Latest reviews for Cafes & Coffee Shops in Clerkenwell, London, United Kingdom

Dose Espresso - Good little snack by elliestubbs

elliestubbs — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 12:36:38 +0000

Review by elliestubbs

Rating: 4.00

Phone: 020 7600 0382

Website: http://www.dose-espresso.com/

Although expensive the toast is delicious and perfect for 11 o'clock snacks! Would recommend.Although expensive the toast is delicious and perfect for 11 o'clock snacks! Would recommend.

City Snacks - Good honest cafe by dazmundo

dazmundo — Wed, 13 May 2009 11:45:52 +0000

Review by dazmundo

Rating: 4.00

Phone: 020 7689 0657

Tags: quick bite, takeaway, average brew

you get what you expect, it's clean, reasonably priced and friendly.

Proper British cafe food all the usual suspects on the menu.

Served quickly.you get what you expect, it's clean, reasonably priced and friendly.

Proper British cafe food all the usual suspects on the menu.

Served quickly.

J+A Cafe - Eureka! by bellaphon

bellaphon — Fri, 20 Feb 2009 09:29:57 +0000

Review by bellaphon

Rating: 5.00

Tags: cosy, cultured, crowded

It gives me immense (or intense...might as well chuck that in as well) pleasure to scribble or even mutter about J+A CafÃ©.

I've never started a review with a sentence like that before unless a particular eating place blows me away, well quite simply J+A takes the absolute honour. I also have to be so very careful with the superlatives I use in this review otherwise I run the risk of OTT ebullience. J+A is pretty well hidden within Clerkenwell and the best way to reach it is by my now habitual bus of route 55. There's a tiny door-sized passageway (not too unlike the one off Oxford Street to St Christopher's Place) leading to Sutton Lane thatâ¬"s accessible from Clerkenwell Road. Sutton Lane (must be newish as I couldnâ¬"t find it in my A to Z) is one of those modern and beautifully regenerated courtyards thatâ¬"s emerging in a part of London thatâ¬"s fast becoming desirable to live and work in.

Barely six months old, J and A are the initials of the two wonderful Irish colleens who own and run the cafÃ©. The dining room (or mini hall because of its high ceilings) is from a practical perspective, beautiful and purposeful. The place was already buzzing with what I believed to be media or design pseuds (not surprising in this part of Londinium); as a result I had to settle down with my solo pair of glutÃ¦us maximus at the communal refectory table thatâ¬"s located in the middle of the room. The only minor quibble I have with this table is the long benches; they resonate irritatingly when an incessant foot tapper or leg shaker is also one of the occupying sitters.

Food; everything on the menu cries out to be ordered; from homemade this to that, I was totally spoilt for choice when I perused the menu. The Irish Stew was sold out (â¬Ütis 2pm by now) so I plumped for what most people would do when they see it, STEAK. Steak Sandwich- this came with onion, rocket, dijon, mayo and toms. Beautifully cooked and well-seasoned meat accompanied by the thickest cut and crustiest white bread imaginable- this is unadulterated sandwich heaven! As if the sarnie wasnâ¬"t enough on its own, crisps were thrown in as well; J+A cheers! The mandatory Bellaphon test of cake binge. The Chocolate and Morello Cherry Sponge Cake was simply paradise found, it tasted retributively divine. This wondrous cake, and correct me if Iâ¬"m wrong girls, was of the baked-in-house variety rather than out-sourced! Lest I forget the coffee courtesy of J Atkinson & Co in Lancaster was passable, I think a seven-minute stroll to Dose would prove a better bet to complete the meal.

I know itâ¬"s strange to draw comparisons, but Iâ¬"m beginning to worry about The Modern Pantry, so very close, yet so much more expensive and â¬Ühitting the nailâ¬"; purveyor of one of the poorest service records in London. J+A is a marvel of a find, eureka! Highly recommended.
It gives me immense (or intense...might as well chuck that in as well) pleasure to scribble or even mutter about J+A CafÃ©.

