Wednesday 16 December 2009

Kaffeine - Fitzrovia


Kaffeine serves amazing coffee. The sign outside states 'We serve the only authentic flat whites in London'. You could call them cocky for saying this, Lantana is after all only a moments walk away, but when the coffee hits your palette you'll agree; they are most deffinately up there with the crema of the crop. They are kinda wonderful. Refreshingly they don't overcharge either - The coffee's are all around the £2 mark and the perfectly moist and flavoursome muffins are only £1.50. I'll be visiting again.


Monday 14 December 2009

Lantana - Fitzrovia

Lantana is the sort of place that will always win awards, luckily it's not the sort of place that treats it's customers differently from the way it treats it's panelists.

I've managed places in the past where the whole place goes crazy when a critic walks in, everything is cooked specially; I've tried to never agree with this practice. All customers should get the same top notch service.

Timeout has awarded Lantana the best Cafe in London - I completely agree. The bacon & egg sandwich is like none you've ever tasted before; sourdough bread gently toasted, just enough of a light aioli sauce on top and a few other surprises that only added to the experience. The coffee is a wonder too.

If this is the norm for Cafes in Australia I may just swallow my sporting pride and jump on a flight.

The English have a lot to learn!

Tuesday 1 December 2009

The Goods Shed - Canterbury, Kent


















Revisiting somewhere that you've loved before is always a tricky thing. The first time I found The Goods Shed I was blown away. On my second visit I was even more impressed!

Outside, on this particular Saturday, they were holding a 'car-boot market'. This is a stunning and simple idea, all the local allotment folk and small holders alike are invited to sell any extra crops they may have yielded. At the far end of the car park was a man with a car-boot full of carrots, closer to the front door a women selling lots of beetroot, in between every hue and type of vegetable one could ever attempt to grow.

Such a wonderful idea - if a little illegal! It is forbidden in England to sell anything from an allotment, the idea being to keep the allotments free of commercial influences. Lets ignore that, as they say 'the law is an ass'.

Once inside you'll find an Aladdin's cave of a store. About a dozen independent farmers, grocers and Patrick the traiteur have come together under one beautiful roof to provide you with Kent's finest wares. You truly could complete a weekly shop here, they even have a man selling ethical toilet roll!

As if this wasn't enough the far wall is taken up by a restaurant where the chefs create delights for the stomach direct from the stalls alongside. Jay Rayner adored this place, he called it 'Gastro-Porn', I agree, although I generally prefer to eat in company and with the lights on.

The food is great and Enzo's bread, leavened within the building, is even better.

The Goods Shed is perfectly executed and a tribute to my home county. I've always been proud to be a man of Kent and now I've another gem to recommend.

I drove home a happy man.