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.