WTW: The Yurt, St. Katherine's Precinct

Where to Write (WTW): Good places to write. Places I like to write or have written, from libraries to cafes to park benches starting in London and going further afield. Following recommendations, geographical convenience and my nose for good coffee and cake.

2. The Yurt Cafe

(St Katherine's Precinct, London/Saturday,12 midday on)

I checked the criteria (in no particular order):

1. Accessibility: A community cafe and project within a stone's throw from St Katherine's docks for the marine folk and around the corner from the Number 15 Bus or Limehouse Station. All is at ground level for buggies and wheelchair users (apart from picnic tables on the incline outside). Open Monday to Sunday 9-5pm.
2. Breath-ability: It's very airy with heaters for colder weather but depending where you sit inside, the sun may hit you making it uncomfortably hot when eating. Two areas inside for writing, with the reflective space being less busy. Loads of fresh air outside of course.
3. Decor: As a Yurt should be, hessian flooring, round wooden latticed structure with material lining (see below).
4. Furniture: An eclectic mix of converted boxes, crates and benches with up-cycled pieces and in the reflection area, white garden furniture (perhaps for ease of converting room to other uses but rather flimsy and unstable for writing and eating from ie. required readjusting with either a well placed foot or folded up leaflet to prevent movement/wobble). There are plenty of cushions for extra comfort.
5. Music: A mix of languages and styles that fade into the background with the buzz of conversation and the trains passing overhead.
6. Sockets: I didn't expect any but there were two within easy reach.
7. Space: There was less room in the main tent where, movement around the room is restricted by the layout. The reflection area tent has a lot more space, with tables only around the edges and the centre space free.
8. Service: One person takes the order and gives you a wooden spoon number in a bottle, even for just a couple of coffees which means waiting for longer than normal for your coffee. Perhaps this is to prevent spillage or because of the busy layout.
9. Food:  Good variety of sweet and savoury but all the menu isn't always shown. Great veggie brunch with sourdough bread, poached eggs, mushroom, tomato, bubble & squeak and beans (not ordinary baked beans but with a twist). The portion size was perfect and everything was cooked beautifully. The only gripe I have is that chopped parsley was sprinkled on as a garnish and I dislike raw parsley. Next time I will say 'hold the parsley', which I would have done this time had I known. Why do chefs do it anyway? I asked for what was on the menu. It didn't mention parsley. I didn't expect parsley. I got parsley. How is this OK? It is an ingredient I did not order. Do I have to say I don't want parsley? What else do I have to say that I don't want? I guess most people like parsley and it doesn't ruin their meal if they have it. 
10. Drink: Good Americanos, small but cup handles not disastrously small (and came with a mini chocolate egg). Water containers and glasses at far side of counter available for the table. The kind of place you can sit and write for hours for the price of a coffee.
11. Wifi: Available but limited.
12. Toilets: Available and clean.
13. Guilt: A community space which tries to source food locally, is growing veg, pay staff a living wage, try to keep menu affordable with surpluses being reinvested into their community work. Zero guilt needed.
14. Writing: The space is so unusual in a densely populated area of East London that it is like an little oasis of tranquility (apart from the trains passing by overhead). 
15. Creativity Rating: Overall 7/10 for writing. If the seats and tables didn't wobble so much it would have been higher (and if I'd not got parsley on my plate when I didn't order it).

WTW: Caffe Nero

Where to Write (WTW): Good places to write. Places I like to write or have written, from libraries to cafes to park benches starting in London and going further afield. Following recommendations, geographical convenience and my nose for good coffee and cake.

3. Caffe Nero (*CP £2.20)

 

(Jubilee Place, Canary Wharf,  London/ Sunday April 2017, 3pm on)

I checked the criteria (in no particular order):

