London's Cafés, Coffee Shops & Tearooms
Product ID: 52799572
The number and variety of independent cafes in London hasflourished in recent years and if London never had a cafe culture a few decadesago, it certainly does now! The quality and variety of food and drink on offer hasalso improved beyond recognition in the last few decades, with many cafes' nowserving food that's indistinguishable from a quality restaurant - except when it come tothe bill - which is invariably much lower. In fact if you want to eat a greatlunch (and increasingly dinner too) in London and don't want to pay a fortune,a cafe is your best bet. Coffee sales in Britain have expanded rapidly in the lastdecade, along with the growing number of independent (and chain) coffee shops. Britain'slove affair with the bean has gone, quite literally, from strength to strength;not so many years ago it was difficult to find a cafe serving anything butinsipid filter coffee, but now fresh bean-powered brews are everywhere, thanksin huge part to a legion of expat baristas and roasters from Down Under. The British are famous for their love of a good cuppa(tea) - which, as every Brit knows, cures all ills - although nowadays it's justas likely to be a delicate white, energising green, aromatic and complexOolong, or a mysterious aged Puer, as builder's brew. London has an abundanceof specialist tearooms - many with expert 'tearistas' (tea baristas) on hand toadvise you - where you can enjoy fine teas in a delightful traditional setting. Tea is also a vital component of the quintessentially Englishdiversion of afternoon tea, with London's premier hotels - plus manyrestaurants, cafes and tearooms - vying to produce the most lavish and originalafternoon tea, consisting of exquisite teas and divine cakes, pastries andsavouries - and optional champagne. If there's one meal that the British can claim their own,it's the great British cooked breakfast, which is world-famous. Thistraditionally takes the form a huge fry-up - the full English - but nowadaysit's just as likely to include a wealth of tasty and original dishes withinfluences from around the globe. Likewise brunch - a combination of breakfastand lunch - which Londoners have taken to with a passion in recent years.Nowadays many top restaurants, hotels and cafes specialise in brunch,particularly at weekends. With a copy of London'sCafes, Coffee Shops & Tearooms - featuring over 250 venues - you'llnever be lost for somewhere to enjoy a great cup of coffee or tea and somedelicious food. We hope you enjoy discovering the city's burgeoning cafeculture as much as we did. Review: Handy Guide - Great little book. Thank you Review: It was my cup of tea - I was hoping to find somewhere unusual for a mid afternoon rendezvous in this book, and I wasn’t disappointed. There it was, Brill in Exmouth Market: coffee, bagels and used cds and vinyl. What more do you need? This is hopefully a reason why the guide book will survive: how can you google for somewhere like that if you don’t know it exists? Like a good cookbook it drew me in, and I found myself flicking through the pages to see what else I would find. This books covers what most be the most idiosyncratic cafes, coffee shops and tea places in London, with not a whiff of a Costa or Starbucks. I spotted cafes on the Regents Park Canal and the crypt of St Martins in the field, places you can have a coffee while your bike is mended and London’s first cat stroking café in Shoreditch. The descriptions of the places covered are just long enough to convey the author’s enthusiasm for what he found there, and it is quite infectious – you want to see these places for yourself, not to mention sample the bespoke brews and select food so lovingly described. Most of the places covered seem to be small independents run by their founders who share a love for what they sell; I say most because the book also contains a section on afternoon teas covering not only the places you’d expect such as The Ritz and Harvey Nicks, but also some you wouldn’t, including the Oxo Tower Brasserie’s tealess afternoon tea.
| Best Sellers Rank | 2,001,659 in Books ( See Top 100 in Books ) 2,124 in Restaurants, Bars & Cafés for Travelers 8,013 in Food & Travel Writing 41,319 in Specialty Travel |
| Customer Reviews | 4.0 out of 5 stars 8 Reviews |
J**N
Handy Guide
Great little book. Thank you
D**E
It was my cup of tea
I was hoping to find somewhere unusual for a mid afternoon rendezvous in this book, and I wasn’t disappointed. There it was, Brill in Exmouth Market: coffee, bagels and used cds and vinyl. What more do you need? This is hopefully a reason why the guide book will survive: how can you google for somewhere like that if you don’t know it exists? Like a good cookbook it drew me in, and I found myself flicking through the pages to see what else I would find. This books covers what most be the most idiosyncratic cafes, coffee shops and tea places in London, with not a whiff of a Costa or Starbucks. I spotted cafes on the Regents Park Canal and the crypt of St Martins in the field, places you can have a coffee while your bike is mended and London’s first cat stroking café in Shoreditch. The descriptions of the places covered are just long enough to convey the author’s enthusiasm for what he found there, and it is quite infectious – you want to see these places for yourself, not to mention sample the bespoke brews and select food so lovingly described. Most of the places covered seem to be small independents run by their founders who share a love for what they sell; I say most because the book also contains a section on afternoon teas covering not only the places you’d expect such as The Ritz and Harvey Nicks, but also some you wouldn’t, including the Oxo Tower Brasserie’s tealess afternoon tea.
S**5
Nice book but could have been better.
Nice little book and very informative but it would have been much improved if set out in chapters by area instead of the whole contents listed alphabetically! I found it awkward having to refer to the index at the back of the book to look by area and then have to go back to read the review of the cafe. On further reflection there is also not much of a guide to an actual price guide of the premises which is also a major omission.
J**E
Great descriptions to encourage you to try.
Really good guide to a whole host of different non-chain coffee shops in London and a good explanation of what makes them special. The only quibble I have is that there're no maps (regional or overall London map) of where the establishments are and scant information on how to find them. This is further hampered by the coffee shops being listed in alphabetical order rather than listed regionally - not much use if you find yourself looking for somewhere close to whatever part of London you find yourself in on a day trip. You definitely need a London A-Z to be able to track them down or you need to plan your trip before you go and research the book to find suitable places. Other than that, the descriptions definitely entice you to plan a trip into London and try a few of them out. It's also a handy size to slip into a handbag or small rucksack on a day trip to London.
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