The Foyer Café Bar on the ground floor just beneath the Shop, and also a part of Swan, looked very inviting to me.
There were lots of warm pies and a reassuring aroma of coffee brewing.
I got a black coffee because I didn’t think they had Skimmed Milk plus I decided to treat myself to this Cheese Pocket Pie for lunch.
I found it cute that this is actually called a cucumber sandwich – it made me think of the Oscar Wilde quote!
It’s not a huge space but if you can get a seat there’s a convivial atmosphere.
The Fir Tree
I was at the Globe to see The Fir Tree.
This is a re-imagining of the Hans Christian Andersen tale by Globe resident writer Hannah Khalil.
It is about a small fir tree desperate to grow up – but who has some life lessons to learn!
‘I want to know what the other trees know. Go where the other trees go. Where do they go? Do you know?’
This contemporary version has a strong environmental message.
It felt like very pure theatre, in this ‘wooden O’, with the main audience standing under falling rain in the Yard, so close to the small cast of actors on stage wearing cosy winter clothes and holding props crafted from cardboard.
When Paper Cup Coffee opened in early 2022 I really liked the look of everything they were doing and made the trip to Liverpool to see them which I wrote about here.
It was a new part of the Paper Cup Project in Liverpool. The coffee shop offered training for people who had experienced homelessness, and there was a pay it forward option where you can pay the cost of a hot drink to be redeemed by a person experiencing homelessness.
It was also just a great café serving lovely coffee and food and huge colourful pastries like this cruffin.
One day they tweeted that they were having a slow day and put the call out asking for support.
I tweeted this at Frank Cottrell-Boyce hoping he might retweet.
I didn’t expect what came next. Frank paid forward 100 coffees for customers to come in and discover Paper Cup and get a free coffee and obviously this created a great buzz.
Then later to celebrate a piece of writing he was really happy with he did it again and paid forward another batch of coffees. #FranksCoffees had truly become a thing.
Another famous supporter Paper Cup had on Twitter was Tim Burgess from the band The Charlatans.
He paid forward a batch of coffees, and then said he would come and work a shift in the cafe which I didn’t completely believe would come to pass!
Tim Burgess, barista
It was really nice to arrive and see this sign outside about Tim’s event.
Inside the cafe the Christmas tree was up and there were Christmas cards on sale from HomeLess Made created by people experiencing homelessness, and special festive pay it forward present packages such as socks or chocolate.
There was also a stack of Tim’s book The Listening Party: Volume 2 for fans to get a signed copy, with all proceeds going to Paper Cup.
#TimsTwitterListeningParty became an incredible cultural phenomenon during lockdown. He is cooler than my mind can even fathom and it is wonderful for Paper Cup to have his support.
Master barista Dan showed Tim the ropes.
Of course I got the special of the day – Tim’s Toffee Latte.
Coincidentally a customer brought in this adorable dog… named Toffee!
Frank Cottrell-Boyce popped in too and here he is talking to the founder of Paper Cup (and a total powerhouse and queen) Michelle.
Walking around Albert Dock
In the afternoon I walked round to the Royal Albert Dock and went into the Museum of Liverpool.
There are some sculptures outside and the lady in the shop explained to me they are smaller versions of the Superlambanana. This was a huge sculpture created by artist Taro Chiezo for Liverpool in 1998, a cross between a lamb and a banana, as bananas and lambs both used to be common cargo on the dock.
You can see it on the card in the bottom right here next to some other cards I loved featuring seagulls and Crosby Beach.
I bought this tote bag which has the Superlambanana on it, and this little glass heart for luck.
The last time I visited Liverpool I bought a tote bag from cool shop The Nest as you will have seen on the blog so I made sure to go and see them again.
It was the first day of December and there was a grey fog over the Mersey and it was super quiet, just this couple. How lovely 🙂
Christmas Market
I walked back towards Lime Street to be ready for my train.
It was dark by this time and the Liverpool Christmas Market around St George’s Hall was lit up and open for the evening.
There was a great vibe. They were playing songs like Joni Mitchell’s ‘River’, which seemed the perfect soundtrack for my walkabout.
