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| Allpress Espresso, Shoreditch |
Antipodean cafes continue to spring up around London like the Neighbours cast at panto season. And thank goodness. The Dark Ages of watery coffee from faceless chains, before the Aussie and Kiwi Enlightenment of Lantana, Flat White, Nude Espresso and co, don't bear thinking about.
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| Allpress Espresso, Redchurch Street |
The latest Kiwi kid on the block is Allpress Espresso in Shoreditch. According to my Kiwi chum A, Allpress is a big deal in New Zealand. It started as a small group of cafes in Auckland, and now its Costa Rican espresso beans are one of New Zealand's best-loved coffee brands, with outlets in Australia to boot.
So A was understandably excited to discover Allpress had landed in London. The first thing you notice arriving at this new cafe on Redchurch Street is the hulking coffee roaster taking up half of the cafe, resembling a contraption from Dr Who. Allpress Espresso is one-part cafe and one-part roastery selling beans to the trade and the public.
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| Allpress's coffee roaster |
This has the slight disadvantage of cannabalising the floor space and making the cafe area, all cream-coloured bare brick walls and wooden tables, rather crowded. Allpress was heaving on the Sunday afternoon we visited, with punters huddled by the door or standing around the communal tables waiting for a seat to open up. The word is definitely out.
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| flat white, Allpress Espresso |
A cup of all-important flat white (the control test for any Antipodean cafe worth its salt) passed with flying colours - rich, full-bodied and smooth, made with Allpress's gleaming La Marzocco espresso machine.
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| scone of glory |
A wooden slab by the till groaned with the homeliest-looking scones this side of a WI tea party. These fat cricket balls were soft and airy, an indecent amount of clotted cream and strawberry jam crammed in the middle. A slab of apple and almond cake (pictured above) was filled with a light, creamy custard and served with a generous dollop of clotted cream. If this is the cake offering, I'm definitely coming back for brunch.
Welcome to London, Allpress.
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5 comments:
that scone looks yummo, what a find X
Scone looks delicious. Salty, can your blog help? I never put sugar in scones, some of my friends do - sugar or no sugar that is the question?
It's times like this I miss the city - the antipodean coffee cult has passed us by - is that why everyones mad for lamingtons?
Mme Geek - let's go!
Peanuts - hmmm, if it's a plain scone I never put sugar in, just a little salt - the jam slathered on both halves (plus butter and cream, naturally) is sweetness enough.
Freerangegirl - I believe it must be - and friands! You know Antipodean coffee fever must be big now Costa, Starbucks and even M&S now do flat whites ( the Starbucks one is usually fairly palatable in an emergency!)
The Cut, the cafe/bar at the Young Vic, does Nude Espresso coffee and it's not very pricey compared to some places. Hurrah!
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