Cadence (SE19 2AA)

2a Anerley Hill, London SE19 2AA

http://www.cadenceperformance.com/cafe/

I know two things about “serious” cyclists:

1. They always moan about their weight
2. They eat a lot of carbs. 

Sometimes, they will moan about their weight while eating carbs. And the most annoying thing is that they are not fat.

I once attended a cycling event with Ben and overheard the following conversation:

Guy 1: I tried on some skin suits, but most were too baggy in the arms.

Guy 2: What size did you end up getting?

Guy 1: Ladies small.

Which probably explains why Cadence, a bike shop, has a café area serving some of the richest, most delicious cakes you will find. My particular favourite is the raspberry and lemon sponge, but there is usually a very wicked chocolate Guinness cake on offer as well.

Unfortunately I don't have my own cake photo, but I managed to find a calorie free one online. 

During one visit I was left at a table alone, while Ben chatted at length with one of the mechanics in the workshop. I ordered two slices of cake for us to share, but by the time Ben joined me I’d demolished both and only a few lonely crumbs remained. “Don’t worry” he said, “I’ll just have a muesli bar”.

If you enjoy stuffing your face in the company of fit, toned, sweaty, shaved-legged men wearing lycra, this is the place for you. The only downside is that the coffee is (apparently) to be avoided.

Never mind the “bike workshop” aesthetic & décor, I just come here for the cake. 

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Amandine (E9 7HD)

176 Victoria Park Rd, London, Greater London E9 7HD

http://amandine-cafe.tumblr.com/

I love this place. I love it so much that I would live here if I could and just eat cake all day.

Amandine Café is tucked away down a side street around the corner from the well known Lauriston Road. We stumbled upon it one day after finding that all the tables in all the cafes on Lauriston Road were taken. Dejected, we turned the corner onto Victoria Park Road in hopes of finding a cafe with a spare seat. I’m so glad we did.

On our first visit to Amandine our table was strewn with toy rubber dinosaurs, thereby earning it the moniker of the “Dinosaur Café”, which is how we will refer to it now and forever.

Eat or be eaten. 

Their cakes are delicious. All of them. They serve a wonderfully dense and flavoursome chocolate and guiness cake (see picture above), and I also have fond memories of their lemon meringue cake (see picture below). Imagine… meringue in a cake! Heavenly.

The inside seating area is cosy to say the least, but there is a postage stamp-sized courtyard out the back that is perfect on sunny days. 

A slice of their Lemon Meringue was like eating sunshine. Whatever that means. 

The courtyard also has a bountiful cherry tree, which sadly seemed to be feeding the neighbourhood birds rather than customers… tsk tsk. Hopefully next summer they won’t let this wonderful crop to go waste and perhaps cook up a cherry pie or two. 

A perfect little hideaway for urban palaeontologists.

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