Next Trip to Liverpool
This was such an amazing day. I can’t wait to go back to Liverpool.
Who will be the next star to come to Paper Cup and train with Dan for the day?!
One of my highlights of the day was seeing homeless friends come in and take a table for a coffee and some food the same as all of us.
Following the accession of The King there is now another breed with a current Royal association to celebrate!
The History of the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel
The King Charles Spaniel originally got its name from its association with King Charles II who reigned in the 1600s and was constantly surrounded by his dogs.
It was later inter-bred with fashionable flat-faced breeds like the Pug and acquired a flatter nose and more domed-shaped head.
A 20th-century attempt to revive what some breeders saw as the original was called the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, as during the English Civil War supporters of the King Charles II were known as Cavaliers.
UK’s First Cavalier Café
I was excited to receive a discount ticket to this as a previous Pop + Bark attendee – I am now a ‘VIP Dog Petter’!
10% of ticket sales from this event were donated and shared between the Prince’s Trust and breed-specific charities.
I was passing through Liverpool Street station when I saw this new kiosk, The Barkery!
The ‘High Street’ feel was striking as I usually see this kind of business at specialist dog events.
I like the ‘popular foods’ style menu such as the WUFFle, and these Duck and Bangers & Mash cakes.
They company describe themselves like this:
‘We’re creating waves in the Dog industry by opening dog bakeries inside HUMAN shopping malls! (We’ve got you doggies!) Why should we always have the Millies Cookies & The Krispy Kreme! It’s about time we did this for the dogs!’
They currently have eight kiosks around the country in Nottingham, Sheffield, Glasgow, Livingston, Norwich, Watford, Sunderland, and the North East, plus their production unit in Ashfield.
Their range also contains some dog grooming products and dog fashion.
This pop-up is their first store in London.
You can find them in Liverpool Street station until 27 November, and then Charing Cross railway station from 29 November to 2 January.
I really enjoyed this event. There was a great atmosphere with lots of people around smiling. I spotted a famous actor that I’m a fan of just enjoying the day with his wife and dog.
One of the striking things about Chiswick House Dog Show is how many dogs you see – and of every kind – it feels a bit like you’ve gone onto a dog planet.
I met absolute cuddle-monster Ted – can you believe he was saved from a meat market!
The other key feature of Chiswick House Dog Show is the fancy dress element.
This year the theme for the fancy dress class was ‘Harry Pointer and the Philosopher’s Bone’ as it is 25 years since the first Harry Potter book was published.
‘Get yer hat on’ 😂
I caught up with Frank & Beans who you’ll remember I met here. I’d suggested to them then they’d be well-suited to a stall at Chiswick House Dog Show so it was lovely to see that had come to fruition.
Here are some of the other stalls. This is Harbour Hounds
There was a range of great food options. The pizza from The Dough Shack looked really nice and would have been my choice if I had someone to share it with.
Dogs Trust had a stall as the event was in support of them and marking ‘International Dog Day’. It made for a nice camaraderie seeing lots of dogs around wearing the yellow Dogs Trust bandanas.
Martine Davis was one of the artists there to paint a pawtrait.
Duke of York Square is right by the Saatchi Gallery and revolves around the 360-degree Vardo restaurant and other luxury cafés, and with so many dogs around there was a wonderful atmosphere.
Every Saturday the Fine Food Market curated by grocer Partridges takes place, so the finest street food and delicacies were on offer for humans too.
A map and whole programme for the day across Chelsea was available.
The Dog Photographer (Raven Imagery) was set up in Peter Jones offering people the chance to pop in for a professional photo portrait of their dog.
Here is Space NK showcasing their range of dog shampoos and offering treats in store.
Here is the new capsule collection for dogs in the BOSS store.
The event was well organised by Gaynor of the Four Legged Foodies, Cadogan Estates, and local resident May of Miss Darcy’s Adventures.
The great news though is this was not just temporary corgi fever! Corgi Café returned for a second event and was again a huge success.
Pop + Bark are dog event specialists and don’t disappoint. The cute bright yellow mini sun lounger at the entrance epitomised the ‘Summer of Love’ Swinging Sixties-inspired theme that they’d chosen for this bash to close out summer.
