Espresso de la Antipodean

They brought us the notorious Walkabout chain! But now the capital is seeing a rise in Antipodean-run coffee houses. They are a welcome treat from all the usual coffee chains, and a far cry from the shenanigans you'd expect to witness at your local Aussie drinking hole.

Aussies are noted for their humour, and when it comes to naming their coffee joints, they aren't scared to poke fun. Walking down Leather Lane Market then, I had to do a U-turn when I noticed The Department of Coffee and Social Affairs. Initially I ignored it thinking it was the local DSS (yeh I wasn't clocking the word "coffee" in the title), until I saw a couple of trendy nerds with their Apple laptops sat on a bench by the window.

Thankfully, The Department of Coffee and Social Affairs is a much more pleasurable experience than visiting the job club. It's a real treat from the interior - with its exposed brick walls and collection of artworks - to it's coffee.

And Aussies certainly take their coffee seriously. I opted for a legendary espresso and portugese tart, having missed out on the lunchtime sarnies.

But if you fancy a cafe that serves food with a twist, head for St Ali, another Antipodean coffee extraordinaire on Clerkenwell Road. Check out the mezze platter for a less than ordinary mediterranean fayre.

Lambs Conduit - it's not about the gym!

Two months into my freelance status and I've been relishing the time getting acquainted with my home town and its hidden gems - as you do when you've got more time but not much money (lol) on your hands.

Growing up in central London, I know the area like the back of my hands but with so much range and diversity in the big smoke, and things constantly changing, there's always somewhere new or something different to discover. Which brings me to Lambs Conduit Street in Bloomsbury. Funnily enough I went to sixth-form college near there but never took much note of the area - I had more important, youthful things on my mind then ;) I became reacquainted with this independent store-laden street after strolling along in search of a nearby gym with a special offer (aka Groupon deal).

What I love about this place is its village-like feel - and let's face it as a bonafide Zone 1 tart who rarely gets out of the capital other than to go somewhere overseas that's seriously hot or another bustling city - this is the closest I'm going to get to a village vibe for now.

I like the fact that Lambs Conduit has retained its independence - aside from the Starbucks, all you'll find here is independent designer stores, drinking dens, eateries and delis. It's edgy, creative and laidback without being too pretentious. My fave shop has to be Darkroom - a concept store selling accessories - and of course, poor old me fell in love with one of the most expensive items in the store - a red leather envelope bag by Lizzy Disney.

From red to green, sadly I had to settle for a 99p avocado (a rare Fuerte variety apparently) from The People's Supermarket instead. Oh yeh... I did make it to the gym two-hours, a cupcake and a coffee stop, serious window shopping and proscrastinating, later. I had to lie down in the steam room as I'd already exhausted all my energy ;)