Giddy Up Floripa, Hackney, East London

After a fair old break I found myself back East and had the pleasure to visit a stall I wanted to cover months ago. The Giddy up Hackney stall AKA Giddy Up Floripa (they have 3 other locations, Fortune Park, Islington and Islington Memorial Green and Guild Yard, City of London.) is a stones throw from Old Street round about. 

It sits at the corner of Great Eastern Street and Rivington street under the canopy of the Brazilian bar and restaurant Floripa. Look out for the Giddy Up rocking horse to help you find your way.

It is a stall but does benefits from the external seating of Floripa. It also has a notable coffee machine; a Kees Van de Western, Mirage Veloce, 3-group lever operated machine. To be honest I don't know much about machines but I read it was the only one of its type around (happy to be corrected). It is also incredibly sexy looking as you can see above.

I was joined (in reality she sat near me) by the actress Vicky McCLure (Lol from This Is England) but through sheer gutlessness I didn't tell her how awesome she was in that role. The barista was friendly, quick and informative which is always a boon at any cafe and made me feel very welcome on this sunny but windy afternoon.

Shortly after ordering the coffee arrived with a thick crema made of fine bubbles and a few different layers of colour. It was quite windy as I said so it was hard to get an aroma fix but on tasting it immediately and generously gave up a rich, golden flavour. It was deep and earthy in tone, quite broad and had slight acidity. 

It was however a little muted overall, the true spark of flavour was struggling to get out after the initial warming broadside was delivered. The barista did inform me that he was having some issues dialling it in and balancing brightness and bitterness so I assume this is what he meant.

Further down the cup some strong cherry notes emerged with a little more clarity. It was generally sweet on the after notes and although a little too bitter it was still clean and not at all muddy. 

• Black Americano, drink in
• £2.00
• Strong
• Small (short)
• Rich full flavour with earthy tones and cherry notes
• Thick crema
• Beans: Square Mile Red Brick seasonal espresso blend
• Machine:  Kees Van de Western, Mirage Veloce

A very good coffee, professionally made and with very much going right for it but on this occasion it struggled to shine to its fullest potential. Despite this Giddy up is still hitting high and well worth a visit, enjoy.

Map Giddy Up Coffee can be found outside Floripa at 91-93 Great Eastern St, EC2A 3HZ

@Giddyupfloripa
@GiddyUpCoffee
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Hurwundeki Cafe, Bethnal Green, East London, UK

Hurwundeki is a cafe and fashion boutique based in fashionable but tatty Bethnal Green. This is their second store in London, the other being round the corner in Spittle-fields but which is not a cafe. The store is distinctive as it pokes out from under the railway arches with a clear sign and a large front garden.

The front garden is covered in sand and decked out with children's furniture and toys which gives it a unique run down child's play ground look. Inside the store is divided into two main sections. The main clothing area and cafe counter and then in another arch a large seating area with some other displays. 

The furniture throughout is recycled and mainly consists of school desks, pews and stools. There is an eye catching display of shoes and taxidermy on the far wall and the entire scene is lit high up with chandeliers. 

The music is kept up pretty loud which was a good counter to the trains which you feel thundering overhead. I've always had a soft spot for railway archway establishments so I was very happy with the environment.

Ordering a regular Long Black I settled down in a threadbare sofa and relaxed. The crema was very white and in the gaps of the thin layer you could see quite an oily coffee. The aroma wasn't strong but on tasting one found a tangy acidic flavour that was sharp on the tongue. 

It was a little muddy throughout and this lurked on till after the coffee was gone. To the end it remained sharp and citrus like but not overpowering and pleasantly smooth.

• Regular Long Black, drink in
• £2.15
• Medium strength
• Good citrus notes
• Whitish thin crema
• Small size
• Beans: Square Mile
• Machine: La Marzocco 
• Grinder: Mazzer

Great venue; you can shop for clothes and the furniture selection works. The coffee had some good citrus tone to it & had the potential to be great but was spoiled by the murky fuzz that overtook everything else that was going on.

