London
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276 Hackney Road
London E2 7SJ
Really, really good food and coffee.
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July 19, 2009
By their inherent nature, corporate coffee shop chains are impersonal, mass-produced centres of inauthenticity – ironic, considering they strive so hard to achieve a sense of intimacy and connection with the coffee-drinking community.
We need this blight of modern society however, as it heightens the joy of finding a genuine, independently-run coffee shop that satisfies our cravings for caffeine in luxurious style.
Situated near to Columbia Road, 'A Taste of Bitter Love' is a small, intimate venue that screams authenticity from the moment you stroll up the road to its welcoming pavement tables. Whilst the coffee needs to be commended – fresh, incredibly flavoursome and fairly-priced – it's the shop's décor and ambience that makes it such a clear winner for me.
From antique sugar pots to quirky furnishings, 'A Taste of Bitter Love' feels welcoming, friendly and has an overwhelming sense of personality to it. Full of characters that are genuinely interesting as opposed to skinny-jeaned Hoxtonstein wannabes that amble so close by, this coffee shop serves up a superb range of attractive sandwiches, pastries and flans.
This is an absolute gem of a coffee house – even if it didn't offer such a feeling of grandeur, the coffee alone would be worth seeking it out for. Wholeheartedly recommended.
June 14, 2009
Very cute little shop with vintage furniture and a record collection to die for. It is tiny in size but packs a real punch, just like a top-quality espresso.
The coffee is amazing and the very cool Aussie owners take coffee making very serious. The food selection is limited but so wonderful - and home baked with LOVE. Delish! What a way to start the day.
This is the only place to begin your Sunday market trawling.
March 24, 2009
This place is super awesome. Right on Hackney Rd between Queensbridge Rd and the City Farm they serve the best coffee in the area (of course the coffee cart on Columbia Rd on Sunday's sells awesome coffee but it's so packed and only open 1 day a week).
The guys that own it are super friendly - on Sunday it took a little longer than usual for them to make my coffee so they gave me a free cake!!!
The decor is awesome - very eclectic but not lame. They have a Japanese lucky cat thing that meows when you give them a tip.
They also have a couple of cute tables outside so you can hang out, smoke and watch the world go by.
March 21, 2009
eye-candy eclectic decor and the John Travolta work-out book distract you from the size of this shoe-box of love. Just how they make so much yum in such a tiny space boggles the mind, but who cares, the coffee's fucking awesome and they should offer classes in customer service. Proximity to Columbia road (flower market) means that this is definitely on the Sunday East-end cafe crawl.
March 21, 2009
There were cats waving at me when I walked in. Not the real types mind you but figurines of the Hello Kitty strain. ToBL was encountered purely by chance, I had to catch a bus back to Liverpool St Station after a date (why are women so nonchalant when it comes to that?) failed to show up at the Hackney City Farm cafe.
I had the most beautiful cup of frothy coffee made for me. A lovely young lady who spoke perfect English in a strange accent (sounded like Neighbours to me) made it. I also had a toasted cheese sandwich that tasted so good I could'nt possibly replicate at home. I left this place exceedingly contented, sod the date I declared and three cheers for the best cafe in the East End that's the Taste of Bitter Love.
