Ginger and White, Soho W1: Cafe of the Week

Ginger and White, Soho

Ginger and White in Hampstead was Pinch of Salt's first Cafe of the Week. So when news reached these parts that Ginger and White Soho was open for business, I decided to see how it stacked up against the original, not to mention the stiff competition nearby.

Soho is, of course, blessed with good cafes. Meander the unofficial coffee trail around W1 and you could soon be tripping up to your eyeballs on excellent caffeine and cake. Flat White, Foxcroft and Ginger, Fernandez and Wells, Sacred - all are within a few streets of Ginger and White's new location. Happily, it slots very well into the local cafe scene. Located on Silver Place, a little pedestrian thoroughfare at the eastern end of Beak Street, Ginger and White Soho is something of a sanctuary from the central London bustle.

Homemade peanut butter, Ginger and White

The cafe is small, with stools running along the windows, and a handful of wooden tables tucked behind the counter. On one wall you'll find Ginger and White's now trademark turquoise, orange and brown Union Jack, while the rest of the cafe is an exercise in white-washed minimalism, down to the designer lightbulbs dangling from the ceiling. But there's a friendly, family feel too which recalls the original branch - children are encouraged to leave a drawing on pads of paper by the door.

Flat white, Ginger and White Soho

Coffee compares favourably to the area's best brews. On our visit they were serving Carvetii's Borrowdale blend for black coffees, and Square Mile's Red Brick espresso for milky ones. A long black was rich and nutty, and the first black coffee I've been served in ages where the soy didn't split when I poured it in (a major bugbear - soy chunks are no-one's idea of a good time). A flat white was finished with an intricate rosetta and had just the right balance between espresso-punch and creaminess.

Worcestershire ham and Rosary Ash salad, Ginger and White

The lunch menu isn't huge - there's a small selection of sandwiches on the counter, and a couple of salads. I tried the Worcestershire ham salad with Rosary Ash goat's cheese. It was a lovely combination of colours, textures and flavours - the salty ham, creamy soft cheese, piquant Sunblush tomatoes, bitter Kalamata olives, raddichio and rocket, and vinagery capers. A Gloucestershire Old Spot sandwich featured two pink and intensely piggy bangers sandwiched between farl-style potato sourdough smeared with a tangy relish. Both dishes were delicious but not quite enough to constitute a filling lunch. So we were 'forced' to fill up on cake.

Stem ginger cake with vanilla icing, Ginger and White

The stem ginger cake was addictive stuff. A proper, spicy gingerbread with chunks of stem ginger, topped with a slick of creamy vanilla icing. A gluten-free orange and almond cake was gooey, with a delicate orange flavour intensified by dainty curls of candied orange peel on top. It was also one of several g-f options.

If you're looking for a new place to linger over coffee in central London, head down to Silver Place. Ginger and White is calm, friendly, and the caffeine and cakes are the equal of any of central London's more established coffee spots.

Ginger and White, 1 Silver Place, London W1F 0JW
gingerandwhite.com/