Category Archives: Miscellaneous

Miscellaneous Categories

Bar Italia

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A legend in its own considerable lifetime, the family-run Bar Italia in Soho is the closest London gets to a typical, Italian espresso bar, which is probably why I like it so much. The espresso alone is reason enough to come here. It is, for me, pretty much perfect. Strong, very short, smooth and with just a hint of bitterness in the after taste: I really can’t imagine improving on it in any way.

The only problem is that while Soho is a great place, I’ve never had a particular reason to go there. It’s not on my way to anywhere or near anywhere I regularly visit. So, while I’ve been a visitor to Bar Italia for at least 10 years, I didn’t used to go there that often. However, for the last couple of years, I’ve taken to coming here specifically to treat myself, just for the love of the coffee. Really, I can’t give it any higher recommendation than that.

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Algerian Coffee Stores

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Algerian Coffee StoresI’m not going to say it’s the best, since I know there are very many fine purveyors of coffee beans in London, but put simply, the Algerian Coffee Stores on Old Compton Street is my (London) coffee retailer of choice. It has a massive range of coffee, plus various types of tea and an interesting selection of confectionery. If you don’t know what you want, just ask: the staff are very friendly, helpful and knowledgeable.

The Algerian Coffee Stores also serves take-away coffee, which, naturally, is of the highest quality. It also happens to be one of the cheapest cups of coffee you’ll find in London. The only downside is that the coffee can only be served in takeaway cups, so if you’re going to have an espresso, don’t forget to bring your own cup.

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Bar des Arts

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A quiet, relaxed coffee spot by day and a lively, often packed bar at night, I’ve been going to the Bar des Arts since it first opened a couple of years ago. It’s my favourite coffee spot in my home town of Guildford and the one place I’ll make a point of going to just for the sheer pleasure of it. The coffee is very good (and has recently got a lot better), the pastries are excellent and the lunches never fail to delight.

As the name suggests, Bar des Arts has more in common with a European café than your standard coffee shop, which is probably what attracted me to it in the first place. A name such as “Bar des Arts” can be a double-edged sword: it sets a certain level of expectation which, if not met, can be very disappointing, but Bar des Arts has never failed to exceed my expectations, which is why I keep coming back.

The website describes itself as “an oasis of calm” which it most certainly is. A couple of minutes’ walk off the beaten track, Bar des Arts is certainly worth the (very small) extra effort.

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To A Tea

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From the menu of "To A Tea" with the slogan "Take Time for Tea"You’ve got to love the attitude of the owner, Stas Leonidou, and the whole ethos of To A Tea. Anyone who is prepared to have three different hot water boilers, each set to a different temperature, so that he can brew the perfect cuppa depending on the type of tea, has to be admired. And I don’t even drink the stuff.

To A Tea is my kind of place. Forget that he’s got the emphasis wrong (tea, not coffee), forget the cakes (they’re excellent by the way), forget the friendly atmosphere, the comfortable chairs, the superb staff. Anyone who takes this much care and shows this much passion about what he does deserves to succeed.

Well, actually that’s not entirely true. If you showed this much passion and then made lousy tea, you’d deserve to fail, but To A Tea does everything right, including the coffee. Go there, drink the tea and coffee, eat the cake, make the business thrive. Oh, and tell Stas that he needs to open a branch in Guildford!

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Abriachan Campsite and Cafe

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The sign at the entrance to the Abriachan Campsite and CafeThis is easily the weirdest (in a nice way) café I’ve ever been to. Halfway between Drumnadrochit and Inverness on the Great Glen Way, the Abriachan Campsite and Café is a welcome stop-off point for hikers and cyclists. I love what the owner, Sandra, is trying to do and she deserves everyone’s support, although I appreciate that the basic facilities might not be for everyone. If you’re a hiker or mountain-biker though, you really shouldn’t mind, and it’s not every day you get to share your coffee with hens and a pig!

If you’re doing the northern section of the Great Glen Way, you really should stop by and say hello. If you’re not, you really should consider walking it, just for the pleasure of popping in and enjoying the fine coffee and warm welcome. You can even stop by if you’re in the area in your car, just as long as you don’t mind hiking a couple of kilometres from the nearest parking. It really is worth it!

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Boston Tea Party, Park Street

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A latte with a fern-leaf motif in the milkThe Boston Tea Party on Park Street, Bristol, is the original Boston Tea Party and, for me, the original coffee shop. I’m sitting on the second of the four terraces in the garden at the back of the café as I type, revelling in the late summer afternoon sun, but I’d be equally happy upstairs on a sofa or at one of the little tables. In my mind’s eye, I’m always here, writing a postcard on the terrace or chatting the afternoon away, putting the world to rights in the upstairs lounge.

There’s a background hum of chatter from the other tables and the gentle clink of cutlery. There’s a mother and daughter catching up over a pot of tea, schoolgirls giggling over a couple of smoothies, two teachers talking business over a latte, a father and his friend stopping by for coffee with baby in tow. And me, blogging over my coffee and cake…

I’ve always felt this special affinity for the Boston Tea Party, a feeling that’s not easy to put into words. However, read on and I will try…

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