Monsoon is an average little cafe on the High Road in Willesden Green, right by the Library Centre…read more They have a pretty extensive range of food at cheap prices (sandwiches, paninis, crepes, soups, breakfasts, chips, jacket potatoes etc) I've had a jacket potato there a couple of times, and it has to be said, it was HUGE with a very generous amount of beans and cheese and all for £1.99 (but seriously, it would probably take me days in the gym to work off the amount of beans and cheese they pile on that thing...)! There is outdoor seating, which is nice in the summer, although the seating is on Willesden High Road, so uh, not THAT nice... :) The staff are friendly! Good if you want to meet someone in the area for a quick coffee, no frills.

It is a delight moving from Camden Town to Willesden Green…read more No longer must I pay tourist prices for everything I buy. I think I almost fell over when I came to the Monsoon Cafe. Huge plates of food start from £3 and finish at £5. Lovely freshly squeezed juices about half the price they are in more fashionable neighbourhoods. And the best thing is that the baked goods are made from scratch across the road at Willesden's very own mini-bakery-empire that is Monsoon (other branches in Kilburn and by Willesden Green tube). It makes me feel great to know that I can have a great meal, change left over in my pocket and still support local business. Service is friendly but occasionally overworked and please remember this is a 'caff' not a restaurant. But if you want a great meal at a brilliant price, do head over to Monsoon and eat your freshly-made-fill.

I have long debated whether I should give this new café in Crouch End four or only three…read morestars...for now I have settled on three stars. Please let me elaborate my reasoning here: Having walked by this new place a few weeks ago, I was thrilled to see an independent coffee shop opening here. The mental note "to come back" was quickly made and yesterday I finally managed to return and try out their coffee... Let me say: I really like what they've done to this place. In fact, decor-wise I would give this place five stars; I especially like their wallpaper with the colourfully birds painted on it (see picture). Also, they have a cute little area in the back where a small group of people can have a lovely chat. So, where did they lose the stars? -Well, given that the decor was all tailored to make me feel at home, I didn't feel like it...and that has mostly to do with the fact, that the staff just wasn't very "warm". Don't get me wrong, nobody was unfriendly, but they were just very reserved...no smile, no "how are you doing?". And I just need that... Also, another reason, why they lost yet another star, was that they don't have free wifi. In fact, when I first saw this place I thought I might have found a good substitute to Starbucks...which I only frequent because they offer wifi at no cost, but... Nevertheless, I am willing to come back in due time and have yet another coffee, as this was actually quite delicious!

So after nearly 2 months of life in N8, numerous lattes and loaves of artisan bread later, I am…read moreready to give my award for the best cafe in crouch end to, coffee circus. I expect the reason is less to do with the coffee it serves and more due to the fantastic atmosphere inside. Think cosy unique decor, excellent brunch menu, charming baristas (it is like being on holiday in the med) and customers reading books instead of glued to their Smartphone's. Firstly the menu, like everyone else in there I went for the eggs Benedict with salmon which were divine. Eggs cooked to perfection on a beautiful English muffin and excellent quality salmon. If eggs aren't your thing they serve salads, sandwiches, soups and for comfort food at its best go for the amazing chunky French toast oozing with syrup. As others have noted this place is serious about the coffee so much so that customers were queuing out the door for it. If like myself your coffee palette is less refined, yes you can tell the difference between espresso and Nescafe but any further and you are out of your depth ,the staff are very helpful in giving recommendations of what to try. My mocha had a really deep, smooth flavour and definitely preferred it to any of the chain coffee shop equivalent. The food menu is just the type of thing you would want from a cafe of this size, think filled croissants. Eggs Benedict cooked to perfection and delicious thick cut French toast oozing with syrup. So if you are looking for friendly staff serving great food and coffee, in a charming environment, then coffee circus is worth the trip. Like the other yelpers I did miss the free wifi, but I don't think coffee circus would have the same charm if everyone was working away on their MacBoooks!

I was really excited when this little coffee shop opened up on Commercial Road opposite the Troxy…read moretheatre, just around the corner from Limehouse DLR. It looked like a proper independent coffee house where I might be able to get a decent espresso to drink in on a weekend or take away on my way to work. How wrong I was. The coffee is burnt. The pastries are taken out of their plastic packets and then left to go stale. The takeaway cups leak spectacularly. Oh, and staff who ask if you'd like sugar. What's that about? If I want it, I'll put it in myself, thanks. All in all, a total disappointment. The walk to the DLR is now made worse by the sight of what COULD have been a great addition to a morning routine.

I had a better experience with a pretty darn fine salad along with my neighbour who also liked it…read more It's not amazing but then it probably isn't going to be in that location - it's not exactly stuffed with London's most groovy and culinary set. But, the best way have things improve is to talk to the owners; I'm sure they're more interested in building their business than serving burnt coffee. Imagine if no-one ever said anything and they closed down without ever knowing why. I didn't much rate watching Cheryl Cole fighting for her love on the hig-mounted tv, but then again the locals aren't just us new urbanites and some people, inexplicably, like telly in their lives. But it wasn't loud. It is nice & moderrn inside and it's friendly. I quite liked being asked if I wanted sugar; being served is sometimes nice and I can cope with someone doing it for me. And if you don't take sugar it makes absolutely no difference anyway. The chavs would steal the daintily wrapped sugars!

