While living in London, sometimes school can take a back seat. When this happens I have to find a place to do work. Usually I Skype in Starbucks or some chain with free WiFi and can sometimes do work there. I’ve done some work in my room or in the lounge in the house and I’ve even been to the library at school to work on some essays but I haven’t found a reliable place where I feel comfortable to do work with no distractions.
Until today.
I came back from history class ready to do work for my history essay (5,000 words due in a couple weeks). I had a place in mind that I heard wasn’t too noisy… like some chain cafes… So I walked past it- thankfully the building’s facade is mostly glass- but I could see that it looked quite busy. Not exactly the atmosphere in which I wanted to read about the plague of 1665-1666.
I moved on and decided to walk down Bayswater Road (which turned into Holland Park Ave), the main road perpendicular to my street. Got momentarily distracted at a newspaper shop and continued about 10 minutes or so to a cute café named “Patisserie Valerie.” I remember seeing it on the bus back from Oxford last week, so I decided to go in (especially because there was one guy sitting inside).
I picked a table for two (one seat for me, one for my books) in the back, took one look at the menu and fell in love. Though I had just eaten lunch at home, I was ready for some afternoon tea. I’ll be sure to bring a date next time I’m not studying so we can get their deal for “Afternoon Tea for Two.” Tea for one consisted of a buttery scone (with raisins), fluffy butter on the side, several choices of jam and loose tea with milk. I have to be honest: I was born for afternoon tea. I could have sat there the rest of the afternoon sipping tea and reading until my eyes fell out.
My mini meal arrived as soon as I cracked open my book and off into the 17th century I went!
Two and a half hours later I emerged from the cozy café -housing millions of tasty pastries- happy that I found a quiet place with a good studying atmosphere away from the congestion of my immediate surroundings.
Cheers!
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Last year I have been to the one in Oxford when I wenr on a day trip on my own. I too, was looking for a nice and not too crowded place and this one was just right to scribble down a fee thingsand enjoy some tea. Good to read I wasn’t the only one
The font for their name happens to be one of my all time favorites! Its Arnold Boecklin!! http://luc.devroye.org/OttoWeisert-ArnoldBoecklin.jpg.
The cafe looks wonderful, with a really nice atmosphere and a some delicious looking snacks.