Best coffee, best decor, best price or best clientele? If I were a tourist with time to sit forever, expense no object, I'd opt for an upmarket historic hotel, with a view over the river, and a full three tier cake stand, smoked salmons sandwiches, scones and clotted cream with raspberry jam, unlimited refills, hot and cold running waiters, soothing harp music, or heavy metal at a trendy place such as a Hard Rock cafee (taking ear-plugs saved off the plane), putting the cost on business expenses - somebody else's, who wants to ruin their time storing receipts, or boyfriend of the moment or husband of the week - mine or somebody else's. I'd research on line for a glass of champagne thrown in, preferably staying at the hotel since two glasses of champagne sends me horizontal. If you happen to be passing though London please do invite me for a tea such as this (but don't expect any fun in bed - I'll be fast asleep). However, if you are rushing around like most tourists, business people, shoppers trying to get home to the suburbs before the crush hour, where do you stop to revive for a quick coffee. My family are coffee-holics and in one day we had four coffee stops. Here they are:
1 Best Coffee, Cake and Price - Self Service
Best cost is Costa, predictable and near perfect every time. My choice is coffee con panne (with cream), solid cream packed on top. With it I eat Raspberry and almond bake. It's an almond slice with nice chunky bits of almond. If you are on a diet, as I always am, in the company of a diet devil, you can cut in half one of these diet-breaking calorie monsters and even share the cream on the coffee.
I've tried Costa coffee shops all over England. Sometimes you get a newspaper, sometimes you don't. To be sure of a newspaper, I always try to get a free newspaper from the underground or overground railway station. Nowadays you get Metro in the morning stacked up in containers, and the Evening Standard is thrust at you as you pass central London stations in the early evening.
Costa's melt in the mouth, to die for, lip-smacking Raspberry Almond Bake to eat in is £1.85. One Espresso Con Panna costs £1.80. Total per person £3.65.
If you are counting calories or costs, you could share. If not, double that price for two people. I didn't see a counter with water, but the friendly chap behind the bar seemed delighted to pour me a glass of tap water. When I went to clear the table I found a counter top with the sugars; another assistant ran to take my tray and thank me profusely.
The unisex toilet was downstairs. Well, going down and up stairs that must have saved me half a calorie.
We stopped at the
Costa Coffee, 15 Regent Street, London SW1Y 4LR.
If you've got a Costa card remember to take it with you, or ask for one.
2 Exclusive Coffee Corner For Club Members and Their Visitors
The Institute of Directors was the venue for a wine tasting event. As visitors we were allowed to use the coffee shop in the next door building. The main building hides a grand staircase with small black busts and huge oil paintings honouring directors who seem to have directed world wars. I felt a bit intimidated and wondered who all the present day directors were, imagining that every one of them must had a company the size of a small Country, until I realised that all three members of my immediate family are directors of cosy little companies. Having just seen a UK tax return and seen that if your company makes more than half the wages of just about any worker, I surmise that spending money on any kind of networking club which helps you sell, buy, or pick up tips on building a business, sounds more fun as well as better business sense than donating money in tax to the government.
The Institute of Directors coffee shop next door has two sections, high chairs near the serving area. I never sit on high chairs. They gave me vertigo when I was one year old and once when I was old enough to drink I leaned back on a backless bar stool and nearly took a tumble. I fell into the arms of somebody whose grip I've been trying to escape ever since. So we went round the corner into the grandeur of the armchairs. But since you can get armchairs in coffee shops anywhere nowadays the black leather armchair has rather lost its swank, except that in my case the sight of a bar stool sends me racing for an armchair. Our choice of free reading matter was City a.m. or the Financial Times. We had soon sobered up enough to go back to the wine tasting.
I do not recall the coffee as being sufficiently exciting to be worth a comment.
I did love the main building which would impress any traditional British person and entrance a foreign visitor who was being entertained. You can't wander in because you are challenged by the girl on reception. If you are a member of the Institute but don't want to treat your guests to a full meal, or you are at an event and don't have the time for a a meal, or are given a buffet but no coffee, as was our case, this is the place.
3 Franco's - Cosy Italian Caffee With Waiter Service in London
(The entrance looks like Vasco's where I recently had dinner.) Hot and cold running waiters, as they say, relieved us of our coats and sat us at a table. I ordered a coffee with chocolate on top and the kitchen used a stencil to decorate the froth with the letter F for Franco. If we'd had time, I'd have asked for brown sugar. But the F on the coffee compensated for the lack of brown sugar. I just saw the dentist. He went drilling under a filling. I don't need sugar. I do need to be entertained. The F for, er Franco, was entertainment.
Tables for two were so tiny I almost asked the people at the next table for a taste of their smoked salmon sandwich and scone when the lady on my left said it was delicious.
Price about £8 just for two coffees, plus a tip for the coats taken from us at the door, so we spent nearly £9 just on two coffees, reading a newspaper, and nearly chatting up two well-spoken theatre people.
The ladies toilet was downstairs, not ideal if you were somebody with a wheelchair or leg in a plaster cast from a skiing accident. Luckily I am not so unfit or fit, and was glad of the proper wooden rail firmly attached to the wall. The ladies had piped radio and I heard most of a Pooh bear story. So, a worthwhile detour. I'm sure dinner is splendid.
Franco's, 61 Jermyn Street, St James, London SW1Y 6LX.
4 Wetherspoons - Convenient Meeting Place For Drinkers and Dieters Counting Calories
Finally, my last stop of the day was at a Wetherspoons pub just by Baker Street station. Because its huge nobody hassles you to order, the menu is already on the table, but you do need two people if you want your coat on your chair for comfort and to reserve a table while you go round the corner to order coffee from the bar.
Wetherspoons are always great for price and no nasty surprises with added service charges at the end.
