Richard's review of Department of Coffee & Social Affairs

Kiwis – check

Flat White – check

Bare brick walls and trendy art – check

Cool location – er, no.

Yes, all the classic combinations for an achingly hip and trendy, so cool it hurts coffee shop are present but, instead of being in Hoxton or Soho, it is in a Leather Lane. Home to a daily tat market that makes Petticoat Lane market look like Harrods.

The cool kids’ loss is the City’s gain. The coffee is seasonal, freshly roasted, ground in front of you and really rather good. Service is individual, with each cup/glass being lovingly created, so the wait is longer than at Starbucks. But hell, you get coffee here, not some hot, brown milk with shed-loads of syrup added to disguise the disgusting muck being served.

Food is croissant and muesli (organic and free range, a bien sur), lunch is bagels and the like and afternoons come with lemon drizzle cake and Pasteis de Nata.

Go. We need more coffee nerds like the founders: with any luck they’ll be taking over disused Starbucks and Costa Coffee venues soon.