Coffee is a big part of my day, and I’m sure it’s just as important to many others. Where do you like to go for a coffee in London?
Gabi, 20, Elephant and Castle
“If I want to study, I found this really good place in Soho called ‘TAP coffee‘, I found it recently and it has a really nice vibe. I also like to go to “Louie Louie”, I go there because it’s close to my house, for when I am feeling lazy, but they do have pretty good coffee…also any coffee shop in Brixton is fine.”
Ernesta, 22, South London
“Usually I like to get a good coffee, but I do struggle to find places. Mare Street market has a pretty good place, the interior is really nice there and they do a really good coffee.”
Neelam (c) Sofi N.
Neelam, 20, East London
“I like to go where I work because I get it for £1, and I drink about three coffees a day. Depending on who is serving me, I sometimes don’t even get charged for it.”
Alex. (c) Sofi N.
Alex, 25, Dalston
“I tend to go to Kaffiene. It’s close to my place of work so it’s very convenient and they do a good flat white.”
Dave. (c) Sofi N.
Dave, 23, Northampton
“I like Auguste handmade because the smell of the shop reminds me of when I used to fix my bike with my dad. The coffees are very good, they are never burnt. It’s reasonably priced, all of the bikes in there are super nice and the guy who runs it is very welcoming.”
Since moving to London in September, I have been trying to find things to do during my spare time that make me happy, whilst I’m not studying. Here are just a few things that I have discovered and enjoyed so far.
Columbia Road Flower Market – I absolutely love flowers, and looking after house plants, so as you can imagine I am very much, a big fan of the Columbia Road Flower Market on a Sunday. The market is only a short walk from where I’m living, so on a Sunday I love to go for a walk, and browse what the traders have on their stalls that week. Despite how busy the market gets, I’d say it’s definitely worth it for any plant lovers.
The market is open from 8am-3pm on Sundays. If you aren’t a fan of crowds, it’s best to go just as the market is opening. Although if you are looking for a bargain, visit when the winding down at around 2-3pm – this is when the market is winding down and traders are even likely to reduce their prices.
2. Trying out different local cafés – During my free time in London, I like to explore my local area and try out different cafés. Recently I’ve tried the Curious Yellow Kafe which is located on Pitfield Street. They have an outside seated area, at the front of the cafe which I can imagine would be lovely to sit at during the summer. Curious Yellow Kafe’s aim is to bring quality and goodness to the people of N1 with a flavour of Sweden.
3. The Finnish Church – As I am half Finnish, I love to visit the Finnish church, to go to the cafeteria, or the shop. The cafeteria is a communal meeting space for Finns that live in the UK, and it’s also a good way to find out about Finnish events and activities. The cafeteria sells cinnamon buns and Karelian pies, which you can have alongside your Finnish coffee (which in my opinion, is much nicer than English coffee). The Finnish shop is my favorite place to visit when I feel I need a touch of Finland to take home. They have the biggest selection on Finnish foods.
The Finnish church also have a traditional Finnish market each year – which I am looking forward to. This year the market will be held from 20th – 24th November.
4. Spitalfields Market – I enjoy a browse around the stalls in the market, especially if I have friends from outside of London visiting me, as it’s always a crowd pleaser. I personally don’t often buy anything from the markets, but they do have some very good food and coffee options.
5. Seven seasons– seven seasons is a family run bottle shop which is located in Hackney, Hoxton. They sell craft beers and ales. They have a lovely indoor seating area, and a large selection of beers. The staff are incredibly helpful – if you don’t know much about beers. I enjoy going to seven seasons to wind down and socialise with my friends as often as possible.
(c) Sofi N. They have two tables just outside of the shop, which I enjoyed sitting at during the summer.
6. Vintage shops– London has a massive selection of vintage shops, and I love to visit stores and see what kinds of things they have on sale, which may take my fancy over my usual purchases. Although as a student living on a budget, with Christmas just around the corner, it’s quite difficult to actually bite the bullet and make that purchase.
7. Sofar sounds – sofar sounds organise secret intimate gigs around London. These gigs can either be hosted in somebody’s house, or in a proper venue. To get tickets you need to apply for tickets in your selected area, and if you win – they email you! I attended my first sofar sounds gig in September 2016, and it’s been one of the best gigs I’ve attended.
(c) Sofi N. I also had the opportunity to meet and talk to the artist – as the venue was so intimate.
What are some things that you enjoy doing in London, that make you happy?
Sofi’s Blog 