Did you know that I am training for the Royal Parks half marathon? That’s right, Sandy is not the only runner of the couple (though I wouldn’t dare running a marathon as he did in Rome in March)! I am also raising money in support of the charity Mind*.
On Sunday I attended a 15k race in Clapham Common, but unfortunately I had to drop out after 11 kilometers because of a stitch. It was the hottest day of the year, I pushed myself hard to complete the race in 1h30′, so I was probably just dehydrated. I walked for a few meters, then tried to run again, but without success. I decided to stop, but I was gutted not to cross the finish line.
The next morning I was back to my training schedule, running 3 miles before going to work. I had a good run, shook off the disappointment of the day before, reached the office feeling happy…and craving cake! I used the London’s Best Coffee app to look for a place near my office that I hadn’t yet been to. I found a listing for the London Review Cake Shop, a small café located inside a bookshop, just a minute away from the British Museum.
I feared it might be over-crowded with tourists, but it wasn’t. It was a little corner of paradise in the middle of the city, only a few tables occupied by people discussing literature or working on their laptops.
The London Review Cake Shop opened five years ago and is accessible only via the bookshop, through a passage in the history section. They are specialists of teas and coffee, offering a good lunch selection of homemade soups, Quiche, sandwiches and salads. But the main attractions are of course the mouth-watering cakes.
The café serves excellent cakes and pastries (lavender, honey and polenta biscuits, or a superlative berry Danish, all flake and butter, on our last visit), moreish lunches (Persian chicken hot-pot, carrot and orange soup with crème fraîche, sesame baguette with salmon, gherkin spread and ricotta), top-class teas from Jing (served with beautiful bamboo and glass tea ware) and Monmouth coffees. [from Time Out London]
They use Monmouth coffee and make a very good Macchiato, but I have a feeling that this is a place to go for tea. The counter is covered in tea cups and there are tea menus hanging on the wall, plus I over-heard a woman saying “I never drink tea, but here it is a must”, which confirmed my suspicions! ;)
Every cake on display yesterday was very tempting…eventually I ordered the gluten-free Chocolate & Almond Cake, which was thick, gooey and delicious. I wish they sold half portions though, as one slice was a bit too much to eat on my own. Too much chocolate cake, yes that’s my only complain! ;)
I paid £5 for a Macchiato and a big slice of cake, which is a fair price for central London, especially considering: the quality of both food and drink, the location, the attentive service, the lovely and quiet atmosphere. I wish I could have stayed at the London Review Cake Shop for hours, reading a book, chatting to a friend…
But I will go back, for lunch to try their sandwich or the salad, or for the Afternoon Tea. And you should also do the same.
You can follow the Cake Shop on Twitter.
*If you would like to sponsor me for my half marathon, please visit my fundraising page.
Bello, bello: tra un poco potrai fare una miniguida sui posti segreti di Londra con tutto il materiale che hai!!
Okay, that’s another one added to my 4Sq to do list… thanks!
love your post although can’t help but feel a bit nervous. the best thing about lrb is that it’s sort of like london’s best kept secret. it’s charm is that it’s busy but not so much that you are waiting for very very long. i’ve spent many happy hours studying at this little gem. and terry (the lady behind the show) has phenomenal taste!
I’m with you! When I saw this post, the two simultaneous thoughts were: “My fave!” and “Oh no!” I usually love to share new finds and hideouts, but LRB was the one place I kept to myself. It just feels like a little sanctuary hidden in plain sight.