Posted by Katrin on March 31st, 2007 — Posted in Cafés, Food supply
Bliss!
Finally the good life is back again. I have missed so much the ordinary pleasures which simply require time to sit back and relax.
This morning we went to the Borough Market - quite a usual thing to do on a Saturday morning by now - to have breakfast at the Monmouth Coffee Company Café. For long I have bought my coffee there first thing before strolling over the market and admiring the food on display. Actually there are different Monmouth stalls around, so it took me some time to come across the bigger Café at the street corner. Easily recognizable though, when you see a long line of people wrapping around the building, you can be sure that it will lead you to the right place. The lovely scent of freshly ground and brewed coffee will ease the pain of waiting…
The special thing about this place is the large wooden communal table. It has fresh baguette, jam and butter in the middle, people squeezing themselves around it so no space will be lost, chatting away and enjoying this simple but wonderful breakfast. When you order your coffee you can purchase a plate as well, find yourself a seat and eat as much as you like. At £ 2,50 this must be the cheapest breakfast in all of London, yet providing the highest quality. I love their marmelade, but the plum jam is a close runner up!
The first time we tried it we immidiately got two seats at the end of the table and by now I realize how lucky we were! It is always absolutely packed with people and to sit down after 10.30 am becomes an almost impossible task. You might have to settle for one of the standing spots at the back of the wall - not the worst thing in the world. In any case, the lively atmosphere is exactly right to start of a shopping spree at the market.
And before you leave you might want to grab one of their pastries for later…
Monmouth Coffee Company
2 Park Street
Borough
London SE1 9AB
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Posted by Katrin on November 23rd, 2006 — Posted in Cafés
For me Christmas time begins when you get your coffee to go in the seasonal papercup! This particular one is from EAT. which is my favourite of the coffee chains in London due to its creamy Latté and the design and colours (or should I say non-colours) of their stores. To find one near you click here.
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Posted by Katrin on November 16th, 2006 — Posted in Cafés, Bars, Movies
Luckily in the area where I live are quite a few venues. That means getting bored is not an option, there are too many theatres, cinemas, shopping possibilities, cafes and restaurants.
The other day we decided to try the Riverside Studios. I walked past it once and it looked like a nice place for the evening. They have a movie theatre, changing shows and a bar, but you can also go there just to grab a coffee or have lunch. It sounded like a good mixture!
We met for a drink at the bar which turned out to be a bit dissapointing. I think it is meant to be industrial style but there could have been more effort put into the design of the place. So far it looks a bit unfinished. The lack of windows (none…) doesn’t make it very comforting and it has the feeling of a university-cafeteria.
However the wine was good and it was fun watching the dancers of the show running by to get to their stage.
I had picked The Queen as the movie for the night. I figured it is a must-see when you live in Britain. The movie theatre is all the way up the stairs and the room was huge with a very big screen (you never know when you try out the smaller places…). In front of the screen was a stage and in the corner stood a piano. It looked like there were dance lessons to take place as well. All in all a quirky kind of place, but in the nice, comfortable way.
I should mention that the movie was fabulous! Me being a Helen Mirren Fan I enjoyed seeing her in that role. Much has been written about her appearance in the film so I’ll spear you that part. However I need to mention that the Blairs were fantastic as well. It was very interesting how you start noticing that your feelings towards everybody shifts throughout the movie. In the beginning you think you have it all figured out but then you have second thoughts. Just in real life I guess…
One thing I would recommend is the movie double bill which is offered on a regular basis at the Riverside Studios. They show two movies somehow related to each other (theme, director, etc.) on one evening. I am a bit of a movie addict so that’s just my kind of thing! Unfortunately I haven’t found the time yet to try it out. The seats in the theatre are definitely comfortable enough!
They are also currently featuring a Festival of Central and Eastern European Arts!
Riverside Studios
Crisp Road
London W6 9RL
OPENING TIMES
Building: Mon-Fri 08.30-23.00, Sat 12.00-23.00, Sun 12.00-22.30
Café Bar: Mon-Fri 10.00-23.00, Sat 12.30-23.00, Sun 12.30-22.30
Espresso Bar: Mon-Fri 08.30-14.30
Box Office: Daily 12.00-21.00
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Posted by Katrin on October 22nd, 2006 — Posted in Restaurants, Cafés
Well, I was contemplating about doing this blog post or not as I was not pleased with the place we tried. But then I figured even negative reviews are good as it might save somebody else from making the same mistake.
Close to where I live is this cute looking French style café. I had always wanted to go there for some coffee, but as you know time flies by and you never do what you always wanted to do. So this Saturday we decided to go out for breakfast and we picked Café Rouge hoping for some good coffee in a beautiful ambiance. Sadly they let us down.
We ordered two Café au Lait, a Croque Madame and Oeufs Benedikte. I had my doubts about the place once the coffee was brought to our table. I had quietly hoped for a cup with steaming espresso and a small jug of hot milk on the side, this being the way I have had coffee in Paris numerous times. Instead two milkshake-like glasses were used. I’m not much of a fan of coffee in glasses in general and it is certainly not a very French way of drinking it. (Am I wrong? Please correct me if I am!)
But the coffee was just a side note, the dissapointing thing was the food. Although both dishes tasted ok (as did the coffee by the way - it was not the taste of things that put us off) the presentation was very poor. There was no garnish whatsoever and the plates looked simply dull. I intended to take a picture but then didn’t because it would have looked awful. My Oeufs Benedikte consisted of one slice of brioche, a rather dry slice of ham and two small poached eggs which were pressed in some kind of oval form and looked manufactured. The sauce hollandaise was ok, but I just wonder how they can place all this in the middle of a plate and not get the idea that some green leaves on the side might look nice. Or a slice of tomato, anything really. When I go out to eat I do expect some effort in presentation! Even if it tastes not bad (as this experience proves again) what sticks with me is how food is treated and presented, especially when you are trying to resemble a French café/ restaurant.
I took a flyer with me when we left, in order to do some research for this blog. I was completely surprised to learn that it actually is a chain! I hadn’t been aware of it at all but apparently there are over 80 of these Café Rouge’s in Britain. Well, this certainly can mean that we were just unlucky to experience one that wasn’t well managed. However I won’t find out as I don’t intend to go back and try again.
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Posted by Katrin on September 13th, 2006 — Posted in Cafés, Food supply
If I feel like having coffee in the afternoon I sometimes take a little walk from home to the Olive Bar Deli. I noticed it the first day I was in London, getting to know the new neighbourhood. Small Deli’s have always been my absolute favourites and if you can sit down and have coffee I’m pretty much a fan straight away.
This one offers a small range of delicatessen which you can buy and enjoy at home, as well as some tarts, croissants and cakes you can have with your coffee. They look quite mouthwatering I can tell you! Have a look at the cookie jars by the counter which hold a variety of Byron Bay Cookies. I am very happy that London offers me some of my Australian vices. These cookies are a close runner up to Spirulina Balls, I can tell you.
The other good thing about this place is that it is all organic.
I like to grab a cup of coffee and sit at the window to watch the people go by, but they also have more tables in the back of the room which tend to be more quiet as the street gets quite busy. In any way it is a nice place to take something to read, or in my case today to study, while all the other customers start gathering around you to grab some healthy lunch.
Olive Bar Deli
140 Shepherds Bush Road
London W6 7PB
020 7603 5717
theolivebar@btconnect.com
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