Really easy to find - especially if your foreign visitors like mine are the sort who would get lost and spend half a day looking for Nelson's column. The statue of Sherlock Holmes is almost outside the door, a good photo opportunity on a sunny day. Baker Street station is on one side and Madame Tussauds a few doors down. If you are stuck waiting nobody is going to hassle you to order a meal.
Wetherspoons Metropolitan Bar, 7 Station Approach, Marylebone Road, London NW15LA.
1 Best Coffee, Cake and Price - Self Service
Best cost is Costa, predictable and near perfect every time. My choice is coffee con panne (with cream), solid cream packed on top. With it I eat Raspberry and almond bake. It's an almond slice with nice chunky bits of almond. If you are on a diet, as I always am, in the company of a diet devil, you can cut in half one of these diet-breaking calorie monsters and even share the cream on the coffee.
I've tried Costa coffee shops all over England. Sometimes you get a newspaper, sometimes you don't. To be sure of a newspaper, I always try to get a free newspaper from the underground or overground railway station. Nowadays you get Metro in the morning stacked up in containers, and the Evening Standard is thrust at you as you pass central London stations in the early evening.
Costa's melt in the mouth, to die for, lip-smacking Raspberry Almond Bake to eat in is £1.85. One Espresso Con Panna costs £1.80. Total per person £3.65.
If you are counting calories or costs, you could share. If not, double that price for two people. I didn't see a counter with water, but the friendly chap behind the bar seemed delighted to pour me a glass of tap water. When I went to clear the table I found a counter top with the sugars; another assistant ran to take my tray and thank me profusely.
The unisex toilet was downstairs. Well, going down and up stairs that must have saved me half a calorie.
We stopped at the
Costa Coffee, 15 Regent Street, London SW1Y 4LR.
If you've got a Costa card remember to take it with you, or ask for one.
Costa Coffee, 15 Regent Street, London SW1Y 4LR.
On your bill it says Tell us about your visit ... website costafeedback.co.uk
2 Exclusive Coffee Corner For Club Members and Their Visitors
The Institute of Directors was the venue for a wine tasting event. As visitors we were allowed to use the coffee shop in the next door building. The main building hides a grand staircase with small black busts and huge oil paintings honouring directors who seem to have directed world wars. I felt a bit intimidated and wondered who all the present day directors were, imagining that every one of them must had a company the size of a small Country, until I realised that all three members of my immediate family are directors of cosy little companies. Having just seen a UK tax return and seen that if your company makes more than half the wages of just about any worker, I surmise that spending money on any kind of networking club which helps you sell, buy, or pick up tips on building a business, sounds more fun as well as better business sense than donating money in tax to the government.
The Institute of Directors coffee shop next door has two sections, high chairs near the serving area. I never sit on high chairs. They gave me vertigo when I was one year old and once when I was old enough to drink I leaned back on a backless bar stool and nearly took a tumble. I fell into the arms of somebody whose grip I've been trying to escape ever since. So we went round the corner into the grandeur of the armchairs. But since you can get armchairs in coffee shops anywhere nowadays the black leather armchair has rather lost its swank, except that in my case the sight of a bar stool sends me racing for an armchair. Our choice of free reading matter was City a.m. or the Financial Times. We had soon sobered up enough to go back to the wine tasting.
I do not recall the coffee as being sufficiently exciting to be worth a comment.
I did love the main building which would impress any traditional British person and entrance a foreign visitor who was being entertained. You can't wander in because you are challenged by the girl on reception. If you are a member of the Institute but don't want to treat your guests to a full meal, or you are at an event and don't have the time for a a meal, or are given a buffet but no coffee, as was our case, this is the place.
Institute of Directors, 116 Pall Mall, London SW15ED
(The entrance looks like Vasco's where I recently had dinner.) Hot and cold running waiters, as they say, relieved us of our coats and sat us at a table. I ordered a coffee with chocolate on top and the kitchen used a stencil to decorate the froth with the letter F for Franco. If we'd had time, I'd have asked for brown sugar. But the F on the coffee compensated for the lack of brown sugar. I just saw the dentist. He went drilling under a filling. I don't need sugar. I do need to be entertained. The F for, er Franco, was entertainment.
Tables for two were so tiny I almost asked the people at the next table for a taste of their smoked salmon sandwich and scone when the lady on my left said it was delicious.
Price about £8 just for two coffees, plus a tip for the coats taken from us at the door, so we spent nearly £9 just on two coffees, reading a newspaper, and nearly chatting up two well-spoken theatre people.
The ladies toilet was downstairs, not ideal if you were somebody with a wheelchair or leg in a plaster cast from a skiing accident. Luckily I am not so unfit or fit, and was glad of the proper wooden rail firmly attached to the wall. The ladies had piped radio and I heard most of a Pooh bear story. So, a worthwhile detour. I'm sure dinner is splendid.
Franco's, 61 Jermyn Street, St James, London SW1Y 6LX.
4 Wetherspoons - Convenient Meeting Place For Drinkers and Dieters Counting Calories
Finally, my last stop of the day was at a Wetherspoons pub just by Baker Street station. Because its huge nobody hassles you to order, the menu is already on the table, but you do need two people if you want your coat on your chair for comfort and to reserve a table while you go round the corner to order coffee from the bar.
Wetherspoons are always great for price and no nasty surprises with added service charges at the end.
Really easy to find - especially if your foreign visitors like mine are the sort who would get lost and spend half a day looking for Nelson's column. The statue of Sherlock Holmes is almost outside the door, a good photo opportunity on a sunny day. Baker Street station is on one side and Madame Tussauds a few doors down. If you are stuck waiting nobody is going to hassle you to order a meal.
Wetherspoons Metropolitan Bar, 7 Station Approach, Marylebone Road, London NW15LA.
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