Map

http://www.shop.hurwundeki.com/

@Hurwundeki

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Taylor St Baristas, Shoreditch, East London, UK

This is my 2nd Taylor St Baristas review after covering Brighton previously I move onto their Shoreditch branch. The Brighton cup was top of the range so let us see how East London fairs.

It takes a little finding as this Taylor St. is inside a small light-industrial estate. Where is it exactly? Well it is in the little shed (quite a large shed really). This cute, homely looking venue is a modest setting for a brand well known for producing excellent, mouth watering coffee. 


Inside 3 staff were busy tiding up after the post lunch rush and quickly moved to serve me as I entered. There was a little room to sit but it felt cosy rather than cramped in here. The shed itself gave everything a pleasent Alpine feel. 

I took my coffee outside to enjoy the lovely spring sunshine and to sit on the attractive curved wooden benches. Before doing so I had a mishap of my own making; when trying to photograph the hut I poured some of my recently espressed purchase over my hand creating quite a burn. Not a good idea.

Alongside my poor throbbing mit the agency or magazine opposite was holding auditions. I'm not sure what was more agonising, probably the constant circulation of models through the area. Who am I kidding? sitting drinking coffee in the sunshine watching extraordinarily beautiful woman stream pass is of course my idea of heaven. 

Enough pre-amble, lets get onto the joe. Sitting down to enjoy my drink I found the coffee held a ripe fruity aroma, reminiscent of my fathers elderflower wine making.  


It was smooth and sweet to taste and the fruitiness brought notes of plumbs and other stone fruits to bare. It held a little bite but was well balanced and not overpowering in flavour. It was not overly strong, nor too weak and remained clean to the finish.

The actual coffee was brilliant but for some reason the cup seemed to permeate the taste near the end. It started to shroud the coffee in the taste of waxy card; I have chewed on a coffee cup or two in my time and recognised it instantly. 


I'm not sure if this was a technical issue with my specific cup or that batch but it created an unpleasant taste that was hard to remove but I firmly believe it was a random issue outside of the actual brewing.

• Small Black Americano, take away
• Medium Strength
• Sweet & smooth with a plumb fruitiness
• Light Crema
• Small cup - 60z
• £1.90
• Beans: Union
• Machine: Marzocco
• Grinders: Anfim Super Caimano 

A very good coffee as one has come to expect with lots of fruity flavours and a unique venue to boot.

Note- They are not open at the weekend.

Map

http://www.taylor-st.com/

@Taylor_St

info@taylor-st.com

http://blog.taylor-st.com/

Get lost? Call them on 0207 929 2207

Shoreditch Grind, Shoreditch, East London, UK

Set right on the Old Street round about Shoreditch Grind takes residence in a striking black brick turret of a building with a large cinema style sign. Getting inside they carry through the nice design but counter balance the heavy bold exterior with a light interior of white walls, large windows and light wood.

For such a tiny space they do incredibly well to seat as many as they do. A serving counter at the back take prominence with simple wooden tables and chairs filling the central space in front. The trick is their window bars and stools which turn every available edge into somewhere to sit. 


These edge bars are thin, more of a ledge but just enough for a laptop. Combined with a regular supply of plug sockets along the wall  and free wifi you are set up for a meeting, mobile office or just hanging out and drinking coffee. 

The staff were friendly and well on top of the lunch time rush as they took orders and made joe promptly and efficiently. The stamped mugs were a nice touch and the "Black Card", a credit card loyalty system were really smart and not something to get mashed up in your wallet like all the others. 

The coffee came quickly in a small shiny monochrome cup and saucer. A fine crema was just dissipating around the spots of oil on the surface and it was giving of a sweet gentle aroma that tantalised my olfactory nerve endings no end. 

The initial taste was quite full and strong but immediately became a bit flat. It broadened out on the pallet as I carried on drinking but pulling out the flavour was a little hard. It was certainly smooth and I would say a soft understated coffee in general.

It did have a little too much bitterness but there were also some pleasant tones of citrus on the finish. The biggest issue was that after the initial sip I found the coffee to be a bit bland, not weak nor watery but lacking in flavour overall.