In a way this event was more relaxed than the Jubilee one.
The location was the plush Devonshire Terrace (a Drake & Morgan location like the first event) just across the road from Liverpool Street station and where you can order from a menu of drinks, coffees and food by scanning the QR code on the table.
The corgi guests ran all over the place with their typically irreverent personalities.
Congregating at the bar:
I tend to think of corgis as small dogs but am always reminded when I encounter them that they are actually quite chunky units!
It’s always striking to see that number of corgis out en masse, and as the demand is there hopefully Corgi Café will stay a regular fixture of the Pop + Bark calendar.
It was at BrewDog Outpost Tower Hill. You’ll probably have heard of BrewDog, they are a brewery and pub chain with strong brand and marketing.
Back in 2020 they teamed up with Ricky Gervais to launch Street Dog, a limited edition Punk IPA with all profits going to charities Dogs On The Streets and All Dogs Matter.
You can book their bars to have a dog pawty!
It was a really enjoyable afternoon. Tower Hill is one of my favourite areas of London.
The pizza was provided by Talula Eats which is fresh, human-grade gourmet food and treats for dogs.
Look at these incredible doggie pizzas!
There was also nice pizza by BrewDog for humans which I liked, it was light and tasty.
They describe themselves as ‘quality-obsessed’ and ‘meticulously working to bring the best coffee’ and this was exactly the feel I got.
There’s a precision about the place which you can see as soon as you arrive at the kiosk window and see this lovely stand of neatly-wrapped cakes available.
I was pleased they had Skimmed Milk available.
I had a large Skinny Cappuccino.
I sat at the couple of tables outside and felt very relaxed and peaceful watching customers order at the kiosk while I observed the workings of the barista inside, like a gentle coffee factory.
They also have a larger café space with a brunch menu just down the road in Wandsworth which I also saw on my way.
That’s definitely somewhere I will go and explore.
This was a day when I’d already done a café visit and enjoyed a cappuccino, but I found myself journeying through Waterloo and passing through the South Bank so I wanted to stop for another bit of a break.
So I decided to have a tea – yes I also like tea! – I have it plain without milk. And this vegan croissant which was lovely.
The logo of Little Frenchies is a French bulldog and they’re very dog-friendly.
I loved my visit and hope to go again soon.
What was interesting is Old York Road is pedestrianised and there are lots of cafés with tables outside. The street has such a laid-back feel compared to normal London.
I was lucky to go on such a sunny day though.
Sadly there was no French bulldog there at the time – but there was this big floof.
The service is super-welcoming and I was really happy.
They had Skimmed Milk available, so here is my Skinny Cappuccino, and I also had this squidgy banana muffin.
There was their signature excellent Pupuccino Bar, with a variety of toppings available, and cute stalls with exquisite dog biscuits from Rudi’s the Doggy Bakery and outfits from The Crafty Dog Co.
One of my favourite things was the selfie frame of a classic royal memorabilia mug for your corgi to put its head through.
A lot of my photos from the day are just blurred corgis running by.
Fashion accessories designer Anya Hindmarch is known for her bold, playful designs that transform the everyday into wearable art, such as the Crisp Packet Clutch and the I Am A Plastic Bag tote.
The Village is her collection of five stores on Pont Street, between Chelsea and Belgravia. There is the Bespoke Shop, the Plastic Shop – focused on sustainability, the Labelled Shop – dedicated to the art of organisation, the Anya Café, and the Village Hall.
The Village Hall is a rotating concept store and from 9 April – 15 May is transformed into A.Houndmarch, showcasing the new capsule collection for dogs!
I also popped in to the Anya Café. Inspired by the 1950s British café, here you can find reimaginations of classic biscuits and playful smiley cakes in Anya’s signature style.
It was really nice sitting outside on the terrace getting lots of fresh air.
The coffee was remarkable! A perfectly hot, strong, cappuccino with delicately-flavoured chocolate, and skimmed milk was available.
I’ve heard great things since their recent opening and it was mainly to see them I made this trip to Liverpool.
Fortunately they did not disappoint!
Here is the cabinet of their famous cruffins and colourful croissants.
