Best Coffee in Stroud Green?

checkski

I agree with markpack, several posts back, about the Hamlet Cafe in Hornsey Road. More later.

Slabber

I have a cafetiere. Works pretty well.

checkski

So. Hamlet cafe. Immediately northwest of Hanley/Hornsey Road junction. Large brightly lit interior. Unusually, Classic FM , over the speakers - the delightful Turkish guvnor says he prefers that kind of music. So do I, although none at all would suit me better, which is one reason for frequenting Dream River, too.

Coffee not too good, initially, but he seems dead keen to get it right. I wouldn't have said anything, except that he asked me, and has continued to do so ever since. The grub looks OK, nothing very ambitious, but fresh-looking, and reasonably priced (my espresso was a mere £1.20).

What else? A big, floppy, elephantine, immensely comfortable sofa. Two of them, actually. Not crowded. Peaceful enough for reading or study. I shall definitely add the Hamlet to my list of regulars.

PS. He gave me a little kid's lolly, as a parting gift. I hadn't the heart to say no, although my lolly-sucking days are long over!

miss annie

Oooo, how exciting - no one else ever seems to know the Hamlet. I discovered it when I lived on Hornsey Road.

It's a shame they are right on the road though, the al fresco eating area loses it's appeal when there is a mahoosive artic lorry revving it's engine at the adjacent traffic lights.

Other than that it's splendid. The breakfasts are much better than the Sunshine, they have a wondrous array of other meaty things with chips and the owner couldn't be nicer.

krappyrubsnif

@checkski, you must be the dozy looking bloke who's always in the comfy seats at the Dream River cafe pretending to read a book. Mrs K once smiled at you and you said you were a writer, so you must be famous.

checkski

Sorry, Merdoso, that's not me. I am not a writer, and have never claimed to be, least of all to Mrs M, whoever she may be.

chuckles

The Front Room coffee is ok. Im not really a coffee expert though. I drink latte because it is the option that tastes least of coffee which I don't really like. maybe I should just drink tea. When the Front Room first opened coffee or tea was included with the price of the full breakfast but I guess this wasn't viable for them so now they charge extra. The breakfast is expensive but worth it because the ingredients are good. A word of warning to anyone thinking of going in with a copy of the Sun to read. This would be frowned upon. It is strictly Guardian readers only in there.

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katiejane

has anyone tried the (ahem) 'flat whites' from costa or harbucks yet? I've tried the costa one - what a joke! Probably better coffee than anything else they serve though, but not a flat white by anyone's standard.

I love Monmouth. I love it more since I went with a tea-drinking friend and found out that they don't do tea.

I thought the Hamlet cafe was okay - very eager to please. I like their motto on the wall: 'To eat more or to eat more, that is the question.'

miss annie

What is a flat white please? I get bamboozled by all the variations and just go for a cappucino or mocha.

I only really like coffee from Caffe Nero, but the nearest one to SG is in James Selby's on Holloway Road. Too far to trek.

I like the tea in almost every local cafe, nice and stewed and served a bit warmer than room temperature.

rainbow_carnage

If the Front Room switched to Monmouth coffee and learned to clean the machine properly, I'd go there for lunch three days a week. Alas, there's not a single place in SG that does good coffee and has free wi-fi.

krappyrubsnif

Yes could one of you cool coffeeheads please tell us what a flat white is? Apart from being flat and white of course.

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becky

I got into drinking flat white when I was in New Zealand. Bit like a wet cappuccino I suppose. More steamed milk than a capp but not as much as a latte. Only a tiny slither of a head of foamy stuff.

Jenowl

Yes, I remember the flat white was the most popular coffee in New Zealand when I was there. It was served in massive cups and lasted a long time. Also I remember the New Zealand muffins. About twice the size of muffins here, they used to give you butter and a knife, and you had to cut them into quarters to manage them.

checkski

STOP PRESS ALERT!

Do not on any account buy a coffee from the kiosk to the right of the ticket windows for FP overground trains. Like the other overground kiosks, it seemed to be organic, and charges accordingly: £2.05 for a cappuccino. It was such appalling sludge, I took it back, and complained bitterly. He made me another - no difference. At least he refunded me my money, without being asked.

What's the next one like, just up the first steps, and on the right? It hasn't been there all that long; looks good, but I'm wary now.

The third one. on the Cambridge platform, I CAN recommend. I had an espresso, expensive, but genuinely organic, and very good.

markpack

@Misscara Yup - it's the same owner at Hamlet Cafe

Kate Jones

Nice to see Helena back at Good for Food - I will be going back there for coffee soon! In the meantime, we invested in a Nespresso machine at JJ so we can give our clients a decent coffee when they come in.

In our new development plans (see separate thread - hopefully due for completion start 2012), we're planning to have an arts cafe, library and gallery space up on the sixth floor, with views over Finsbury Park... Will be open to the public, prob not ideal as a place to grab a quick coffee on the way to work, but it will be a nice place to chill out and read the paper.

Arkady

That sounds awesome Kate. Do keep us informed about the development. Hope you and the good folks next door have been able to catch up and secure the future of FP meat distribution. If you can stock Godfrey's sausages in your new cafe I'll be there all the time. Arky

katiejane

Not SG admittedly, but I've had a couple of great bowls of coffee from Haberdashery on Middle Lane in CE. And some homemade muffins.

miss annie

I had nice coffee and cake in Haberdashery too. It's charming in there but a tad overpriced methinks. Still, it is in yummy mummyville so only to be expected.

allegedly

Haberdashery without a doubt. Their coffee tastes great and it is served in bowls! Love the place and well worth the extra penny.

tosscat

I don't understand the term 'yummy mummy' really. Does it mean the same as MILF?

charlieboy

yes

katiejane

I can't bear either. The worst thing is that loads of women - like Polly bloody Vernon are happy to use both terms without any sense of irony. Like it's not enough to be a goddam mother - you're only of value if you've managed to do it all and still be attractive enough for men to want to fuck.

There. Glad that's off my chest. Now I've got a focus group on pensions to go to.

andy

Someone's not getting enough rum in her mojito

David

I'd never heard of Polly Vernon. She seems [annoying enough](http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/competition/2010/jan/17/pollyjeans) though. _" I love them even more when I realise that a logo version of the letter 'P' I have tattooed on my ankle, is embroidered on the hip pocket."_ No ankle tattoos make my milf list I'm afraid.

sophie

those jeans are horrid. and i've never understood why people would get THEIR OWN INITIAL as a tattoo or a necklace. overall i dislike that woman.

andy

Hang on, we are only assuming that the "P" on her ankle stands for Polly, aren't we? It could stand for something else. A romantic code harking back to a love gone awry. Or something. Someone ask her on twitter: <http://twitter.com/PollyVernon>;

andy

WAIT WAIT WAIT. I must, for no reason other than it will annoy katiejane, stick up for Polly Vernon. Googling "polly vernon yummy mummy" reveals this article. <http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2007/may/20/familyandrelationships.features>; where she criticises: *the yummy mummy movement, which has re-framed sexiness as a Bugaboo-wielding, glowy faced, deli-frequenting army of motherhood* So, isn't she on your team, kj? Also, I'm sure there are guardian journalists on this site. Can't you ask about her tattoo?