Di'zain

As their web page states, Di'zain refers to pattern with a purpose, and that it does. Slick, chic, cool and appealing. Perfectly presented and the attention to detail is impeccable, not just with the coffee. Owner and well experienced barista Albi puts his heart into every cup and it pays off. Serving a delicious flat white in a rounded diamond shape cup that suits the decor perfectly. If I lived in Fulham I would be in this cafe everyday, feeding my addiction to caffeine and free wi-fi. The roast used here is a light bourbon made up of 80% Brazil and 20% El Salvador and it pulls through the creamy high quality milk exceptionally. It packs quite a punch served as a classic espresso with a crema to die for in this city. Although I am favouring the perfect macchiato served to me today. Di'zain boasts a centre coffee bar showing off my favourite La Marzoco machine in a sunny front room. You can venture through to more tables and another dining area looking out on to a quaint summer garden. The cafe is stylish and black and white themed, great wallpapers and art. Attention has been paid to the little things and it is a good looking place. I highly recommend you make you way to Fulham and to Di'zain and give yourself time to drink the afternoon away, treat yourself to a delicious breakfast or lunch and even dinner Thursday - Saturday. I'm grateful I found it even if it was in my last days in London.

Fernandez and Wells

This place is amazing. It is so stylish and just perfectly presented. And the coffee is AMAZING. It is rather expensive, but when you see whats going on in this joint its all worth it. The piccolo latte is featured here and what a joy it is to see. Everything is designed with intention here and I like that. Fernandez and Wells currently has 3 venues in London, a Food and Wine bar, a Cafe and the Espresso Bar that I find myself in today. I must must must see the other two if this is any indication of the quality I may find. Fernandez and Wells only uses full cream milk, and I have no arguments there. It's delicious and creamy and the strong coffee sits perfectly in the centre of my tongue. They really have it bang on here. They also serve organic soups made on site, organic luscombe drinks and delicious freshly carved meats for sandwiches. And the afternoon treats are not to be ignored either. This Espresso bar is very pleasing on the eye and leaps and bounds beyond anything else I have seen in London to date. Located in a small lane on St Anne's Court it attracts the sneaky passers by and those that know they are there. Full of Australians and Kiwi's again although this time run by a very enthusiastic English man who has a definite passion for his job and for coffee. Really great strong coffee, good tunes, warm atmosphere, great food and wonderful people, in the heart of London, really this is quite a gem.

Kaffeine

A nice new cafe to find actually. Again, Australians! It makes me so proud. New cafes popping up all over London and giving us the credit that we deserve for our dedication to the liquid gold that it deserves. I read about this cafe in a magazine and decided that I should definitely go and check it out. My flat white arrives in a super cool black ceramic kit and as you can see it looks like a nice strong cup. We are drinking coffee from Square Mile Roasters here which is in my opinion of a high standard and in some very good cafes in London. The barista is very enthusiastic and I like the look of him straight away.
On the menu at Kaffeine, each drink sold is also described in ounces of coffee which is really of great interest to me but perhaps not to everyone else that walks through the door. I order my flat white created with 6oz of wonder on the grand Synesso machine alongside the array of lamingtons, baguettes and treats ready for lunch service in central London. A perfect temperature again and a strong rich espresso that is instantly familiar from Square Mile roasters here in London. An interesting tea menu also found here including a Moroccan Whiskey fresh mint tea that I should probably come back and try another day.
This cafe is clearly very new, the pine decor and immaculate presentation complimented by the uber cool staff and buzzing grinders and cafe goers. It's not my favourite find in London but definitely worth a word from me and a visit from you if ever you pass it by.

Lantana

I spent a long time on Lantana's website before I visited the cafe in Central London, which I don't usually do until after I have been there. I don't know why that is relevant, but it is a very good website. This is a cool cafe, a very cool cafe. I like the way it looks, it has a great feel from the outside and from the inside and I could certainly waste an afternoon here. Another Australian gem on the sunny side of a central London street. Monmouth coffee used here and I must say that it is my favourite coffee in London so I am really excited for it to be my first today. And duly noted as I enter a shiny La Marzocco machine and two happy Mazzer grinders buzzing to the late morning crowd. Beautiful looking flat whites served here and one of the coolest Barista's I have seen in ages. I would have liked the temperature to be a little higher to be honest, but I'd prefer it not quite hot enough as opposed to too hot any day. The coffee was not strong enough to strike any lasting characteristics on the palette however very enjoyable. Perhaps clever in attracting a broader range of coffee drinkers in a city accustomed to very milky coffee. Or perhaps a way to make you order two? I proceed to order a piccolo in order to scratch my itch and find that this is indeed a much better choice for me. A strong espresso and less milk and a sure kick of caffeine that is not at all bitter and completely complimented by a fairly sweet milk. Lantana was the winner of Best New Cafe in 2009 and rightly so I think. Not only is the coffee wonderful but as Lunch is getting set up around me I see fabulous choices and a regular lunch rush on its way.

