Carnaby Street Coffee Crawl

Eventually, I made it back to where I was originally supposed to be: Carnaby Street.

Only to get distracted all over again.

The entire street had been transformed with colourful decorations inspired by Frida Kahlo, likely celebrating the exhibition currently running at Tate Modern. Flowers, vibrant colours and Mexican-inspired artwork stretched overhead, giving the whole street a festive atmosphere.

Before long I found myself wandering down neighbouring Marshall Street, where independent boutiques and little side streets immediately caught my attention.

Then another name appeared:

Department of Coffee & Social Affairs.

Now that's a café name that's practically impossible for me to ignore.

Inside, I rewarded myself with an espresso and a wonderfully fruity berry muffin before—naturally—adding yet another bag of coffee beans to my ever-growing backpack.

The café had a relaxed atmosphere, friendly staff and the sort of space that invites you to linger.

Eventually, I made it back to Carnaby Street.

The place was buzzing.

Probably a little too buzzing for my liking.

That's simply part of being in the middle of one of the world's great cities.

One last coffee stop remained.

Grind.

They're a London institution with cafés all across the city. What surprised me most was how much emphasis this location placed on their coffee capsules. Their wall of capsules was enormous, while the selection of whole beans was comparatively small.

Still, the espresso was excellent, the staff were lovely, and—yes—you guessed it.

Another bag of beans found its way into my backpack.

At this point, my suitcase was beginning to feel nervous.Read more