London: KAFFE UND KUCHEN?

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We've done pubs. We've done restaurants.

BUT HAVE WE DONE CAFES AND COFFEE HOUSES?

For cafés, everywhere on the Holloway Road, the New Picadilly Café, the place on Queens Road which may not even have a name which sells you a strong cup of polystyrene tea to clutch on your cold* and tired wait at the train platform...

For coffee houses though: what are our options? The 24 hour madness of Bar Italia? The mahousive Starbucks opposite Sell Fridges? Downstairs at Caffe Nero with the strange MIRRORS?

This thread being provoked by a need for a comfy meeting place which doesn't sell booze but is nice for a sit and chat and knit. I guess we could go to the Starbucks, but doesn't that seem like settling for less?

Classic Cafes there, marvellous.

Oh, and the title sez Kaffe und Kuchen because that is Chalet School speak for coffee and cakes. In the chalet school books they are ALWAYS finding quaint little Tirolean patisseries and the like. Rah.

*I vaguely remember those days...

― Sarah NTK, Thursday, 5 August 2004 08:38 (twenty-one years ago)

The 24 hour madness of Bar Italia?

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― ken c (ken c), Thursday, 5 August 2004 08:40 (twenty-one years ago)

You wag.

― Liz :x (Liz :x), Thursday, 5 August 2004 08:41 (twenty-one years ago)

Shut it Ken else I'll drown you in orange mocha frappuccinos!

― Sarah beckons the barista..., Thursday, 5 August 2004 08:42 (twenty-one years ago)

bar italia clearly wins over everything else!! debate over!

― ken c (ken c), Thursday, 5 August 2004 08:44 (twenty-one years ago)

we go for meetings at what used to be the manhattan coffee co. on grays inn rd, but has now changed to take5. It's not fantastic, but they've got quite a nice seating area in the basement. There's a few down grays inn rd, that we frequent. There's an absolutely fabulous cake shop at the top of exmouth market, that has a few tables and chairs and does coffee, gorgous fruit tarts, almond tarts, etc.

― Vicky (Vicky), Thursday, 5 August 2004 08:45 (twenty-one years ago)

but yes as to cafes holloway road has some nice ones - the one round the corner from my house is good (don't know what it's caleld though - it has a yellow sign and it's called "something deli".. "maccio deli"? haha) and the Hollywood Cafe.

The "Titanic" in highgate was good cos it seemed as thought it was the only place you can get a greasy fry up around there. And ironically they play "my heart will go on" as background music there. (okay the background music bit was a lie)

― ken c (ken c), Thursday, 5 August 2004 08:50 (twenty-one years ago)

You can get a greasy fry-up in my house. Well I can anyway.

― Liz :x (Liz :x), Thursday, 5 August 2004 08:51 (twenty-one years ago)

Paul's in Covent Garden for poncy French pastries. Louis in Hampstead for overwhelming richness of cake. Bar Italia for atmosphere if you pick the right night. Coffee Cup in Hampstead for coffee and friendliness and raisin toast.

― beanz (beanz), Thursday, 5 August 2004 08:52 (twenty-one years ago)

maybe the New Picadilly, because it's going to close, forced out by high rents.

― Anna (Anna), Thursday, 5 August 2004 08:52 (twenty-one years ago)

I suspect that if we all turned up on yr doorstep demanding a greasy fry up, yr response would not be particularly enthusiastic.

― MarkH (MarkH), Thursday, 5 August 2004 08:53 (twenty-one years ago)

(I miss Chalet School books)

― Anna (Anna), Thursday, 5 August 2004 08:53 (twenty-one years ago)

Aye - but the New Picc is more focused on eating, whereas we'd probably sit around with a couple of coffees and cakes for a while. But closing, you say?? Lawks. We can't have that. Is anyone up for a visit soon?

― Sarah is hungry now, Thursday, 5 August 2004 08:55 (twenty-one years ago)

Amato on Old Compton street is always good for cakes, and does a lovely hot chocolate

― Porkpie (porkpie), Thursday, 5 August 2004 08:57 (twenty-one years ago)

Patisserie Valerie, but Chalet School style place in London!

― Anna (Anna), Thursday, 5 August 2004 08:58 (twenty-one years ago)

Good one porky, Amato is tops. Enormous quiche+salad lunch is winderful.

― Liz :x (Liz :x), Thursday, 5 August 2004 09:00 (twenty-one years ago)

I take it that's a bean salad and prune quiche then?

― Porkpie (porkpie), Thursday, 5 August 2004 09:00 (twenty-one years ago)

Bugger.