Bea's of Bloomsbury

As soon as I stepped into this wonderland, I didn't feel like I was in London anymore. It is glorious. I had so much fun with my camera in here. The treats and cupcakes are spectacular and the display at the front of the store is a visual delight. Every kind of cup cake, mini meringues, home made marshmallows and even a magical cake decorated with the tea party from Alice in Wonderland. It's all very impressive. As Valentines day creeps closer, Bea's has made sure to remind you of all things love, that come covered in sugar and chocolate. The presentation of this place sells it all to me and I really appreciate the effort that has been put in. The menu is written on the wall on huge mirrors that open the room up even more.

The genuine cafe buzz in here excites me and after asking the barista if I may take some photos, I take as many as I can without seeming weird and then proceed to order myself a flat white. I can't ignore the savoury cupcakes either. Red pepper, feta and mushroom with a herb cream cheese. Soooo Yum!! I take a seat and watch the serious chefs in the back of the store busy with the anticipation of afternoon tea soon to commence. Again, Square Mile Roasters coffee is used here and even though the milk is not as smooth as it could be the espresso is strong and rich enough to pull right through it. The temperature is perfect and it is still a stride above a lot of the coffee I have avoided in London. If I had to choose between great espresso and average milk as apposed to the other option, I would take this anyday. Which does tell me that I miss Melbourne even more, I would never settle for that back home. I decide to stay at Bea's of Bloomsbury for some time, and settle in on my comfy cushions and relax. A truly beautiful cafe and I will most definitely return.

The Espresso Room

Wow, take this literally. The Espresso Room, is just that, a little room devoted to coffee. A very little room. Impressively small actually. Now I know that's many ways to say The Espresso Room, was small but you get my point. I take a photo from the front as I approach, but I genuinely feel imposing with a camera inside. So I tuck it away quietly in my bag and take two steps towards the counter. I am also impressed as I enter, to hear an English guy (evidently the owner) reprimanding a barista in training for the sound of her milk. I already like this guy. He proceeds to tell me about the beans he has available to purchase and where they come from. I am impressed again to find such a selection of good coffee coming out of such a tiny room. I order myself a flat white to go, there is a guy reading and relaxing on one of the 3 benches provided and he looks like he has been there a while, another good sign.
I sit outside and begin to enjoy a delicious coffee and watch the human traffic pass from the hospital across the road.
The A frame black board outside informs me that “coffeeness + cakeyness = happiness” and by the looks of the perfectly placed treats inside, I tend to agree. I like this little room. I fear the location is lost on me, however, the hospital staff and visitors I believe would be grateful for The Espresso Room's very close proximity. The coffee is great I must say. Another cafe using square mile roasters coffee in London. The perfection of my milk is appreciated and I enjoy my first flat white for the day very much.

Monmouth Coffee Company

Well, a coffee company dedicated to all things great and wonderful that can come from the coffee plant. These guys are bang on. They have a roasting site and 2 cafes that are always busy and buzzing with all things yummy and delicious. The roast coffee from single farms and estates and they visit all of the farms to ensure that they know what they are buying and where it is coming from. They roast on Italian manufactured machines that help retain the fruit and bright acidity of their medium roasts and develop the body and sweetness in the dark roasts. What I love about Monmouth is that they recognise that getting the best out of any coffee roaster and the coffee itself is that it is a continual learning process that needs to be profiled with every batch.

They offer a newsletter in the store that you can take with you that details all the information regarding all the individual coffees and allows you to choose what you want. They always feature a different coffee and I really love being able to go and taste something new and try to discover new flavours on my palette.

Today I am indulging in an espresso from India, Balmaadi Estate. This coffee comes from a certified Organic and Biodynamic farm. At high altitudes and favourable growing conditions this is a very distinctive coffee. It is rich in caramel and has a very clean finish on the tongue. I really like this one, and the colour is something I cant describe. Pure delight! I am very happy.

