Detour, Askew Rd, Shepherd's Bush

Excellent coffee, incredibly friendly owner

Flat white: £2.40, good

Florentine: £1.50, excellent - but how can they make any money?! She said her prices were too low. 

Really lovely owner, Kelly - I popped in because the friendly accountant down the road suggested it, got chatting, and ahe then sat down with me for about 40 mins talking through what she'd done, costs, suppliers... She took it over about a year ago, the refurbished three months ago - adding the big wall photo, the dark grey and the orange to the existing light grey. She said it made a massive difference - it feels like a new place, she's getting four times the custom on a Sunday that she got a year ago. 

Inspiring, and very generous with her time and advice. 

Scootercaffe, Lower Marsh, Waterloo

Great coffee, great atmosphere... 

Flat white: £2.60, and good. 

I got the seat by the cat, I suspect as no one else wanted to push it off. 

I went back here largely as I thought it was the model for what I want to create. In a business sense, maybe - it sells little food, but great coffee, beers, wine, cocktails - and by 5.30pm on a Sunday there was more alcohol in evidence than coffee. 

And the decor is quirky. There's a scooter by the bar, old ads on the walls... I had thought I loved it, but. The scooter is kind of in the way. The walls look kind of dirty. And it's dark - which works at 10pm but I'm not sure about 5.30pm. 

The other thing about vintage furniture is that it's not always comfortable - I thought that in Pattern, Kings Cross. Might look good but can you relax into it, and still hear your friend speak? 

Still. Good atmosphere, very busy and food for thought. 

drinks menu

coffee
espresso
latte - one part espresso to three parts steamed milk, a little foam
cappucino - expresso, steamed milk, foam (what proportions?)
long black - hot water with espresso added (Americano is espresso with hot water added)
flat white - ristretto (restricted espresso) with equal parts (?) steamed milk
cortado - one to one (?) espresso to steamed milk
filter coffee

black tie - double espresso, black tea, orange blossom water, star anise, crushed tamarind, sugar, condensed milk (traditional Thai iced tea)
cafe miel - espresso, steamed milk, cinnamon, honey

tea
builders'
early grey
lapsang souchong
fresh mint

hot chocolate

cool
fresh lime soda
fresh orange soda
watermelon juice
lassi

scrubs

Toilets

The Fire Station, Waterloo

Laveli Bakery, Acton Central

Home of Acton sourdough

Again, not tried the coffee, though the back of this bakery looks like a nice place to linger over one. It's in part my inspiration - I occasionally walk the 25 mins here just to buy a loaf of bread. Because it's the only place I know in the area that sells fresh, handmade, artisan bread - and it's delicious. Then a wander up the street, past two decent pubs, a butcher, a wineseller, antiques shop, charity shop. It's the Acton I'd like to live in - but has no tube, just Overground. 

Anyway - the space by the door is too small so it's always squashed even if there's only two customers. Lots of good looking cakes. Bottles of water on the tables. Decor greys and purples, and red seats outside. Looks good. 

I'll go back for coffee. 

Cafe oak tree, Acton Central

Small, by station 

No idea what the coffee is like as I didn't go in. It looked like it was over-promising: huge ads for a small space with just one table inside. Great location, right by the station. 

And then at home I discover there is more thought to the name than I realised - Acton means 'oak farm' or 'farm by the oak trees'.

A3 planning application and site measurements

Ratable value of 57a Erconwald: £3,400


Documents for the 2012 A3 planning application.

plan of the site, with measurements.

11.30am Friday

41 ppl passed in 10 mins.

67 ppl went the other way. 

Barista Lavazza, Dhaka airport

Expat coffee cage, but decent enough coffee. 

Americano: 175 taka. Okay, but bitter, and expensive, but beats any other option in the airport hands down, so I'm not complaining. 

The coffee shop opened maybe a year ago, and is a convenient place to pen the departing foreigners. Service not bad, though they didn't start making my coffee till I chased it. Got better as it filled up. 

Oven Fresh, Road 11, Dhaka

Empty, not speedy, but a sign of things to come?  

Iced cappuccino, nice enough, just took about 7 minutes when there were no other customers at 12 noon on a Saturday. Interesting to see coffee shops like this increasing in Dhaka. 

Association Coffee, Creechurch Lane, Aldgate

Beards, suits and tepid coffee. 

Flat white £2.80. It was like warm. Tasted  fine. Chocolate brownie with it brought the total to £5, and was completely squidgy, not my style. 

Coffee shop was pretty empty despite being 1pm on a Monday; maybe 10 suits in pairs at tables but felt empty given the amount of space. Does it suffer from being down a side street? Or from having a logo and outside which don't say what it is? 

Sleek, dark decor; kind of city sterile. 

J Carter in 2011

Once was J Carter

There are other rivers - Herne Hill

The Parlour, Norwood Road

Breakfasts. Two doors down from the soft play. 

Blackbird Bakery, opposite Herne Hill station

Public piano by Herne Hill station 

Complete with woman playing and singing (badly) "When I fall in love..." I like the outdoor piano concept.

Brickwood, Clapham Common

Vibrant, busy, friendly; excellent coffee and food. 

Flat white £2.80. Best I've had so far in London. A pleasure to walk down the street drinking. 

It was heaving - two separate queues for takeout and tables. At least 6 staff serving. Efficient and friendly. 

Food was inspired: banana and walnut bread toasted with espresso butter - essentially warmed in a panini grill. It was delicious - and novel. Main offering was toasties, made with sourdough bread. Stacks of them waiting for the panini grill treatment, interesting flavours. 

Nice decor: wood round the serving bit, brick wall, menu written on rolls of brown paper (not massively readable, but okay). Green theme in the colander holding fruit, the shelf brackets. Interesting ceiling.

I like the food display: high enough, not too big for the food it held. And I bought the cake as it was directly in front of me as I ordered. Two more banana bread loaves arrived as he served, wrapped in clingfilm; they were hidden out of sight under the counter till needed. 

Good little corner by the door with tall stools for people waiting for takeouts to stand.