Ace Display

Ottolenghi's flagship cafe in Islington - still No 1.

Certificate of Excellence

We noticed several cafes in Dublin proudly showing their Tripadvisor rating alongside their menus.  KC Peaches is a wholefoods shop and cafe and is worth visiting.

Recharge

Guest Spot

Mobiles running out of charge are a problem for most of us.  Clever Westfield shopping centre who provide 30 minutes free charging so we stay and shop.  An idea for cafe operators who want to look after every special interest group?  Thank-you to Tony of Esquires Coffee Houses, Ireland for the contribution.

Hanging Herbs

Boskke Upside-down herb growing pots look like a great way of enhancing cafe ambiance and your local sourcing.

If you attended the HTA's Garden Centre Catering Conference yesterday, welcome to the Great Cafes Blog especially written for professional cafe operators.  Sign up to receive the blog by e-mail - we put up a photo of something new and interesting every working day.

To get the most from the blog, check out the Pinterest Photoboards on the right hand side and look at our archive.

If it makes you think you need some specialist consultancy advice to start up for the first time, make more money, improve standards, bust queues or get from good to great; do get in touch.

Nuts & Coffee

 Athens-based Carpo has opened on Piccadilly with a huge variety of nuts amongst the coffee and chocolate

 Romanian Hippophaes caught our eye.  Apparently it is a superfood.

Plus the Chinese dried Goji berries

 They roast and salt (in the cement mixer looking kit) on the premises

Decidedly Dodgy

Definitely not for the kids. Shortbread Jammy Dodgers at Konditor & Cook.

YOLO = You Only Live Once.  DILF you will have to look up for yourself.

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

A Truly Fresh Sandwich

Bravo to Company of Cooks for being able to say that their sandwich bread is baked today.  Not even Pret can say that.

Hotting Up

The coffee price war continues with Giraffe restaurants offering take-out lattes and cappuccinos at 50p until 10.30am Monday to Friday.

Scaffolding & Steps

 Scaffolding stools and tables at 3FE cafe in Dublin

 Step up seats at Clement & Pekoe, Dublin

Gluten Free

Esquires Coffee Houses in Dublin are serious about attracting the gluten-free market.

Charming Intelligent Staff

Metro Cafe in Dublin grabs attention, praises its staff and is one of the best 'staff wanted' signs we have seen.

Counter Treats

Lemon & Polenta Gugelhupf - a gugelhupf is a bundt cake - at The Counter cafe at the Delaunay.

 Hazelnut Crunch

Apple Poppy Seed cake

Real Food

Guest Spot

Congratulations to the Real Food Cafe, Tyndrum for their ace fish & chips - They have just been awarded 'Winners of the Best Independent Food Service Outlet' in the National Fish & Chip Awards.  The owner Sarah is also switched on to the benefits of great cakes, publicity and mugs by Moonpig.com.

Goodbye & Hello

The Breakfast Club's topical comment.

Cosmic Hearts

"A fudgey chocolate hazelnut cake enrobed in marzipan and chocolate fondant, decked out in spacey bling, and inscribed with 'Take Me to the Moon and Back' for a cosmic Valentine's Day"  at Konditor & Cook.

Cuore (Heart) at Princi

Finishing Touches

EAT, the take-away sandwich operator, has a cake table at its new Fleet Street branch.  The lines continue to blur between cafe and take-away.

Happy Hours

POD's £1 latte, cappuccino and flat white promotion from 10-12 and after 3pm is different from the usual filter coffee promotions.

Coffee with Mastic

Kahve Dünyasi has cafes throughout Turkey and have opened up on Piccadilly.  Coffee with Mastic may suffer in the translation - mastic is a resin obtained from the mastic tree.

There are some interesting cakes and pastries - chocolate pizza and mozaic cake for example -  in addition to the UK staples. 

 The chocolate spoon is a fun touch.

Eye Contact

Guest Spot

 Thank-you Lisa Looker from Haskins Garden Centres for these eye-catching photos of Greenwich's pop up cafe The Movement (MVMNT), constructed from containers and located by Greenwich DLR station.

Fruit Cake

Blackberry & Poire William Pear cake at Benugo

Orange & Plum cakes at Peyton & Byrne

S'more

Ottolenghi's S'mores - biscuit, marshmallow and chocolate.  The US version of a Wagon Wheel. They are a traditional night-time campfire treat popular in north America consisting of a roasted marshmallow and a layer of chocolate sandwiched between two pieces of graham cracker.

Pimp your Potsu

Itsu provides plenty of ways to personalise your lunch - soy, worcestershire, hoisin, sesame seeds and roasted pumpkin.   The moral is clear be it soup, food or coffee - Personalise the Experience.

Graffiti is Good

Graffiti art is mainstream - just visit Shoreditch to see the creativity and artistry.  One of our favourites is the Locksmith.

Some of the artwork is stunning even if I am not sure what it is selling.

Pop Up at Fortnums

 Fortnum & Mason have a pop up British Bakery cafe on their first floor.

Mark Hix's shortbread, garibaldi biscuits and more are on until 10th February.

 The Torta Di Ricotta cake with warm chocolate sauce is proving a winner.

 It sounds as if a fortnightly trip to Fortnums will be required until April.

Wow the Cyclists

Guest Spot

Cycle rack at Tesco's in Norwich spotted by Alan Miller.

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.

Kitchen Garden + Social Enterprise

Clever link up at Burford Garden Company with their kitchen garden and a social enterprise, Aspire.