They had Skimmed Milk so I was able to have a nice Skinny Cappuccino.
Someone was having pancakes with fresh blueberries, banana and cream and you can see the good quality food is drawing people in specially.
The café is airy and spacious, and the customer service is really friendly too. I left my hat behind and they got in touch with me via the blog – I went back and got it before the end of the day!
Homebaked Bakery is a community-owned bakery famous for its award-winning pies, right by Anfield stadium. I would love to have visited there but thought it was probably too much for one day. So I went to their new second site inside St George’s Hall.
The café is a charming space inside this grand building, and the exhibition The History Whisperer looks very interesting.
I didn’t try one of the famous pies sadly! The vegetarian ones had just gone in the oven for half an hour. I had a cinnamon swirl instead and a black coffee as they didn’t have Skimmed Milk.
Again this was really nice coffee – I’d happily go to either of these places again.
I couldn’t visit Liverpool without paying a visit to the Lush Liverpool Spa – the largest Lush in the world, with services including the Lush Hair Lab.
On my list to see was a shop called The Nest. This was really lovely and I bought this bag and could not wait to put my things in it!
I popped my head into Rough Hand Made bakery and – as well as giant white chocolate croissants – they have a photo competition/VIP wall of dog visitors!
I went on to Bold Street. Bold Street Coffee was on my list, but it was really buzzing and I didn’t really want to sit in on my own.
Bold Street is apparently renowned for timeslips, and I had a good tip as to where the gateway was – but alas I still seem to be here as normal…
I had to get back for my train at Lime Street so just popped my head into the Walker Art Gallery.
Lots of reasons to go back to Liverpool then, including
Have a Homebaked pie, especially at Anfield
I forgot to pay a coffee forward at Paper Cup – I’m really sorry!
This was an event for Mother’s Day – a brunch for dog mums!
It took place in The Magazine restaurant, in the quirky Zaha Hadid extension of the Serpentine North Gallery in Kensington Gardens, where sustainability and seasonality are at the heart of the kitchen.
On arrival we were treated to coffee and pastries which were deliciously fine and flaky – I was thinking this would definitely be a good choice for a café date.
Teresa from The Dogvine was an excellent host making sure everyone felt comfortable.
Love My Human on the King’s Road is a pet boutique and luxury groomer, and in addition in 2021 they opened a few doors down the Love My Human Townhouse, a dog café with dog crèche and wellness rooms upstairs.
I was worried the atmosphere might be a bit aloof here in such an exclusive area, but there was no need. The staff were really welcoming and there was a laidback atmosphere amongst the other customers.
It definitely has an elegant Chelsea style though.
Look at my Skinny Cappuccino in this cup and saucer!
The food for humans looked really nice and I would happily meet here for a brunch date.
One of the other standout features of this place is their affection for dog ornaments, given my interest in this area!
The boutique is a shopping mecca full of gorgeous gifts for dogs and dog-lovers!
This was a collaboration for Valentine’s Day along with Wyld Cub and Hug called Doggie First Dates – ‘a chance for your dog to bring or meet the love of their life over a romantic lunch at this beautiful café’.
Here is Sam the chihuahua looking very cosy in front of a latte!
This Patisserie is a part of the the five-star hotel The Connaught, and what I particularly wanted to see was their signature dog-shaped cake, the Connaughty Hound.
The area is so exclusive that when I arrived I started to get nervous about actually going in.
But when I saw the Patisserie itself, there was a buzz about it with people going in and out and it looked fine to go into.
Inside the atmosphere was welcoming and comfortable and I decided to take a table.
A lot of the customers and staff are French and speak in French which I love.
The Connaughty Hound is even more impressive when you see it – it has a whole aura about it!
I was pleased they have Skimmed Milk and here is my Skinny Cappuccino. It did cost £7.50 but it was actually superb coffee and I really enjoyed my visit.
Currently they also have available to order a galette des rois. This is a cake with a strong tradition in France, to celebrate the Epiphany. It is typically a puff pastry filled with frangipane, and a small charm called a fève is hidden inside – whoever finds it gets to wear the paper crown.
In this version you will find a miniature figure of the Connaughty Hound!
Mostly Coffee and Dogs 