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My old office used to look out over Berwick St, with its wonderful but little known fruit and veg market. “3 figs 1 pound” the sign reads. And they used to at least have some wonderfully arranged displays.
The “models” are still up a staircase next to the fish and chip shop where we lusted over the girl with a fine layer of chip fat over her skin and the giant hoop earrings. Once the “models” used to be French, schoolgirl or simply young. Now they are oriental or eastern european.
But this is not why I’m here. I’m in search of a decent coffee.
Back in the day cafe Nero and Patisserie valerie weren’t too bad but they jumped the shark by becoming chains in a city that has become increasingly starbuckized. It’s nice to see Bruno, where we used to grab our cappuccinos, still there but I wonder what I’d make of its coffee nowadays.
It is in Berwick St that there is a little bit of Australia in the coffee served in Flat White. My 2.50 pound ($6) latte has all the flavour and the art. But the price!
Everywhere I eat and drink reinforces my theory that you nearly pay $1 for pound for food and drink.
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{ 4 comments… read them below or add one }
Yep, that’s life in London as an Aussie who can convert prices…
When we first got here in 2000, one of our first trips from the flea ridden hotel in Bayswater was to Oxford St for a look around and a bite of lunch. We wandered (retrospectively by mistake) into a american stlye burger joint. Wehn we saw that a plain cheeseburger and coke was around AUD$20 we nearly ran screaming. If not for the jet lag I would have been able to leave and find something a little more reasonable, and as it turns out, tasty…possibly less cardboard like.
That’s about the time we moved temporarily to Haringey and found that you need to live on tinned food to survive cheaply in London. When I got my first job here I celebrated with two medium size t-bone steaks for £22 (AUD$50 ish).
The trendy food markets certainly don’t provide any evidence that you get value for money, you can certainly get good stuff though.
Ah, dear old Soho. I worked on Wardour St for five years Ed and I still mourn their passing. Although the level of hedonism involved has probably shortened my life span by about 10 years…too many bars and pubs combined with a job that all too frequently utilised such establishments for “team meetings” of the eight hour variety…oh happy days.
Enjoy old blighty mate!
I used to buy my fruit there! It was down the road from Uni…..I also remember buying 2 shocking pink glass vases from a very odd store in one of those side streets.
Hunty, there is stuff to find at good prices but you have to hunt hard.
davy, yeahwe used to end up in the pub for eight pint team meetings. We mosty drank Guinness so we didn’t need to eat.
tassie-gal, same her I bought my fruit and veg there. The displays were always amazing.