1. Accessibility: A chain available all over the country. This one is walking distance from a hub of transport including buses, the Jubilee Line and Docklands Light Railway. Escalators and lifts give access under the park to this subterranean area of shops, restaurants and a couple of other cafes.  Open Monday to Friday 6am to 9pm and Saturday from 7am to 9pm and Sunday 830am to 830pm. So plenty of time to write.
2. Breath-ability: Opening out to a concourse the air con is light and some daylight can be seen  overhead via glass skylights. Airy considering it is underground.
3. Decor: European coffee-house style, with wood floors and blue walls, keeping with the brand colours with large photos of Italian cafe scenes.
4. Furniture: Comfortable brown leather armchairs and sofas and wooden tables and chairs.
5. Music: An easy-listening mix, which is easy to listen to and fades into background and a Euro-pop mix which rises to the surface a little more.
6. Sockets: Designed with a hoover in mind rather than laptops I expect but there were at least two areas available and I have seen Neros with better socket availability.
7. Space: The concourse area has a large number of tables and chairs (as if creating an outside space) and inside are more areas with two entrances and a clear path for entering, exiting and ordering, meaning people rarely brush up against you and there is a good flow through cafe.
8. Service: A number of tills, which can be confusing but line up and they will call. You take your coffee and any hot food means taking a number so it will arrive at your table when it is ready. Tables are cleared regularly.
9. Food:  Mix of sandwiches, toasted panini and cake. I like the biscotti. Sometimes just a little something is enough, like the little piece of chocolate they sell that is a perfect bite.
10. Drink: Very strong and flavoursome Americanos but in cups which tilt because of the shape of the handle or because my finger doesn't fit properly (I don't have unusually big hands).  Water jugs are available with ice and paper cups. Another place you can sit and write for hours for the price of a coffee.
11. Wifi: Available via The Cloud. 
12. Toilets: Not inside but across the concourse within sight.
13. Guilt: Working on their Ethics and towards more robust sourcing of coffee beans, with research into recruitment practices across the world, increasing free-range across own brand products and increasing recycling to lessen landfill waste. Some guilt but working on improvements.  .
14. Writing: The work vibe, which is left over from the office workers means it is a good space to get down to business. People have laptops and study manuals and tourist guides. Plenty sit on their own lost in their own worlds. The only sounds to interrupt are the coffee machine parts, from the grinder to the dispenser to the milk frother, which in some areas seem to bounce around the room's hard surfaces. The music can also rise to the surface a little, but move around to find the optimum level. 
15. Creativity Rating: Overall 6/10 for writing. Bouncing sounds sometimes are distracting but is a relaxed atmosphere to write. 

*CP = Coffee Price where the common denominator is a medium or regular americano

WTW: Department of Coffee and Social Affairs

Where to Write (WTW): Good places to write. Places I like to write or have written, from libraries to cafes to park benches starting in London and going further afield. Following recommendations, geographical convenience and my nose for good coffee and cake.

1. Department of Coffee and Social Affairs 

 (Whitechapel, London/ Monday, April 3rd, 2017/ 430pm to 6pm)

I checked the criteria (in no particular order):

1. Accessibility: A chain, so available elsewhere. This one was on a main road, by tube and buses and especially accessible for me being on the No 15.bus route. However the front door step will be a challenge for wheel chair users. And times are limited (as we found when at 5.25 the condiments were cleared from the tables) from 7.30 am to 6pm. So forget any evening writing.
2. Breath-ability: Its airy (mainly due to the door being wedged open with a folded piece of cardboard) although air-con could be seen ready for summer. Generally open space with a good flow.
3. Decor: Blank, but probably not blank enough for the loading depot cold-war communist feel I was hoping for. The polished cement floor said it all...it was polished and painted with dots and stripes to show the way. Too much shine and colour for the industrial look, maybe after some wear and tear it will get there.
4. Furniture: There were various sized tables for different numbers of people and comfortable 60s bucket seats which may have that sweaty bottom effect in summer but in April worked. The science bench and school stools were the usual opportunity to stand or sit but a big soaker-upper of the quick coffee drinker in busy times. Also sofas and low tables were another option.
5. Music: Generic and in the background as it should be with the hotspot being behind the counter where it should be.
6. Sockets: Not enough for when your battery or charger runs down.
7. Space: There was room at a table or sofa, and enough for extras ie. partner, laptops, cups and saucers and plates, as well as room to feel like every time someone passes they are not going to either bump into your or you are going to get up close and personal with a stranger. 
8. Service: Fast with pay at one counter and pick up at other unless at table when the coffee and cake came separately, and not so fast. Sounds of coffee machines did not overpower. Were told twice 'We're closing in 5 minutes' so although sign (see below) might say 'loitering encouraged' we didn't.
9. Food:  Good but limited selection of cakes and sandwiches (possibly as it was 4.30 on a Monday). The banana peanut butter cake and salted caramel brownies were tasty but dry.
10. Drink: Great Americanos which didn't come in stupid cups with handles which are impossible to hold especially when hot.
11. Wifi: Available (and reliable) with an easy-to-see notice with the name and password. 
12. Toilets: Unfinished but in existence.
13. Guilt: Seems to be a company with a conscience (see below) so a guilt-free visit.
14. Writing: The sounds of the room dull into the background with enough stimulus like the large WHITECHAPEL sign (below) and traffic outside and passersby. 
15. Rating: Overall 5/10 for writing, little adds and little detracts.

“We measure our commercial success equally to our social impact, we think that, every company, everywhere, should do the same.” Chairman Stefan Allesch-Taylor CBE

Just not after 6pm @ Department of Social Affairs, London