Tuesday 30 September 2014

Comfort and Cake at Scandinavian Kitchen, London





If you take a stroll away from the madding crowds of London's Oxford Street, and wander north towards Great Portland Street station, you might stumble across a little slice of Scandinavia in the heart of London.

On a grey, overcast September afternoon in London, I met a near and dear friend for coffee after far too much time apart. We ploughed through the teeming mass of shoppers and tourists and allowed Google Maps to lead us towards a small cafe where we could recharge and catch up.

Scandinavian Kitchen offers savoury food, coffees, cake and a small supermarket at the back, stocked with delights from Denmark and alike. After recently pining for last year's trip to Aarhus, the treats on offer and decor took me back to the much-needed coffee stops we made during my three-day visit back in November.




We ordered a hot chocolate each, and a slice of cake (cinnamon and apple cake for me, cinnamon swirl for him) and tucked ourselves into a cosy table, ready to reminisce, dream and people-watch. 

The cake was delicious and moreish, and my hot chocolate was a simple mug of heaven - perfect for a weary afternoon (with ominous black clouds and a long train journey home looming). We chatted and observed our surroundings and recounted memories from our days as undergraduates, before perusing the groceries on offer. From the weird and wonderful to the down-right delicious, there were baked goods, fresh produce and meal kits. I had to stop myself from buying some ingredients to bake a 'Princess Cake', as seen on GBBO. Eventually, I left with a warm heart, a tummy full of sweet treats and a cheeky chocolate bar in my hands. 

It was the perfect afternoon pit-stop - a wonderful change from the Starbucks and Cafe Neros around every street corner. I love making the effort to find smaller chains and independent coffee shops to take a break from the madness of the day. I can just imagine that this is the ultimate autumn coffee shop to take some time away from the madness of early Christmas shopping.






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