# The Department of Coffee and Social Affairs



## Espressojoe (Oct 7, 2010)

This is a new London cafe with a lot to like. Run by Tim Ridley and Chris McKie from New Zealand, the Department of Coffee features great beans from Climpson and Sons, has some great space ranging from a cosy nook to a board-room table for business meetings and some wonderful food to try.

There are all the usual culprits to drink with a very decent flat white on offer - served in a true flat white cup. The latte was a little under powered for my tastes but their straight espresso is pretty darn good.

The one downfall is the current lack of signage to draw you in. Apparently the adhesives for the signs require temperatures in excess of 5 degrees Celcius to ensure bonding - not likely to happen in London soon. If you do go looking for it, it's at the southern end of Leather Lane. Tim said just to try the door and if it opens, they're open. The interior is a mixture of 21st century plaster with Victorian brickwork and wooden floors, a decent bar-top for service and enough room to swing a cat.

Get there soon.

14-16 Leather Lane, Camden, London. 100 yards from the Chancery Lane tube station.


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## Glenn (Jun 14, 2008)

Welcome Joe and thanks for posting the review

Hoping to pop in next week


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## Glenn (Jun 14, 2008)

Department of Coffee is also easy to reach from Farringdon Tube Station, about 400m away (exiting the station turn right, then follow the hill (Greville St), cross Hatton Garden and Leather Lane is the next right)

I met up with Phil (philwbass) yesterday and the three of us (my wife joined us too) enjoyed numerous coffees, sampling their Espresso, Piccolo and Flat Whites

We loved the space, and many different table types. The snug area (next to the bar) reminds us of a swedish sauna.

There is art on the walls which is set to change frequently

Whilst there I took a few photos and chatted to Chris and Alicia who was also working the bar

A selection of the photos are *here*

The lunch menu looked tempting but we had already had pastries (try the raspberry jam with a plain croissant - it tastes homemade), so will need to save that until next time


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## Glenn (Jun 14, 2008)

The review to accompany the images has been submitted to Beanhunter

When I used to work in Greville St, the entire area between Chancery Lane Tube and Farringdon Tube Stations (Hatton Garden, Leather Lane, Greville St etc) used to be a coffee wasteland, although I could (and frequently did) visit any number of good pubs.

Department of Coffee and Social Affairs (a The Coffeesmiths Collective cafe), has opened in Leather Lane, providing a welcoming, friendly atmosphere, and most importantly bringing good coffee to the area

Using beans roasted by Climpsons (for The Coffeesmiths Collective), and a La Marzocco machine flanked by 2 Mazzer grinders, the Department of Coffee provides a comprehensive drinks menu and a mouthwatering selection of food, from pastries to sandwiches and other light bites, lovingly prepared on-site

Taking up 2 shop fronts, there is a good variety of seating options inside, from window seats, to bar stools and also a cosy snug area (reminiscent of a Swedish sauna without the steam) plus a 'boardroom' available for hire by the half hour or longer.

We ordered Flat Whites and Espresso's to accompany our croissants (you must try the home-made raspberry jam - yum!)

The blend on offer was the Winter Espresso, and tasted great on its own and cut through the milk nicely

The staff were friendly and were keen to engage with all their clients

There is already a steadily building repeat clientele, despite only being open for the past week and a bit

Reluctant to leave, we decided to have another coffee (followed by yet another) and my tally was 3 Flat Whites and a Piccolo before I left, with my companions notching up similar caffeine intake levels.

I'm really pleased to see another lovely cafe in London and will be back for a return visit very soon.


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