Hail Yotam

 Still the best in my book for salad and pastry quality and presentation - the standard to judge all others by.

 Yotam Ottolenghi's cafe in Spitalfields and now featuring on our London Cafe Tour.

Porridge of the Gods

Leon has some good breakfast ideas, such as egg pots, and great marketing @leonrestaurants

Our thought on cafe food trends in 2016 - watch for them at Itsu and Leon (or come on one of our 'discover the new'  London Cafe Tours http://greatcafes.blogspot.co.uk/p/london-cafe-tour-benefits.html)

London Coffee Guide

Allegra's 2015 guide to the best independent 'coffee venues' in London.  Note that they quote the type of grinder, espresso machine and coffee roaster supplier for each of the 185 cafes mentioned.  If you are serious about coffee, check out the thriving independents and book one of our London Cafe Tours - see http://greatcafes.blogspot.co.uk/p/london-cafe-tour-benefits.html

The New Pubs

London Evening Standard yesterday "Cafes are the new pubs" talking about places where you can actually meet a friend without being intimidated and where you can hear yourself speak.  You can't argue that pubs are closing and cafes are growing.  The Standard list their top 50 cafes at: http://www.standard.co.uk/goingout/bars/londons-50-best-cafes-8509145.html

Capital Gains - An Enlightening Tour

Read Henry Norman of OOH (Out of Home) Magazine as he accompanies one of our London Cafe Tours click the link or 'My London Cafe Tour' page opposite.

Who needs Cocaine or Caffeine when you can have Chris on Cafés?

"It’s now 5.04 am and I have yet to sleep this night. I have 132 ideas, mostly now written on pieces of paper, drawn out on sheets of A4 and A3, jotted down in Notes on my mobile and yet still my brain will not rest.

It was a whirlwind tour of the fourth wave but I am cresting on my very own current of creativity. It was a menu of brick walls, exposed ceilings, handbags on string and cheese in drawers; container malls, concrete floors and graffiti walls; toasters on tables, letraset signs and corker cakes in colourful creative curls. Who could forget the smell of coffee roasting or the sight of pallets floating? The taste of a fougasse at Albion or a brownie at Paul Young’s?

It was inspiring, stimulating, exhilarating. I am buzzing with ideas – and some far removed from what we saw – and I think I only had 2 coffees. Think on this: I have had no sleep. I have lots of ideas.  My poor staff.

Thank you, Chris. And good morning."

Wonderful quote from recent London Cafe Tour participant Jane Cox, Owner

Glendoick Garden Centre, Restaurant & Food Library
Garden Centre Cafe of the Year 2009/10