I first met Russell, or Doctor Espresso, as he is better known, at the Caffe Culture Show, where he threatened to come to see me on Christmas Day with a baseball bat (presumably as a present) if I didn’t visit his newly-opened café in Putney. So, one sticky summer’s evening in August, I fulfilled my promise, doing myself out of a Christmas present in the process…
Putney is rapidly becoming a speciality coffee hub for southwest London, with Doctor Espresso starting his own outpost just over the river, on the north bank of the Thames. However, third -wave coffee aficionados need not apply: Doctor Espresso Caffetteria is a lovely Italian-style café/espresso bar, distinctly old-school in outlook. It has London’s oldest working espresso machine, a classic Gaggia Tipo America, which is a joy to behold.
Of course, a venerable machine is of no use at all if the coffee coming out of it isn’t up to scratch, but fortunately Doctor Espresso’s Gaggia delivers a classic Italian espresso, using beans roasted in Italy: a fitting tribute to the great machine. This is backed up by some lovely Italian food: panini, calzone, pizza, pasta & salad, along with some delicious cakes and pastries.