London: TomTom Coffee House

A glance on Foodspotting.com one day put TomTom Coffehouse on my radar, and I dragged LaShauna out there one day for a midday break amidst our nearly ceaseless walking/traipsing about London.

In a town know for its tea, TomTom has made a name for itself with superb espresso. Located in the very chic Belgravia area of London, it has a tiny counter area but plenty of outdoor seating, and a few seats inside. TomTom also offers cigars, as you can still smoke outside at this place and many others around London, but we didn't see anyone taking advantage of that.

On the day we came, the dishwasher was broken, so all drinks had to be made in takeaway cups. Sigh. I ordered a mocha and joined LaShauna at the communal table, where another couple was lost in their newspaper and conversation.

The mocha, fellow food fans, was absolutely transcendant. Velvety smooth, full-flavored, and just the slightest hint of sweetness. Wow. This is coffee well worth the trip.

LaShauna ordered the hot chocolate and gave it equally high marks. Normally TomTom is known for creative cocoa stencils on its drinks, but due to the glassware shortage, we had to settle for smooth-as-silk foam. Fine with us!

We sat at a communal table, and I noticed a bevy of options to top the fresh croissant I ordered there: marmelade, fresh butter, and local, homemade jams. I tried a little bit of everything (NB: marmelade is still too bitter for me to enjoy).

I scraped the last bit of that delectable blackberry jelly out of the jar, as well as some of the delicious strawberry jam (seriously, WHY is it so much better over there??) and put a different flavor on every bite of my croissant. I do so love options. :)

LaShauna ordered the carrot cake and gamely let me take a bite. It was awesome. Even though it had raisins, I still enjoyed it--moist, dense, rich cream cheese frosting, a lovely edging of walnuts. This was fantastic.

My favorite part of the visit to TomTom? Discovering the tap water fountain in the middle of the inside seating area.

If you've ever traveled to Europe you know what a find this is! Tap water isn't a given at most places, but there was a 'help yourself' sign and I absolutely did. Don't worry--I got some for LaShauna, too!

TomTom was a great sanctuary for two tired tourists, and it looks pretty popular with the locals, too. One sip of their killer coffee will be enough to convince you that TomTom is worth spending at least one coffee break there.

TomTom CoffeeHouse
114 Ebury Street
London SW1W 9QD, United Kingdom
020 7730 1771

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