London's Hidden Gems
The London Standard|October 10, 2024
SECRET SPOTS YOU SIMPLY HAVE TO DISCOVER
HARRIET ADDISON
London's Hidden Gems

Photobook Cafe

4 Leonard Circus, EC2

There was an advert in the early Nineties, where a huge, furry, legless blue monster bounds through somebody's house, and comes to rest softly on their shoulders in a huge, cosy hug. It was for Bachelors Cup a Soup ("hug in a mug") and while that particular soup never quite replicated that feeling, the Photobook Cafe in Shoreditch might just be the real-life equivalent.

The first time I visited was on a rainy afternoon in September. Starving, I spotted that the café had a kiosk in front, with a jovial fellow with a large grey beard (Ian) keeping dry under the black awning which protrudes from the pale brick of the building. Grilled cheese, soup, the blackboard proffered - perfect. I ordered the mushroom soup and was ushered inside to pay. This is where the hug really started. Do you want your toast in triangles, halves or fingers, Ian asked. What a nurturing question. You'll want fingers, he tells me, smiling - better for dipping in your cup of soup. He was right; and those hot buttery slices dipped into a creamy mushroom soup were completely delicious.

This story is from the October 10, 2024 edition of The London Standard.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

This story is from the October 10, 2024 edition of The London Standard.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

MORE STORIES FROM THE LONDON STANDARDView All
Explore the other side of Mount Fuji
The London Standard

Explore the other side of Mount Fuji

There are many ways to enjoy Japan's iconic peak without crowds, from hiking its sister summits to touring vineyards.

time-read
3 mins  |
January 30, 2025
Sorry to tell you, but this daddy has issues
The London Standard

Sorry to tell you, but this daddy has issues

Parenting is not a threshold over which I have yet crossed, but friends tell me good cop/bad cop is still the preferred routine.

time-read
3 mins  |
January 30, 2025
The joy of cruising in the Baltic Sea region
The London Standard

The joy of cruising in the Baltic Sea region

Tallink Silja Line offers a great way to travel in the Nordics, with luxurious short cruises connecting travellers to beautiful capitals around the Baltic Sea: Helsinki, Stockholm and Tallinn

time-read
1 min  |
January 30, 2025
How the capital's art world went broke on woke
The London Standard

How the capital's art world went broke on woke

Lectures on social issues instead of just amazing art: no wonder London's major galleries are in crisis

time-read
6 mins  |
January 30, 2025
What on earth has happened to basic etiquette on the Tube?
The London Standard

What on earth has happened to basic etiquette on the Tube?

The pushers, the shovers, the scoffers... Come on London, remember your manners

time-read
4 mins  |
January 30, 2025
It's a Sputnik moment for the US as the Chinese upstart torpedoes ChatGPT
The London Standard

It's a Sputnik moment for the US as the Chinese upstart torpedoes ChatGPT

China's DeepSeek AI chatbot has caught the US off guard and sent shares into freefall

time-read
4 mins  |
January 30, 2025
Interior motives: what London's most stylish are buying now
The London Standard

Interior motives: what London's most stylish are buying now

Scribbled on a jotter by the fridge or carefully colourcoded in a spreadsheet, lists are always revealing whether they're for groceries, countries to visit or beautiful objects to brighten up your home.

time-read
4 mins  |
January 30, 2025
Are you sitting uncomfortably? Get set for the rise of the tech thriller
The London Standard

Are you sitting uncomfortably? Get set for the rise of the tech thriller

There's never been a better time for Mark Twain's maxim that \"truth is stranger than fiction\".

time-read
2 mins  |
January 30, 2025
Is Maro Itoje the right man to lead England reboot?
The London Standard

Is Maro Itoje the right man to lead England reboot?

The new captain must reverse the country's dreadful run of form in the Six Nations

time-read
6 mins  |
January 30, 2025
Sweet Jesus, what asyrupy delight
The London Standard

Sweet Jesus, what asyrupy delight

One of the worst moments of my life occurred after ordering an espresso martini in a small-town bar.

time-read
1 min  |
January 30, 2025