Fernandez & Wells: the way you make me filter

Thank you Fernandez & Wells Café, for opening on a public holiday! 

Fernandez and Wells Café, 73 Beak Street, London W1F 9RS

Filled with a sense of assurance that they cared, I greedily ordered and sat by the window to enjoy my coffee. 

I rarely eavesdrop, but today I just couldn't help myself. I was so transfixed by the discussion the group sat next to me were having, that I gulped my coffee without paying it much attention. Hardly very diligent for someone blogging about coffee. In my defense, I thought I might have known one of the guys in the group - the cute one with the brown hair…

Anyway, I thought it only diligent to order another coffee, re-focus and pay attention. Okay, second coffee. Take two.

  

How was the coffee? This is quaffing coffee. Easy to drink, but lacking in punch. 

Did they have soy? No!!!

Would I go there again? Yes. Well, how else am I going to accidentally on purpose bump into the cute guy with the brown hair again?! 

Should you go there? If you happen to be passing by, drop in for a quick coffee. It’s a great place to escape the madness of Oxford Street and the pastries looked luscious.

Any other points to note? Fernandez & Wells has three Soho branches: Food and wine, Espresso Bar and Café. The cafe is the perfect preliminary stop before heading to Fernandez & Wells Food and Wine on Lexington Street. It’s just around the corner and they have three of my favourite mood elevators – friendly staff, Jamón Ibérico and vino!

Monmounth Borough: how could it not perk you up?

Today’s hunt for a good cup of coffee took me to the much applauded…

Monmouth Coffee Company, 2 Park Street, Borough Market SE1 9AB

Monmouth Borough is located in one of the most fun food locations in all of London, The Borough Market. Deliciousness is all around. So why are the staff so glum? It’s certainly not for lack of good coffee, or customers – they’re snaking around the block.

Monmouth has not been influenced by recent trends in café and coffee culture. They make single cone filter coffee, use only organic Jersey whole milk and provide unappealing seating.

However having been there several times now, I can thankfully assure you that the coffee is unswervingly consistent - a constant in a city still yet to embrace the simple fact that transcendence does not come from a milky mug of tea.

If you’re there on a Thursday, Friday or Saturday, opt for a take-away and explore the adjacent Borough Market.

How was the coffee? Great. It tasted fresh.

Did they have soy? No!!!

Would I go there again? Yes. Absolutely.

Should you go there? Yes. Monmounth is a must try. Bring your jute shopping bag and take a spin around The Borough Market.

Any other points to note? The coffee is sourced from sustainable, fair and equal trade producers. Monmouth take coffee seriously. There will be no banter, no joking, no smiling... That is, until you take a sip of your coffee. 

Federation Cafe: Espresso Yourself

Before I get started with coffee review numéro deux, I wanted to say a big thank you to everyone for the massive number of London coffee recommendations. A special thank you to Mr Grennan for today's cafe suggestion, which lead me to Brixton's very own...

Federation, Unit 46, Brixton Village Market, Coldharbour Lane

Federation felt to me like a little bit of New Zealand cafe culture, plonked in the middle of multifarious Brixton Village Market. For those of you who haven't visited the Brixton Village Market, there you will find food from the Caribbean, African textiles, Chinese herbal medicine, a music shop selling gospel and reggae, a tattoo studio just to name a few - all within the airy indoor, 1930's market and in its immediate surrounds. Do we really need a homage to beachy N.Z smack-bang in the middle of this very urban, cultural hot spot? Or does Federation being there add to the eclectic mix? I can't say for sure. Anyway, back to the coffee!

How was the coffee? My latte was strong, just how I like it. It was a great cup of coffee. Best so far. 

Did they have soy? Yes.

Would I go there again? Yes, but I think next time I would get a take-away. There's too much other intriguing stuff happening not to have a wander. 

Should you go there? Yes, but to do above. Or, if you really want to sit and chill out whilst having a great cup of coffee and stealing someone's wifi (as I did), then it's a good cafe for that too. 

Any other points to note? En route, I was propositioned for sex. Thanks, but no thanks. And, as a result of the Rastafarian-manned street stall at the entrance to the market, I came home smelling like barbecued jerk chicken. All in a days work really. 

London coffee review: Is coffee your daily grind?

Now that I am living in London, I feel compelled to mention how disappointed I am that the coffee is so often deplorable. And when I say deplorable, I mean that the coffee is horrifyingly, inexcusably, I feel like crying when I drink it, bad. So after two weeks of heart-breaking, coffee-related disappointment, I am going to get serious and begin my London search for a decent cup of coffee.

I have been considering how best to rate my experiences and have decided that I will be keeping it real people. I will not be waxing lyrical about the marbled crema, or the body of the bean or the imbued notes of honey gently settling on my tongue. No, no, no! This will be my straight to the point, take it or leave it, London café review.

Now lets get started with the first cafe off the rank…

Flat White, 17 Berwick Street, Soho  W1F 0PT

Many friends have recommended this place to me. I had high hopes that it would be awesome, given that it's in my beloved Soho and that it’s owned/run by fellow Antipodeans. At 3pm on a Thursday, it was heaving with people.

How was the coffee? It was pretty good. Definitely a decent cup of coffee. Was it better than others I’ve had in London? Absolutely. But London, you can do better. 

Did they have soy? Yes.

Would I go there again? Probably.

Should you go there? If you're in the area, yes. If you need to travel to get there, *shrug*  I am optimistic that I will find more good options, and hopefully one closer to you.  

Any other points to note? It was grungy (aka Atomica in Melbourne) and I did spy a CD of Fat Freddys Drop. Cool.

Next on my list to investigate are Lantana, Brick Lane Coffee and Monmouth Coffee Company. All suggestions welcomed.

My search continues…

Photo credit: UNSPECIFIED - CIRCA 1932: Mobile coffee station for the cold days, London, England.