Flat White Cafe

This past week I was in London for a meeting. I managed to get over a little ahead of time (while the wife and kids were at home with a virus - oops) and decided to use those moments of solitude wisely...drinking coffee.

God bless the Interweb. A quick search for great coffee in London brought up a few choices which I was able to narrow down and plan a route from one to the next. I managed to have a couple of really good coffees, but the one that stood out for me was Flat White cafe. Run by some Aussies and named after a classic Oz style of coffee, the small cafe is located on Berwick Street in London's Soho district. The walk along the street takes you past such establishments as the Gourmet Hot Dog, Pastry Pilgrimage, and a collection of XXX clubs with peep shows for a fiver - do yourself a favour and spend the money on thrilling yourself with a couple of Flat White espressos.

Ah, the espresso. I placed my order and then asked them if they minded me watching them pull the shot. They were more than happy to and willingly answered my questions while doing so. The results were amazing (and I told them so). This short drink was the best espresso I've had - like the latte equivalent at Intelligentsia.

Many people would balk at the idea of drinking a double shot of espresso - too bitter. Not this one. It was smooth and bright, had a great crema and an incredible sweetness - almost too sweet. Delicious.

Of course, I also ordered a flat white. Also very good.

I'm back in London again this week with my (now healthy) family. If I can talk my wife into a visit...

By the way, a flat white is a bit like a latte, but with less foam on the top.