Coffee-Hunting....

....Aussie Style.

It seems that these days, the BIG thing in London is Coffee Houses, Brunch Places, Breakfast Bars....popping up all over the place, and everything so far has been synonymous with the words 'Australian Style'.

Due to my large contact base in Melbourne, I have been reminded time and time again how trendy the 'Coffee Culture' is over there, so much so that it is much less of a past-time than a distinct feature of the city itself.

London, on the other hand, perhaps owing to its vastness and our lack of insight, falters behind in the quaint coffee places that a city like Melbourne has to offer. Sad, really....seeing how vibrant and colourful a place this city is in terms of gastronomy, trendy eateries and the likes.

And then we discovered that St. ALi had spread its wings to this part of the world....much thanks to Jane.

Of course, with an opening like St. ALi, it was pretty hard for us to ignore. The fact that I had received nothing but the highest of praises from every single Melbournian I had asked after, and that the owners had chosen to open their second branch 10,000 miles away from the first, definitely warranted a mention....and naturally a visit.

So off we went on our coffee hunt:

Being greeted by a myriad of Australian accents when we entered was truly heart-warming. It was as though we had just crossed over from East London to Melbourne in an instant.

I especially liked the open-plan counter where the baristas worked their magic

Flat White

Filter Coffee

Lynn obviously found the miniature milk bottle very entertaining

Overall, it was an experience worth two thumbs up! I was fondly reminded of my many dapples with excellent coffee experiences in Perth over last summer, and although many a Melbournian has vehemently reminded me that it is not a shadow of the REAL stuff they serve down in Melbourne, I still maintain that the coffee culture in the land Down Under is one thing that trumps England hands down. So much so that I almost forgive them for all being such Coffee Snobs. Gasp! (I kid, I kid!)

Also, Psssstttt.....you didn't hear it from me, but as a little birdie told me, St. ALi will soon be acquiring an Alcohol license and extending its opening hours to dinner times, so you'll be seeing me chilling there more often after I am rid of something called dreary finals.

And as for the Australian invasion to the slowly growing coffee map on this side of the waters, I am welcoming it all indeed....with open arms:

St. ALi

27 Clerkenwell Road

EC1M 5RN

London