Before I strolled into The Troubadour one morning a couple of months ago, I'd only really ever heard of it as a live music venue. Initially, I assumed that this reflected only on my general ignorance as it turned out to be one of the most fabulous, quirky and welcoming brunch venues I've ever been to in London. However, I've been back many times since on both Saturday and Sunday mornings and it has always been fairly quiet, which makes me think that perhaps people simply aren't aware how perfect the secret garden out back can be on a sunny morning, or how the amaretto french toast tastes like the best breakfast and the best dessert you've ever had, all rolled into one... In fact, The Troubadour has become my 'go to' place for brunch, particularly when entertaining friends who've come from outside London.
The brunch menu is actually one of the most extensive I've come across - many of my non-meat eating friends have enjoyed the vegetarian full house, while dishes like the 'Fisherman's Breakfast' and 'Anti-Heart Attack' provide a bit of a change from eggs and bacon, should you want it! The drinks are also very good, and the iced coffee in particular is one of the best I've had in central London. Why not check out the menu here, I'm 99% sure there'll be something you like!
One of the benefits of the lack of early morning crowds is that you can always get a seat (in my experience so far, anyway) and there is never a sense that you have to rush off as soon as you've finished your food. I sat with a group of seven friends last Sunday for over two hours and, although we all ordered decent sized breakfasts, we felt very welcome to stay and chat for a while once they were finished. It's also a nice privilege in London to sit in such a peaceful place surrounded by people reading and working away - it's incredible that somewhere so vibrant when you pass it post-7pm can be so tranquil and relaxing in the day.
If you've ever seen The Troubadour from the outside, you'll know that it is quirky, beautiful and full of totally random objects. Violins, lutes and tubas hang from the ceiling alongside an impressive collection of pots and pans, and wonderful vintage signs and prints cover the walls. The whole place is full of charm - I really can't think of anywhere like it in London!
Only 15 minutes away from South Kensington station, the prices are far more reasonable than those just a short walk away down the Brompton Road, and the staff have always been extremely friendly and helpful. I have always suspected that I would be perfectly content living a life where the two main meals were not lunch and dinner but brunch and afternoon tea, and having discovered this lovely spot in West London I am more convinced than ever of just how blissful such a life might be.
"This is a local bookshop in the true sense. I love going in there: the welcome is always warm and a cup of coffee from the cafe is delicious... I love it!" - Rosemary Wright, The Guardian
My boyfriend and I are literally obsessed with books. I find that there's something about being in a bookshop or book fair that makes you just desperate to absorb every single drop of knowledge and information from every book around you, no matter what the subject matter. A recent jaunt to the bargain-filled Bloomsbury Book and Ephemera Fair (which, to be honest, really warrants a post of its own) saw us come away with almost more books than we could carry, including a copy of Gielgud's Letters, a history of silent film, an exploration into British art at the turn of the century and a sociological study of the development of shopping as entertainment. I think it might be the terribly romantic notion of stumbling across your literary 'perfect match' amongst the piles and piles of tattered second hand literature that I find so enthralling, or perhaps it's just the temptation to believe that, however old I become, I can still continue to learn. Or maybe it's just that I can't resist an incredible bargain! For whatever reason, WE LOVE BOOKS and can rarely walk past a bookshop without a lovely long browse and a spontaneous purchase or two.
We passed this wonderful independent bookshop wondering around Fulham one evening last week and, after a glance through the window at the tiny coffee shop (/reading room) inside, immediately made plans to spend an afternoon there as soon as possible. In fact, the place is even more charming than it looks from the front, with its well-stocked cafe (beautiful cupcakes!), helpful staff and a fabulous selection of books, clearly organised and with shelves and shelves of individually recommended works, many of which I have never heard of and would never have thought to look at on my own. I particularly liked the way that there was a table display devoted to 'summer non-fiction', an interesting partner to the fiction that I would normally take on holiday with me, and something that encouraged me to try to shake up my summer reading a little more! Perhaps more impressive is the volume of events advertised that take place at Nomad Books. Whilst there, we signed up for the modern classics book club (first Monday of each month) and there is also a classics book group, poetry discussion and a variety of talks and book signings which were all described and laid out for us by the welcoming and knowledgable staff. The whole atmosphere was of a truly independent store, and I left with a real sense of the worth and value of solid, physical books as opposed to their electronic counterparts (sorry, Kindle!)
It is absolutely worth a visit to their website to check out what's coming up, and I look forward to reporting back after our first experience of the book club next Monday! Amusingly, my boyfriend has since discovered that the set text for this has been described by The Guardian as "the 51st shade of grey" and he is now fairly petrified about talking about it with strangers, but to be honest, if one does want to go ahead and discuss erotic fiction in a public place (and why on earth wouldn't you?) then I really can't imagine a lovelier place to do it than this.