Monmouth in the Borough Markets of London is a cafe with a line at least 30 people long every time I come, and they take your order in line so that by the time you arrive at the counter all you have to do is pay and drink. There is a large communal table full of jams and baguettes to indulge and a large selection of pastries, treats and chocolates. You can purchase any or all of the coffees that they roast and the entire experience of standing in line is wonderful.

I am yet to visit their roasting site but I will go for sure, and soon. I have also been to the smaller store just near Covent Garden which is magnificent also. So small, I am sitting in a booth made just for one and people are in line waiting forever if they have to just to get a taste of this magic liquid gold. The barstia's are right next to me and I can hear them commenting on how good this shot is and how one of them is a little obsessed with perfecting her grind. It is wonderful to hear and very rare in this tea drinking city. Of course, the Australian accent of my barista is hard to miss. Again....

Caffe Vergnano 1882

This place is fantastic.
The whole concept is amazing. I can’t believe I found it without even looking for it. They are serious about their coffee and have been since 1882. Their espresso blend is comprised of seven different single origin beans from around the world including the highly sought after Nicaraguan Maragogype which is more expensive to cultivate than the famous Blue Mountain. It is a joy.

They have an extensive espresso menu alone which I have to include here because it is truly impressive.

Espresso 1882
Espresso 1882 Macchiato
Espresso 1882 Con panne – whipped cream
Espresso 1882 Corretto - amaretto
Espresso 1882 Gianduja – chocolate and whipped cream
Espresso 1882 Gia Cometta – meringue, whipped cream and crushed hazelnut

Honestly!
They also offer a coffee guide on their website for the true coffee veterans such as myself to read and enjoy. You should check it out.
The presentation of every single shot extracted from the stunning Elektra Belle Époque is enough to make me weak at the knees. The taste! Oh the taste, truly perfect espresso is served here and I am in heaven to have it. It is short and strong and served with a small bitter chocolate and shot of water on the side to expand every mouthful of coffee. It is all about complimenting the coffee here. Caffe Vergnano has, for three generations, been working in London and are now winning awards for their signature 1882 blend. They grow, they roast, they brew, they serve and I'm sure they indulge also. They have 2 coffee bars in London. Southbank Centre and in Charring Cross road, which is where I have found them today. Ahh the Italians! Got to love their dedication and passion for the grand things in life.

Taylor St Baristas

So this place is another Australian owned dream. I don’t mean to find all these Australians but it seems we know our stuff. The quality that comes out of this place is really consistent too; I’ve been to Taylor St in Richmond several times. The staff are all very keen on coffee and genuinely nice people so I do like to go back often.
This time, I noticed that they have changed the blend that they are using which I was truly excited about. It's called Bright Note espresso and it's a combination of Guatemalan and Brazilian beans. Described to have a chocolate taste. And too right it did. My flat white was delicious as usual and I really truly tasted the chocolate notes on the espresso. It was a joy.
These guys pride themselves on their latte art which is just so pleasing in a beautiful coffee and I love coming time after time. They are located inside Source Food Store, which is interesting enough in itself, a great place to stop and grab some fresh delicious lunch, to go or to stay and have the treasure of Taylor St Baristas tucked in the back waiting for you. They always have a copy of Bean Scene lying around for you to read and their loyalty card…buy four get the fifth free! Such a treat. They source their fair trade, 100% Arabica beans from union coffee roasters and the care starts at the beginning all the way to this delicious flat white sitting in front of me.

Taylor St Baristas, finely crafted coffee for serious coffee drinkers.
Taylor St was founded by 3 Australians who couldn’t find a good coffee in London. There are 3 locations so far. This one in Richmond, another in New street purely for the foot locals and directly across from a massive Starbucks which I know for a fact they all find amusing. Also, in Brighton, where I am yet to venture too but will certainly visit soon.

The barista’s at Taylor St go through some serious work to be able to stand behind their machines, there is an exam that they work really hard to pass before they are even considered apprentice standard. It delves into the science and not just the art of coffee making and it is an important level they set for all the staff to be able to keep their quality across the board. It certainly pays off!

The Kitchen and Pantry

Wow, what a find. Seriously, if you think it is hard to find a coffee in London, try to find one at Portobello Markets in Notting Hill and good luck. Well you won’t need luck any more because I am telling you where to go! The Kitchen and Pantry. This place is just great. Lots of little pokey holes and corners, tables, benches, couches, and little tiny stools that fit just your coffee on them! They serve it all here, stunning crepes, and fresh juices evident from the massive baskets of fruit that decorate the counter. Treats and cakes in all descriptions and right there for you to really see. Great grab and go options, wraps, ice cream, milkshakes, oh and did I mention the coffee?