I've never started a review with a sentence like that before unless a particular eating place blows me away, well quite simply J+A takes the absolute honour. I also have to be so very careful with the superlatives I use in this review otherwise I run the risk of OTT ebullience. J+A is pretty well hidden within Clerkenwell and the best way to reach it is by my now habitual bus of route 55. There's a tiny door-sized passageway (not too unlike the one off Oxford Street to St Christopher's Place) leading to Sutton Lane thatâ¬"s accessible from Clerkenwell Road. Sutton Lane (must be newish as I couldnâ¬"t find it in my A to Z) is one of those modern and beautifully regenerated courtyards thatâ¬"s emerging in a part of London thatâ¬"s fast becoming desirable to live and work in.

Barely six months old, J and A are the initials of the two wonderful Irish colleens who own and run the cafÃ©. The dining room (or mini hall because of its high ceilings) is from a practical perspective, beautiful and purposeful. The place was already buzzing with what I believed to be media or design pseuds (not surprising in this part of Londinium); as a result I had to settle down with my solo pair of glutÃ¦us maximus at the communal refectory table thatâ¬"s located in the middle of the room. The only minor quibble I have with this table is the long benches; they resonate irritatingly when an incessant foot tapper or leg shaker is also one of the occupying sitters.

Food; everything on the menu cries out to be ordered; from homemade this to that, I was totally spoilt for choice when I perused the menu. The Irish Stew was sold out (â¬Ütis 2pm by now) so I plumped for what most people would do when they see it, STEAK. Steak Sandwich- this came with onion, rocket, dijon, mayo and toms. Beautifully cooked and well-seasoned meat accompanied by the thickest cut and crustiest white bread imaginable- this is unadulterated sandwich heaven! As if the sarnie wasnâ¬"t enough on its own, crisps were thrown in as well; J+A cheers! The mandatory Bellaphon test of cake binge. The Chocolate and Morello Cherry Sponge Cake was simply paradise found, it tasted retributively divine. This wondrous cake, and correct me if Iâ¬"m wrong girls, was of the baked-in-house variety rather than out-sourced! Lest I forget the coffee courtesy of J Atkinson & Co in Lancaster was passable, I think a seven-minute stroll to Dose would prove a better bet to complete the meal.

I know itâ¬"s strange to draw comparisons, but Iâ¬"m beginning to worry about The Modern Pantry, so very close, yet so much more expensive and â¬Ühitting the nailâ¬"; purveyor of one of the poorest service records in London. J+A is a marvel of a find, eureka! Highly recommended.

Le Cafe - True, true by george_f

george_f — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 15:51:57 +0000

Review by george_f

Rating: 4.00

Phone: 020 7831 8139

Tags: takeaway, proper food, cosy

I read the previous review and I say, true, true.

I've been going to Le Cafe for almost 3 years now and I've always found the food served here fresh, flavourful and of the kind that reminds one of real home-cooking. Of course, that's home-cooking by someone who knows what he's doing. Personal favourites are Chicken Spring Onion and Pork, apple and raisin sandwiches on toasted brown baps. There are dishes that are regularly on the menu, but the chef regularly exercises his creative muscles and quite often customers are treated to something new. The casseroles are amazing but I think the chef outdoes himself with his fish dishes.

Price-wise, 2008 prices still hold today. So it's very good quality food at very reasonable prices. Good enough reasons to go to any place for your nosh.

I do feel though, that the regulars keep coming back for another reason - the warmth with which they're treated by the couple who own the place. I gave Le Cafe a 5-star rating for ambience - and this is what it's for.
I read the previous review and I say, true, true.

I've been going to Le Cafe for almost 3 years now and I've always found the food served here fresh, flavourful and of the kind that reminds one of real home-cooking. Of course, that's home-cooking by someone who knows what he's doing. Personal favourites are Chicken Spring Onion and Pork, apple and raisin sandwiches on toasted brown baps. There are dishes that are regularly on the menu, but the chef regularly exercises his creative muscles and quite often customers are treated to something new. The casseroles are amazing but I think the chef outdoes himself with his fish dishes.

Price-wise, 2008 prices still hold today. So it's very good quality food at very reasonable prices. Good enough reasons to go to any place for your nosh.

I do feel though, that the regulars keep coming back for another reason - the warmth with which they're treated by the couple who own the place. I gave Le Cafe a 5-star rating for ambience - and this is what it's for.

Bada Bing - excellent by chazbo03

chazbo03 — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 16:12:12 +0000

Review by chazbo03

Rating: 5.00

Phone: 020 7253 3723

Tags: cultured

am a regular there! very busy shop but love the pasta in there great service and great food!!am a regular there! very busy shop but love the pasta in there great service and great food!!