― Liz :x (Liz :x), Thursday, 5 August 2004 09:02 (twenty-one years ago)

i couldn't believe it when the New Picc was on the "caffs closing" slot after the channel 4 news the other week. i paid my first visit only a month ago, and it's so lovely.

as a child mrs carsmile used to go EVERY SATURDAY as her dad lived virtually above the New Picc (in the coca-cola sign on piccadilly circus (possibly)).

("it's bean salad" "what was it before?" arf...)

― CarsmileSteve (CarsmileSteve), Thursday, 5 August 2004 09:03 (twenty-one years ago)

Louis in Hampstead for overwhelming richness of cake.

i've only been to the finchley road branch. i like it lots. i'm also a patisserie valerie fan.

clowns in cambridge does lovely baklava (sp?). where's a good place for it in london?

i have never been to the new picadilly - indeed i only became aware of it last friday, when anna pointed it out to me. i must go v soon.

― toby (tsg20), Thursday, 5 August 2004 09:23 (twenty-one years ago)

Paul's in Covent Garden for poncy French pastries.

There's a few other branches dotted about. There coffee is very french and therefore undrinkable foul muddy water, however great cakes. There's an austrian cafe in smithfield which I have yet to try but it looks nice.

― Ed (dali), Thursday, 5 August 2004 09:30 (twenty-one years ago)

(Tobes - we could go on Saturday pre-cinema, if we go to the cinema earlyish)

― Anna (Anna), Thursday, 5 August 2004 09:34 (twenty-one years ago)

Is the New Picc busy at lunchtimes, do you know?

― Sarah rubs her belly, Thursday, 5 August 2004 09:37 (twenty-one years ago)

I went there recently for lunch and it was empty apart from Bob Stanley and pal!

― Jerry the Nipper (Jerrynipper), Thursday, 5 August 2004 09:41 (twenty-one years ago)

I can't believe I forgot the Basil Street Hotel - if you've got 3 hours to spare for afternoon tea and an appetite for scones.

― beanz (beanz), Thursday, 5 August 2004 09:43 (twenty-one years ago)

not exactly a cafe/coffee house but it scores on the kuchen.

― beanz (beanz), Thursday, 5 August 2004 09:44 (twenty-one years ago)

Sorry to hear about New Picc, as it's a relatively recent discovery for me. I only ever have a pint of milk (in a pint glass) when I go there.

― Japanese Giraffe (Japanese Giraffe), Thursday, 5 August 2004 11:50 (twenty-one years ago)

OK, so what about Maison Bertaux? It's more ramshackle than Valerie or Amato but the croissants are superior to both those places - and they have some LOVELY cakes. I adore sitting in their rickety upstairs which has thus escaped all attempts at renovation.

― suzy (suzy), Thursday, 5 August 2004 12:41 (twenty-one years ago)

Ok, will someone give me LOCATIONS with the names, please? Where is Valerie/Maison Bertaux? :)

― Sarah is shrinkwrapping ties, Thursday, 5 August 2004 12:49 (twenty-one years ago)

Valerie is at the Charing Cross Rd end of Old Compton Street.

― Anna (Anna), Thursday, 5 August 2004 12:54 (twenty-one years ago)

Bertaux is on Moor Street W1, in Soho. Valerie is in between Dean and Greek Streets, methinks. Amano is in the block of OCS nearest to Stockpot etc.

― suzy (suzy), Thursday, 5 August 2004 12:57 (twenty-one years ago)

I used to get nice bacon sandwichs in the transport cafe near the uni of North London building on Highbury Grove. Jel in North London Shocker!

Are there any seaside style tea rooms in London? I'm not into fancy coffee.

― jel -- (jel), Thursday, 5 August 2004 16:56 (twenty-one years ago)

there's one kind of behind the high st. kensington tube. it has ruffled underskirts on the tables, and muffins.

― lauren (laurenp), Thursday, 5 August 2004 16:56 (twenty-one years ago)

wow! I will try and find that place!

― jel -- (jel), Thursday, 5 August 2004 16:59 (twenty-one years ago)

exit the station and go left, then go left after the boots/cafe nero complex (next to the station), walk a bit (it's a short-ish street that dead-ends into a hotel) and the tea room will be there on the opposite side of the street.

― lauren (laurenp), Thursday, 5 August 2004 17:07 (twenty-one years ago)

Segafredo in Camden has the nicest coffee in the WORLD. But it's a bit little.

― cis (cis), Thursday, 5 August 2004 18:27 (twenty-one years ago)

related thread:

london cafes s/d

i need to find a nice cafe with an outdoor bit where i can sit and work earlyish (i'd go to the camden arts centre over the road but it doesn't open until 10am). actually i might just try to work in green park today but i will probably end up sleeping instead, i fear.

― toby (tsg20), Friday, 6 August 2004 06:14 (twenty-one years ago)

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