They are famously secretive about their beans, that are available for purchase.  An independent roaster makes a blend of their choosing and sends them regular supplies. Brighton has been mentioned so I'm going to guess at the excellent Small Batch Coffee Company. I've asked them to confirm but am waiting for comment.

• Black Americano, drink in
• £1.95
• Medium strength
• Smooth but a little bland
• Fine Crema
• Small cup
• Beans: Shoreditch Grind blend 
• Machine: La Marzocco
• Grinder: Mazzer

A well above average coffee but with the whole set up  being so well thought out, functional (and pretty darn cool)  to taste something a little bland as the ultimate point of existence was sadly a let down. 

Map

http://www.shoreditchgrind.com/

@shoreditchgrind

http://www.facebook.com/shoreditchgrind
info@shoreditchgrind.com

Ozone Coffee Roasters, Shoreditch, East London, UK

On a rather epic day of coffee hunting I stumbled upon Ozone Coffee and all because I was eating a horrific coronation turkey sandwich from Pret. I stopped to gag, looked up and there they were; with the white letters spelling out  C O F F E E with an arrow painted directly on the brick work. I approached, I went in.

Only 3 weeks old and at the time of review not yet on the excellent London's Best Coffee App by Blue Crow Media finding Ozone was meant to be.

Ozone Coffee Roasters are a brand from New Zealand and as their name suggests are a cafe and roastery. I have to say from walking in there was something I liked about the place and my hopes were that the coffee would match my excitement.

A large space set over a ground and basement floor with the cafe up and the roastery down. The cafe area is divided  up by a large central all around bar with a single long "bar" space to drink at the front and a set of traditional booths at the back. 

They have the coffees on display to drink and buy as well as some slow drip set ups. A high ceiling, plenty of wood, brushed metal and attractive well turned out staff buzzing around made it a relaxing place to sit and enjoy.

Down in the roastery you had the big roaster, a training area, additional seating and some pretty cool toilets. The training area is a nice area that you can have open or closed and would be good for a meeting if you wanted to hire it out.

When you go down stairs your eye will be drawn to the micro roaster, go check it out. Man I want one of those.

BOYS TOY

As well as their espresso blend they also have a guest shot on, this is a lovely idea and normally a pleasure reserved for the filter drinkers out there. As ever I went for an Americano, the house blend this time and it was a dark one. 

The joe was shrouded in a thin layer of dark crema which with the oils in layers was traversing the surface like a demented weather pattern on an alien world. It came small and in a smart branded mug.

The taste was smooth and strong. A real bitter bite on the first sip but as my mouth acclimatized it brought forward some warm woody tones. The middle was a steady dry sweetness with low acidity. 

The strong deep flavours with that slight bitterness lasted through with just enough sweetness to make it sing. On the finish that low lying deep coffee, clean, dry tannin  flavour remained with me for some time.

• Black Americano, drink in

• £2.00

• Strong

• Dry, sweet with warm woody notes

• Light but dark crema

• Small cup

• Beans: Ozone espresso blend

• Machine: Synesso

• Grinder: Mazer

A lovely well made coffee with good balance in flavour, size and strength. The best coffee I had all day from several established coffee houses. This new kid on the block is exciting, making premier coffee with all the trimmings. Give them a visit.

Map

www.ozonecoffee.co.uk

@OzoneCoffee

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info@ozonecoffee.co.uk

The Book Club, Shoreditch, East London, UK

As I sat down with my cracked but entertaining bright orange cup and saucer I realised I had been here before. It was a party, I wasn't drinking for some reason & I ate nachos. My friends wife was very drunk and was being hysterically funny and then I had to leave. Good times.


Well with that classic humdinger of a reminiscence over with lets get on with the review.

The Book Club is a great space and nicely decked out. The high ceilings, brick walls, large art pieces and open kitchen create a wonderfully large airy room. The mixed up furniture of various seating arrangements and dividing wall kept things intimate but still breezy. The ping pong table is just plain fun.

This seemed like a great omni functional cafe. One would be as comfortable with breakfast, a meeting or after work drinks here.

