Try our top five recommendations for a slice of the best that London’s café culture has to offer…
When you’re looking to buy or rent property in London, a decent local café within walking distance is a must. But with thousands of coffee shops all over the city, finding a decent cup of Joe on the way to work or a satisfying sarnie for a weekend afternoon can be a mammoth task. Here are five dead-cert destinations for a top notch café experience, whether you’re after posh continental cuisine in Kensington, Aussie-style artisanal fare in Pimlico or British classics in Hampstead.
Raison d’Etre, South Kensington
Something of a local hero, owner Matthieu seems to have found his raison d’être with this South Kensington coffee shop. Bringing an authentic French café experience to London, during busy lunchtimes you’ll find the place bustling with genuine Gauls (mostly students of the nearby French college) and local Francophiles alike. Freshly made sandwiches stuffed with generous heaps of filling, are very popular, as are the well-proportioned salads. Service is fast but exceedingly friendly, a rare thing in this touristy area.
Info: 18 Bute Street, SW7. Call 0207 584 5008Pimlico Fresh, Pimlico
Standing out from all the chain shops, this bustling café really is a breath of fresh air. Opened three years ago by an Australian who wanted to bring to London a taste of the café culture popular down under, Pimlico Fresh is a regular hangout for local office workers looking for a morning latte (they use Monmouth Coffee) or a relaxed spot for midday munchies. Pull up a pew at the big communal table and look to the huge blackboard wall for a fantastic brunch and lunch menu of hearty pies and curries, as well as daily changing soup and salad specials. Fresh by name and nature, most of the menu is made on site and sourced from local suppliers.
Info: 86 Wilton Road, SW1V. Call 020 7932 0030Daylesford Organic, Notting Hill
A mecca for hip young things from the local neighbourhoods, this brasserie, bakery and grocery store in one is so popular you may well have to queue for a seat, even at one of the long communal tables. Watch the world go by through the large front window of the ground-floor café while enjoying brunch classics like Welsh rarebit made with ingredients supplied direct from the Daylesford farm in Gloucestershire. If the food tickles your fancy, pick up some organic shopping of your own from the shop on the way out.
Info: 208-212 Westbourne Grove, W11. Call 0207 313 8050 or visit www.daylesfordorganic.comRichoux, St John’s Wood
Dating back to 1909, the upscale Richoux chain of tea rooms is well-established on the London café scene. A full restaurant menu is available at dinner time, but for patisserie lovers, the St John’s Wood branch, with its conservatory area overlooking Circus Road, is ideal for an indulgent afternoon visit. Head to the cake counter to choose from an overwhelming array of French delicacies to pair with a steaming espresso or go for a full English afternoon tea complete with finger sandwiches and scones. With prices to match the upmarket location this certainly isn’t a budget bakery, but for special confectionary occasions it’s hard to beat.
Info: 3 Circus Road, NW8. Call 0207 483 4001 or visit www.richouxstjohnswood.comGinger & White, Hampstead
A thoroughly British affair, Ginger & White was set up in 2009 by a food stylist and two restaurant managers who couldn’t find a satisfactorily strong cup of coffee close to home. To that end, beans are sourced from boutique London roastery Square Mile and hand roasted in the East End. Food is just as carefully considered, whether it’s sourdough sandwiches made with bloomer direct from Borough Market, British bacon butties or homemade peanut butter on toast. Breakfast is served all day and menus change according to what’s in season. In summer, sit out on the pavement terrace for some great British people watching too.
4a-5a Perrins Court, NW3. Call 0207 431 9098 or visit www.gingerandwhite.comIf you are looking to live in any of the areas mentioned above, visit www.residentialland.com and search through hundreds of properties to rent in central London.
