Java & Jazz (RH18 5ES)

The Square, Lewes Rd, Forest Row RH18 5ES 
http://www.javaandjazz.co.uk/

I’d never heard of Forest Row before I came to this café. The tiny town (if you can even call it that), sits between Royal Tunbridge Wells and Crawley, south east of East Grinstead. And even if I had come through here, I probably wouldn’t have thought to stop at a café. And even if I had stopped at a café, I may not have stopped at Java & Jazz.

So fortunately for me, my visit here wasn’t mere luck and happenstance. This café is on one of Ben’s “country cycle routes”, so he brought me here with the express purpose of sharing with me this hidden gem.

The café has a respectable, sweet and stylistically safe exterior, complete with a tiny ice-creamery tucked down one side and bench seating out the front. There is seating upstairs (which I didn’t get to see), as well as on the ground floor to the left of the front door (with the counter to the right). 

The downstairs area is a juxtaposition between the café side décor (unremarkable and more pizzeria than café) versus the counter side décor (cutesy cottagey). 

 

What sets this café apart is the mouth-watering array of home-made cakes on offer. They are all laid out beautifully on cake stands along a counter, with hand written heart-shaped labels tied with colourful string.

I was hard pressed to make a selection, and we chose three between us (although I really wanted five cakes, even I have to draw the line somewhere).

The Chocolate Seville Orange slice was rich, dense and almost earthy – not bad for being wheat and gluten free. The Passion Cake was delectable, moist and topped with exquisite icing, while the Lemon Polenta slice was lemony and delicious. 

Someone really knows how to bake! I was extremely impressed, and had an internal battle as to whether or not I should cave in and order a slice of the Tunisian Orange, but the chocolate slice finished me off.

Usually when a place in the heart of the English countryside does cakes so well its coffee tends to be disappointing, but not here. Ben gave it a favourable review.

To top off the visit, we had the friendliest customer service you could hope for, particularly from the lovely lady behind the counter who explained that the chocolate slice was one of their newest offerings (and I predict it’s going to become a very popular one at that) and asked us all about our plans for the day.

If you’re in the neighbourhood and fancy a treat, then Java & Jazz would be just the ticket. But be warned – come on an empty stomach!

CakeMyDayLondon Rating

Fowlds Cafe (SE5 7JZ)

Fowlds Cafe
3 Addington Square, Camberwell SE5 7JZ 
http://www.fowldscafe.com/

This review is dedicated to Charles, who spotted Fowlds Café on a ride-by. Rather than risking untried territory himself, he put me on the case to check it out first.

What I love about the journey of exploring London’s independent cafes is that it enables me to explore London as well. 

There would be no reason for me to have come down this pretty tree-lined street to discover a gorgeous square surrounded by historic houses were it not for the café endeavour.

Fowlds reminds me of another bijou café, Petitou. It has a tiny footprint, and is utterly sweet and delightful. Curiously, it still houses an upholstery workshop out the back, which is a great example of how two businesses can work sympathetically together.

Getting a seat inside could be a challenge (particularly on a rainy day), but we managed to squeeze onto a narrow bench along the front window looking out onto the street. 

The cake selection was very limited with only one suitable option for me: white chocolate and pistachio (the other option was coffee flavoured). As much as I wanted to like it, I didn’t.

Don’t get me wrong – the cake itself was moist and of great quality, but I personally found the white chocolate flavour a tad bland. My favourite part was the icing. However, I am not going to hold this against the café, because as far as cakes go, it was a good cake but just not appealing to my particular taste buds. 

Ben really enjoyed his coffee, so a big thumbs up from him. 

I liked this little place a lot, and loved its sense of history; I felt like I’d stepped back in time to another era. The décor is cleverly constructed and sympathetic to the original business, and its street presence blends in well with the surrounding houses.

Despite the lack of cake, I would come back here for a drink and a bite to eat. They also sell rather tempting loaves artisan bread… another baked good I rather enjoy!

CakeMyDayLondon Rating

Tried & True Café (SW15 6SP)

279 Upper Richmond Rd, Putney SW15 6SP 
http://www.triedandtruecafe.co.uk/ 

Ben insisted on bringing me to Tried & True, as it’s a regular stop on his “Richmond Park Cycle Route” whenever he’s down this way. I’d already caked earlier in the day, so wasn’t sure whether I could squeeze in another, but I was sold when I saw the red velvet cake sitting temptingly on the counter.

 

Tried and True is a great example of what can be achieved with a limited budget in a large space. The décor is extremely simple, unfussy, clean and uncluttered. It doesn’t try to fill up the space with lots of stuff, but allows it to breathe. There’s enough detailing in the lights and colourful chairs to stop it feeling stark and austere without going over the top.

 

As a plus, there is also a courtyard garden out the back, and lots of cycle rack space at the front (hence its popularity with cyclists).

Ben is completely in love with their blue coffee machine. If we had the space at home I have a strong suspicion he would beg me for one. I’m not sure whether it’s the brand that appeals most, or the colour.



The cake was wonderful, as was the cheeky chocolate brownie we ordered on the side. The serving of tea was generous to a fault. Ben rates the coffee highly (he says they do the best flat whites he's had in London) and I am a fan of the heart-shaped coffee art (if there’s a technical name for this I don’t know it).

Ben also asked me to mention that the service is always attentive and friendly every time he's visited.
 


Overall, it was an enjoyable visit with nothing to complain about except that I didn’t have more room in my stomach for another slice of cake!

CakeMyDayLondon Rating