Princi (Soho)

This week I ventured central to sample the delights of  'Princi' on Soho's Wardour St. 

I have passed Princi several times following meals in the glorious 'Wahaca' and desperately wanted to see if their cakes taste as good as they look.  However, seeing as I can barely stand after consuming the best-pulled-pork-burrito-you-will-ever-taste, cake here has never actually been a realistic pudding possibility.  Last Sunday  however, my gastronomic prayers were answered!

The answer came in the welcome form of a heavenly chocolate & hazelnut, cream-soaked beauty and, again, a slab of tiramisu.  The former had an incredible almost mousse-like texture and a molten chocolate covering, all topped off with perfectly caramelised hazelnuts.  The tiramisu however was ordered in a moment of indecisive panic and, though lovely, left me wishing I'd been more adventurous.

Princi was brought to London by Alan Yau (Wagamama) in 2008 and I doubt it has ever been empty since!  I wouldn't recommend it for a quiet cup of tea or to anyone with a nervous disposition but if you've got your barging shoulders at the ready and you're craving a serious slice of cake, this is this place to get it.

plus points: great coffee, beautiful displays, alcoholic drinks available from the back bar, delicious savoury options

minus points: very busy, long waiting times, difficulty getting a seat

R x

Yumchaa- Camden (Parkway)

During one of Friday's many sudden downpours, a friend and I were lucky enough to escape the weather and enjoy coffee & cake in Yumchaa in Camden Town's Parkway.

Back in March I chose to review the other Yumchaa in Camden Town (by the Stables) assuming, from the location, that it would be the better of the two.  I can happily say that I was wrong and that, despite enjoying the 1st, my 2nd Yumchaa experience was even better! 

On this occasion I was led into the path of temptation by the maccaroons from the, much larger, selection of  cakes on offer.  Strong competitors included a humble-looking apple and apricot cake and the enormous pile of chocolate brownies, all beautifully (& seductively!) displayed on the counter.

The inside of Parkway's Yumchaa follows the same priciples as the others: exposed brick & clean magnolia walls, mis-matched furniture with a fresh and open feel.  It is however much larger and feels somewhat more loved than it's sister in the Stables.  It is perfect for a relaxed coffee with friends or an afternoon of pointless Googling curtesy of Yumchaa's free wifi!


Loving Camden, as I do, I will definitely be back to sample more of Yumchaa's savoury & sweet offerings...and maybe finally some tea!


R x

Drink, Shop & Do

This week I finally had the pleasure of a visit to 'Drink, Shop & Do' on Caledonian Road (mere seconds from King's Cross) with my favourite tea buddy Emily!

The premise of this place is pretty much what it says on the preverbial tin: i.e. you can drink tea (&/or cocktails), you can buy pretty much everything in the place (including the furniture) and much more in their front-of-house shop and you can even join in & do one of their various classes/activities.  These range from the wonderful sounding 'Scrabble Sundays' to cocktail-enhanced crafty classes such as 'Project Crochet'.

The 'Drink, Shop & Do' Afternoon Tea consists of a generous selection of lil' sandwich triangles and a slice each of both orange and almond cake and carrot cake.  The endlessly celebratory cake stands are cheekily topped off with a handful of pick'n'mix sweets.  It isn't a 'fancy' selection but everything is well made and nicely thought out which I personally prefer over mediocre attempts at extravagance.  The only bone I'd bother picking would be the lack of scones but I have to quietly admit that I didn't really miss them...sacrilege I know. 

There were three Afternoon Teas to choose from amongst several other cake-based options as well as savoury offerings.  At £12 a pop for their basic Afternoon Tea, I would happily add this to the 'thrifty' group without having to compromise on quality.

The building itself was pretty impressive, as were the lovely, smiley staff and you would never, ever run out of things to look at!  They even have a room at the back which can be hired for parties etc..

If it isn't already obvious...I fell a little in love with this place

R x

Euphorium Bakery

There are two Euphorium Bakeries on Upper St, Islington and I can happily say that one would not be enough! 
I visit them so often that it hadn't really occured to me to review them properly until my first taste of their tiramisu this weekend led me to realise my disservice...

For a long time their range of products didn't change much and I was beginning to grow a little weary of the limited options on offer, however, times have definitely changed and I am relishing the chance to try the new additions to their 'cake portfolio'!  This, coupled with their recent décor upgrades, makes for exciting Euphorium times!

This Saturday also happened to mark the opening of their first table service area in one of the Islington branches and therefore a potential change in direction for the company.

Plus points: open late, lovely surroundings, outdoor seating, good for savoury as well as sweet

R x

A Dash of Patriotism

Bunting, Union Jacks, BBQ, sparkling wine, Pimms, cake...doesn't get much better than this

Congratulations Wills & Kate!

The Market Coffee House

Having seemingly adopted E1 as my new home, I once again spent the last sunny Sunday wandering through Spitalfields and consuming as much food and drink as my 5'3.5" (very important .5) frame would allow.

My afternoon was spent in The Market Coffee House sampling their Afternoon Tea for a very reasonable £12.50.  The scones were beautifully fresh and served still-warm, the "selection of homemade mini cakes" were both incredibly pretty and delicious!  They offer a small but nice range of teas and my Jasmine flower tea was perfect.

You might be put off by the dark wood interior in weather like this but we really appreciated the break from the sun and the chance to rest our feet in one of their characterful booths!  With the surrounding area in mind, The Market Coffee House is a perfect place to take people but inexpensive enough to enjoy whenever the urge for an Afternoon Tea strikes you!

Just don't try to eat a roast afterwards...

R x

London Coffee Festival

This weekend gone marked the first London Coffee Festival at the Old Truman Brewery in lovely Brick Lane, East London.  Having opted for the earliest of the 3-hour time slots pre heavy drinking the night before, I stumbled over to E1 with a band of bleary-eyed friends on Sunday morning with a genuinely desperate need for an enormous caffeine fix.

It took a little while to get into the spirit but in no time at all we were all gabbing away with any stranger that graced us with a little eye contact and sampling anything and everything that paused nearby for long enough.  Memorable samples include a delicious coffee ice-cream/milkshake from Lavazza, espresso martinis and finally getting to try cat-poo coffee!

In what I hope was a nod to the Starbucks-on-every-corner joke there was more than one Starbucks stall within the event, both of which were very generous with their samples : )

So: we left feeling refreshed and happy due to the bellyful of coffee, chocolate etc. and to top it all off- it raised money for charity!

Looking forward to next year's...

R x