emboldened birds vie for supremacy on the narrow canal path. The food is homely fare elevated by chefs who really care: expect the best ingredients and lots of passion. Just beware the understandably eccentric opening hours: 9am-dusk, closed Mondays, and also closed Tuesday and Wednesday through deepest winter. Makes sense.
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36 De Beauvoir Crescent, N1 5SB.
No phone.
No website.
Haggerston Overground.