When the coffee came in the aforementioned funky cup I noted it has a solid aroma with a little hint at some sour notes across its olily sheen.

On tasting unfortunately I was immediately grabbed by fuzz at the back of my throat. First impressions were that it was a little too bitter for my tastes and a little too weak. There was flavour to be mined but it was masked with that layer of wateriness, perhaps from over espressed beans. 


As the drink continued, things improved and we got on better. The stand out elements were of the citrus that the aroma had hinted at and an overall pleasant dry quality. The finish sadly took on what the drink had started with, a muddy fuzz.

• Black Americano
• £2.00
• Medium strength
• Slightly sour and dry but fuzzy
• Medium crema with a thickish rim
• Medium size

A more than adequate but not really fine cup of coffee; greatly enhanced by a super atmosphere in the place.


Map
http://www.wearetbc.com/

@TheBookClubEC2

info@wearetbc.com

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Climpson and Sons, Hackney, East London, UK

The 2nd trip to East London with Rex was to visit Climpson and Sons. The plan on this warm but turbulent day was to buy some take away and then go sit in London Fields, a bit obvious of course but sometimes obvious is nice. 

Broadway market was on and the store was packed. I stayed outside with the little one whilst Rex ventured in and bought the coffee's. The staff didn't know what a babychinno or a bambinochinno was which created some confusion but we got there in the end. She needs her frothed milk or there is hell to pay so Rex did have to go back, twice. He is a great friend.

Sitting on one of the shops benches and watching the chaos of the market go by and ocassioanly nipping to a stall to grab a taster was an enjoyable experience. Poor Rex spent an age inside securring the drinks, it took a long time. Popular as this place is the queue times led me to think they could be a tad more efficient but quality takes time so I can forgive that.

The coffee had cooled a little by the time we sat on the grass, there was no trace of crema but the coffee was rich with oil, shimmering under the sun and wispish clouds above. As the wind picked up and the clouds came in I had an enjoyable coffee experience, although not very strong it was packing plenty of flavour in those 6 ounces. It was smooth, it ended on some sweet notes and without any hint of bitterness. 

I'm sorry to say it went down so well I became slightly absent minded and didn't drill into the flavour as I'm sure there is more to be said.

• Long Black, double shot, take away
• Regular size is £2.20 and large is £2.40
• Medium strength
• Smooth and flaversome
• No crema (but late) 
• size: small (6 ounce)
• Machine:  La Marzocco
• Beans: Climpsons and Sons espresso blend

A lovely smooth coffee, I want to go again to give it another taste.

http://webcoffeeshop.co.uk/

Twitter: @cplimpsonandsons
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Hackney City Farm, Hackney, London, UK

A random visit to Hackney City Farm occurred whilst out hunting for other coffee's with the now Blog regular Rex. As I had the little one and we were getting hungry the City Farm seemed a perfect place to visit.

Here you are promised the delight of being able to see the animals and then eat their relatives. A lovely concept that I was more than happy to get on board with it. On the animal front alongside your normal farm yard fair there were some fantastic gigantic pigs, very impressive specimens. 

Do note that the farm is a charity and it is free to enter so please donate to support this great enterprise. 

The cafe is large and has quite a relaxed lowfi vibe about it. The menu looked pretty yummy all round. It was £7.50 for a big old farm house breakfast made with quality ingredients. The girlie had scrambled eggs. All was excellent although she ate by Bacon but then I ate Rex's so it balanced out.

It would have been rude to not sample the coffee so we did. It was a pretty good cup of joe all in all. It tasted nice, was very smooth and with no unwanted bitterness. It was wanting for a little more strength so I would ask for it to be a little shorter next time. 

• Black Americano, drink in
• £1.50
• Weak - Medium strength
• Very smooth
• No crema
• Size: Medium

A good coffee, don't avoid it. Go see some animals, have a slap up meal and enjoy the black stuff.

Map

http://hackneycityfarm.co.uk/

Twitter: @hackneycityfarm

Email: farm@hackneycityfarm.co.uk