If you enjoy a coffee and cake in London, then look no further.
Whether it’s quality coffee, cupcakes, board gaming, tall cakes, or unique cookies that
you can drink from, we have you covered.
This is Suitcase Monkey taking a well earnt break at Londons must visit cafes.
First up, is one of my favourites.
Located on Elizabeth Street, Dominique Ansel Bakery is about a 10 minute walk from Victoria
station and on the way to Sloane Square.
As with everything that follows in this video, I have linked below for details.
It has a welcoming style, a great assortment of of all things sugary and specifically its
famous Cookie Shot.
Ordering at the counter is often the definition of a first world problem with its numerous
pastries, savoury snacks and imaginative cakes.
I mean, look at Chilly the Penguin here, whats not to like?
The whole place has a relaxing atmosphere but we always try and grab a seat in their
enclosed garden area, a conservatory around the back.
The thing that grabbed our initial attention however is the always delicious and Instgrammable
Cookie Shot.
(And while we are mention it, please click the links below to follow Suitcase Monkey
for all travel and food related shenanigans as they happen in future) So, the Cookie Shot
is a chocolate chip cookie served warm, cut into the shape of a cup, with cold vanilla
milk poured inside.
This is where design meets taste.
Its hard chocolate coating on the inside keeps the liquid contained, but also provides a
nice contrast of soft cookie on the outside.
Coupled with the hot of the cookie and the cold vanilla milk.
It’s both genius and tasty at the same time.
Whilst this may be the hook to bring you in, there is certainly enough variety and atmosphere
at Dominique Ansel Bakery to welcome you back many times over, and to see how Chilly that
Penguin really is.
Whilst there are a number of board game cafes around London, the one that grabbed our attention
was Draughts, in Haggerston, East London.
With a library of over 600 board games and a staff that all know their stuff, there will
always be something old or new to get yourself stuck in to.
The way it works is as follows.
They take bookings Monday to Friday with a £5 cover charge.
This gives you a table and then as many board games as you can handle for as long as you like.
On a weekend, it’s first come, first served but time is limited to 4 hours.
We arrived at 12:30 on a Sunday and were able to get a table easily but within the hour
it was pretty full so arrive early to avoid disappointment during peak hours.
For us, we spent our 4 hours playing Hero Quest and Ticket to Ride.
Hero Quest was one of my favourites as a child.
Getting to play something I wouldn’t normally purchase makes Draughts the board game version
of Netflix and it was great fun being the Dundeon Master once again.
Ticket to Ride, a more modern classic, just happens to be our favourite iOS game.
The objective being to create multiple train routes across Europe and hopefully blocking
your opponent in the process.
For food and drink, yes, they do coffee and cake which were good, but that’s not really
the niche here.
The staff create a relaxing yet energetic buzz around the place and it does feel like
a home away from home.
Our 4 hours came up quickly but with a larger group on a weekday, I can see how you might
spend all day here.
Next up on our list, located in Soho, is the Cutter and Squidge, a short walking distance
from Piccadilly Circus.
Soho is cafe central but we enjoy Cutter and Squidge because it ticks a lot of different
boxes.
They do lots and lots of sweet things, and coffee of course, but also they serve champagne,
hot savoury brunches, a full on afternoon tea experience, and you can even choose your
wedding cake here.
Oh and its been featured on Made in Chelsea a couple of times with Toff, if thats your thing.
We first enjoyed a grilled cheese and chicken croque and an avocado and goats cheese tartine
along with a coffee and green tea.
We moved on to dessert, where we tucked into what Cutter and Squidge call Biskies.
Biskies are essentially a sweet sandwich and can be combinations of biscuit, cookie, cake,
jams, caramels and buttercream.
They place an emphasis on everything being fresh, being as sugarless as possible
and with no artificial colourings.
But whether its for a quick coffee and Biskie or a more elaborate afternoon tea or wedding
cake even, you can be sure that your sweet tooth will be satisfied at Cutter and Squidge.
Remember Elizabeth street from Dominique Ansel Bakery?
Making this road even more delicious is Peggy Porschen, located about 10 doors further down.
Peggy Porschen is THE celebrity on this list, being a massive photography hit with bloggers
and Instgrammers alike.
With Vanity Fair saying they make “The Best Cupcakes in the World”, they even have their
own Academy where you can obtain a Grand Diploma to prove your baking skills.
So with all of this, expect a bit of a wait to get a table inside.
If weather allows, then a table outside can be a really nice touch too.
Cake and Cupcake is their thing and they do not let you down on either front.
We had the Salted Caramel Slice, which was layer upon layer upon layer of sweet, sweet
goodness and the best cake I can remember having in a very long time.
My wife, Chiaki, opted for the Strawberry and Champagne cupcake and you could really
taste the champagne in each bite, along with the fluffy base and sugary topping.
As it turns out, Vanity Fair may not have been exaggerating after all.
Equally the coffee was of a very high standard and the whole vibe of the place is about as
pink and warm and trendy as you can get.
Due to its reputation, where possible I would say to try and visit during off peak hours
or when it is good weather.
There are only a handful of tables inside with many more outside in the sun.
Outside tables were available within 10 minutes but it was closer to 20 or 30 minutes for
an inside table.
But with arguably the best cakes on this list, it certainly was worth the worth.
If you enjoy food, why not take a look at our must visit Japanese Food guide in London
as well as a day out in Kew Gardens.
And please subscribe for more London and UK travel videos coming soon.
When we aren’t at home, we are jetting around the world to Japan, Kenya, Italy, Disneyland,
Marrakesh and more so plenty to keep you busy until our next movie, which is around once
a month so hopefully they will keep you company until then.
And finally, follow us on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter for food and travel as it happens,
all links are below.
Thanks for watching Suitcase Monkey.