What do you call a greasy spoon style café that isn't greasya spoon?…read more The menu here is quite similar to what you might expect to find in your typical greasy spoon, with some exceptions. I enjoyed one of these exceptions, a cottage pie with 3 veg for less than a fiver. Good value and good taste. Very clean café with friendly staff.

Where to begin? Well, I've been there twice. The Irishman has been there a few times. It's the…read moreclosest place to get inexpensive breakfast and that is absolutely 100% the only reason why we go there. Although after our last experience, I vowed that I will never return, although it hasn't poisoned us yet and it's hard to conceive of walking further than around the corner when one is hungover. If you do go there, order from the specials on the menu. We don't because we're cheap and I don't do pork. Last weekend, the waitress we ordered from wrote the first letter of each word for what we wanted (*note that beans, bacon, bubble, black coffee all start with the same letter) and then proceeded to confuse my order for beans with bacon (which I have not eaten in 15 years). When I pointed this out to her (immediately as she set the plate in front of me), she shrugged at me. That was it. No beans for me and I was left staring at pig carcass. The atmosphere is what you would expect, dingy diner, with the additional gross factor of friends of the staff coming in and smoking, half in the door, while holding the door open with negative temperatures outside. Gross. The food is passable. The home fries and coffee are particularly notable for being decent. And they show football on the TV's, which the Irishman appreciates.

Small, independently-run coffee shop and cafe, serving a wide range of home-made sandwiches, rolls,…read moretoasted paninis, cakes etc as well as hot and cold drinks. Friendly staff. Not a bad latte here, and with the big bonus that it's not a 'chain' cafe, so prices are rather more modest - for example, a bacon and egg baguette with a tea or coffee is £3.95. Friends working nearby are regular users. They have seating inside and out and, while the view isn't very exciting, it is right next to the Church Street stop of Croydon Tramlink.

Perhaps the last thing you'd expect to find amongst the posh chains of Leadenhall Market is greasy…read morespoon of a cafe. But you can't fault the place for character; they sit you on the first floor where's there's a low ceiling and small windows and bring your food up in a dumbwaiter. For as basic as it is, it's also very tasty and service is super fast. You wouldn't need half an hour to enjoy your meal (though if you ate too quickly it might not be so enjoyable). And compared to the average City establishment it's also a pretty good deal. Worth a stop in before work.

Friendly cafe at the station entrance to Centre Court shopping centre. Too many tables and chairs…read moremake the place feel cluttered and several tables needed clearing on my visit. Good coffee, averagely priced. OK if you're passing and need a quick cuppa but there are better options nearby.

Very efficient staff dealing with morning commuters…read more It's in a great location at the entrance to the station, and I'm addicted to their cheese and tomato toasties, but the espresso is terrible. The mochas and cappuccinos they were serving up look good, but if you're a plan of black coffee this isn't really the place. I'll try here again another time though and see if it was a one off

This hip little cafe features a small retail shop in the front and a large dining room packed with…read moretables in the back. We came on a weekend afternoon and had to wait around 30 minutes for brunch. The place was very busy and you could see the waiters rushing around to serve each table. The service was pretty minimal after we placed our orders. They leave a large bottle of water on your table so you can refill water yourself. There was a good mix of traditional brunch options and trendier, healthier options. I was craving something sweet and unhealthy so I ordered the pancakes. It came with lots of cream on top satisfied my sweet tooth. I tried my friend's sweet potato and chorizo hash, but it tasted very average. The ingredients used in their food seemed fresh. Overall, the food wasn't good enough to make me want to visit again, but it wasn't bad by any means.

I really liked 202 in Notting Hill, and I found the whole experience of eating within the space of…read morea gift, furniture and clothes shop to be highly enjoyable, but I can't help but feel a little sceptical of the premise. It's like someone said; 'OK, we are surrounded by rich West Londoners - how can we get them to spend the most money possible? Lets offer them an enviable lifestyle while they eat, and then they will spend their money TWO times over, rather than just once!' I was almost worried that they were going to offer me a property brochure with 202 houses for sale rather than the dessert menu. That's my only complaint. And if I were rich enough to take advantage of this shop to it's full extent, then I definitely would. Nicole Fahri's tasteful eye has cast itself over every square inch of this shop. To the front of the shop is home furnishings, laid out in a way in such a way that for a very brief moment, you could dream that this was your living room; tastefully furnished with a few quirky artefact's thrown in. I loved her miniature model French CV cars. Downstairs is mainly clothes, again, I coveted everything. Upstairs is where all the beautiful people eat. The menu is comprehensive and spans through Breakfast, Brunch, Lunch and Dinner, and comes with a well chosen wine menu. The penny pinching cynic in me was won over - especially when I realised that I can shop between courses - result!