Brill - Gorgeous independent music shop and cafe by Niamheen

Niamheen — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 14:48:00 +0000

Review by Niamheen

Rating: 4.00

Phone: 020 7833 9757

Tags: cosy, cultured, lively

Brill is a real gem. A gorgeous little independent music shop that also serves good coffee and has a small but very well chosen selection of music. It's the perfect antidote to our chain culture. It's almost like visiting a friends to raid their collection, only you get to buy and keep them ;) There's often good music deals too.

Not content with offering great music and coffee, you can also get brick lane bagels, pastries, brownies and there's free wifi. We need more of these places and we need to support the ones that are around. I would highly recommend you pop in and fall in love with Brill, as I have.Brill is a real gem. A gorgeous little independent music shop that also serves good coffee and has a small but very well chosen selection of music. It's the perfect antidote to our chain culture. It's almost like visiting a friends to raid their collection, only you get to buy and keep them ;) There's often good music deals too.

Not content with offering great music and coffee, you can also get brick lane bagels, pastries, brownies and there's free wifi. We need more of these places and we need to support the ones that are around. I would highly recommend you pop in and fall in love with Brill, as I have.

Nusa - fabulous soups and salads by patheticshark

patheticshark — Sun, 31 Aug 2008 13:40:43 +0000

Review by patheticshark

Rating: 5.00

Tags: lively, top food

This place is really, really popular with people who work in the area for lunches - there's always a long queue (though the staff are very efficient, so you don't have to wait too long). The soups are really good, all served with a hefty chunk of bread. They publish all the soups they have on the website every morning, so you can decide what you want from the office and nip down to pick it up (and orders from the rest of the office if you're not careful). (Menu is at http://www.nusakitchen.co.uk/index.php?go=menu). They always have a good range of meat and non-meat soups, usually with a good balance of Asian and Western styles - so you'll usually find ramen or pho amongst cream of courgette (which is really good, by the way) or minestrone. It's a bit addictive, though, so be careful! They have a loyalty card thing going on, I think you get a free soup after 5 soups or something. They also do some tasty salads (like falafel, crayfish, tuna nicoise, greek etc) plus fruit salad and granola and stuff.This place is really, really popular with people who work in the area for lunches - there's always a long queue (though the staff are very efficient, so you don't have to wait too long). The soups are really good, all served with a hefty chunk of bread. They publish all the soups they have on the website every morning, so you can decide what you want from the office and nip down to pick it up (and orders from the rest of the office if you're not careful). (Menu is at http://www.nusakitchen.co.uk/index.php?go=menu). They always have a good range of meat and non-meat soups, usually with a good balance of Asian and Western styles - so you'll usually find ramen or pho amongst cream of courgette (which is really good, by the way) or minestrone. It's a bit addictive, though, so be careful! They have a loyalty card thing going on, I think you get a free soup after 5 soups or something. They also do some tasty salads (like falafel, crayfish, tuna nicoise, greek etc) plus fruit salad and granola and stuff.

Piccolo Deli - Delicious Italian sandwichery by Rhydster

Rhydster — Fri, 22 Aug 2008 17:00:53 +0000

Review by Rhydster

Rating: 4.00

Phone: 020 7336 0055

Tags: quick bite

The good: you can chose from a range of brown, white, whole grain or plain baps, ciabatta and other breads to go with a range of delicious fillings, including chicken and sweet corn, spicy chicken, tuna and sweet corn or various more elaborate fillings that you can have hot or cold. Sandwiches range from Â£2 - Â£4 and you can add extra individual fillings.

They serve meals of the day in generous portions to take away including Lasagne, creamy Chicken and Pasta (my favourite), pasta with vegetable and pesto sauce for around Â£3.50.

The bad: often do not have Lasagne meal of the day
The good: you can chose from a range of brown, white, whole grain or plain baps, ciabatta and other breads to go with a range of delicious fillings, including chicken and sweet corn, spicy chicken, tuna and sweet corn or various more elaborate fillings that you can have hot or cold. Sandwiches range from Â£2 - Â£4 and you can add extra individual fillings.

They serve meals of the day in generous portions to take away including Lasagne, creamy Chicken and Pasta (my favourite), pasta with vegetable and pesto sauce for around Â£3.50.

The bad: often do not have Lasagne meal of the day