I ordered and espresso and although it came a little blonde, for London standards it was really very good. I feel that they over extract the shots a little too much here and if I had ordered a ristretto I think it would have been bang on. However, my espresso was surprisingly smooth and not at all bitter. I had to order a take away latte as well just to make sure they didn’t break my heart with terrible milk like I have found in so many places in London. But again, almost bang on. Great temperature and if they weren’t so busy at the time I think the barista could have taken the time to shine my milk a little more and push the limit. The one thing I find that is missing from the café culture is the enthusiasm from the staff. The love is lost. The experience is just a little more awkward if you order your lunch at the counter and the host doesn’t make you smile, you know? It's very important.
The kitchen and pantry has everything going for it. Great products across the board, you can buy the Café Torelli Arabica and Robusta blend and have it in beans or ground to take home. They have numerous other retail items that are also great too. And all the way from Australia, Byron Bay cookies! A while since I had seen them on a shelf. This café also boasts a lot of seats and plenty of room outside for lunch and also a bench seat for sippers and smokers. I was really stoked to find this place, London does not have enough cafes with character and this place was definitely somewhere to sit all day and watch the human salad that is in Notting Hill. One of the best I have seen in London.

Flat White

flat white noun /Austral. flaat whyette/ /NZ flet wyte/ 1 An antipodean style coffee which is served as a strong shot of espresso served in a small cup with textured milk; a damn good strong coffee.2 51.51 (51°30′) -0.13 (0°8′).flattie noun. colloq. flat white; I’m gonna smash back a couple of flatties bro /NZ/ mate /Austral./

I’m going to say something right now. This is possibly the best coffee I have ever had.
There, I said it and I’d say it again. I have been to this café on numerous occasions and never has my opinion faltered. So then, perhaps I have said it before, but always about this place. It is Flat White, it is owned and run by Aussie’s and Kiwis and if you are a coffee drinker and in London, do not leave without going here. I couldn’t say enough about this place to truly express how good it is. Other antipodean cafes in London which are excellent in there own rights still strive to meet the level of Flat White. Flat White offers two benches in the afternoon sun out the front and faces Berwick St Market in the vibrant heart of Soho. A perfect position to watch the human salad pass by. My espresso was a smack in the face and god damn it was near perfect. A crema so thick and rich that held it’s own and sat on that table telling me it how great it was before I even tasted it. My flat white needed introduction, a Rosetta fit for the queen herself and a taste that cannot be found anywhere else in London. You can really see the colour difference in both of these coffees that I assure you, you do not find in this country. It is the rich dark gold I long for! The milk has a sweetness to it that simply proved how well it was textured before it arrived to me. The kick ass baristas; that I could have hugged because I was so happy to see them, were working away on their La Mazocco machines and trusty old Mazza grinders. I have had the privilege of working with both choice pieces of equipment but these guys proved that it is the barista that kicks that final punch. Boasting a selection of naked portafiltas and showing how well done it all is. I need not talk about anything else but the coffee, but I will. Flat White also provides a basic breakfast and light lunch menu with fine ingredients and tastes to compliment their coffee and not the other way around. They are proud of where they have come from and even have ANZAC biscuits for sale. The music is fitting and I feel very much at home in this café. There is a constant stream of addicted Aussies and Kiwis that clearly visit often. They have all their ducks in a row here, including above all, the charm that comes with passionate Australian staff that really push the experience. I love this place so much it’s worth flying across the world just for a coffee and going home. No word of a lie.

Nude Espresso

Ahhh Finally!! Thankyou London!
I got a tip from some serious Barista's (and Aussie's too!) about this wonderful cafe near Liverpool Station in London. It's called Nude and it really made me miss Melbourne!

Not only was the door RED... which was the first tick in the box; but the dudes pulling the shots were awesome, they could tell I meant business when I walked in and asked for an espresso, and a Flat White.

It felt sooooo good to say the words FLAT WHITE! Oh how I miss real coffee...

I haven't said them in so damn long and I tell you it tasted just as good as it looked. It felt even better to drink than it did to say it. The espresso was smooth and shiny, a crema I haven't seen in months! The rosetta on my Flat White (see there I go again!) nearly knocked me out of my seat. It was damn awesome! I was so stoked I wasn't even embarassed to take photos of them!
So here you go!

If you're ever in London, go to Liverpool Station and navigate your way to Nude Espresso!
Well worth it.