The promise of a cup o’ joe is usually a choice ending for a date.
But with the London Coffee Festival (3-6 April) in full grab-your-espresso-mugs swing, it’s time to let those caffeinated beans of joy inspire your romantic adventures…
Relationship website His ‘n’ Hers Handbook have come up with the perfect blend of 5 innovative date ideas for coffee lovers:
Afternoon Coffee
Finger sandwiches, fancy scones and petits fours usually come with the obligatory cup of Earl Grey. At the Ampersand Hotel in Kensington, however, afternoon treats are served with a selection of artisan coffees made with a vintage Victorian coffee press. It’s an elegant date with a caffeine buzz – prices from £25 per person.
White Line Hotel
London Coffee Tour
Coffee geeks can explore London’s 300-year-old coffee scene on this immersive walking tour of the city, courtesy of historian Dr Matthew Green. There will be complimentary shots of 17th-century style coffee, which was branded as ‘newfangled, abominable and heathenish’. The next tour is on 17 April, and costs £16 per person.
Unreal Cityaudio
Love Cats & Coffee
Calling all felinophiles! Paradise has arrived! With a waiting list as long as tabby’s tail, Lady Dinah’s Cat Emporium, London’s first ever cat café, is the pur-fect place to go and stroke your hairy friends (that sounds wrong). With eleven cats on site – each with their own Twitter account – you won’t be the only one choking on a hairball if the date goes bad. And likewise, should it go well, expect a chorus of approving meows.
Ladydinahs
Barista Course
Since 2006, Aussie brothers and sister team Nick, Andrew and Laura have been serving up expert cup o’ Joes at Taylor St coffeehouse throughout the capital – and now you can learn their secrets. Covering tasting, espresso making, milk foaming and the enigmatic, ripe for an innuendo, ‘equipment’ overview this 3-hour coffee blitz will have you drooling over the beans… and possibly each other.
Taylor Street
London Coffee Festival
From April 3-6 2014, get you and your (potential) lover over to the Old Truman Brewery on Brick Lane for some jolly good kicks of caffeine. Not just sippings and conversation, the festival will have DJs and cocktails in amongst an eclectic programme: the UK Barista Championships; pop-up ‘artisan’ coffee served by La Marzocc; and the Lab will be holding demonstrations, talks, and debates all weekend long. Don’t expect any Instant.
London Coffee Festival
