Dan P.
Yelp
Association EC3 represents the pinnacle of the City's coffee shops. Opened in March 2012 down an inconspicuous lane off Leadenhall, the first thing you notice upon entering is just how impressive the space itself is. And yes, I mean that in the aesthetically abstract wafty context: it's just *beautiful*. Light, clean, spacious and thoughtfully decorated and furnished, the architects - Herbert & Mason, upon a little detective work - can give each other a slap on the back and round of applause. It's one of those spaces that has become an ideal hideaway from the sounds and stress of the area for City-folk.
Having come here at least a dozen times, it still amazes me to notice new details and flourishes... The subtly vulcanized tables so your coffee doesn't slide or slip, the workwear-chic aprons of the staff, the stylish takeaway cups and thoughtful symmetry of the logo design, the delightfully tiled and cabin-like toilet - all these little touches and details add up to something. More than this, they hint at the obsessive quality of the coffee itself.
Association was one of the first places in London I'd seen the idea of a "Coffee Flight" to test specific beans as both an espresso, and with milk (at £3.50 for both a ristretto and a flat white, the price is fair, too). The staff will happily give you an idea of what to look for in the flavour profile; the beans may be citrussy on their own, but when milk is added to the equation other qualities become emphasised, etc. Interesting stuff - one for the connoisseurs of course (or indeed pedants, if you're that way inclined), and always an interesting experience.
Together with the colourful, inventive and esoteric Curators Coffee Studio (owned and run by two lovely ex-Kaffeine baristas) around the corner off Lime Street, you have everything you need from a coffee-standpoint within the confines of EC1-to-4. It's worth bearing in mind that as little as 15 months ago the City of London was bereft of anywhere to pick up a good coffee outside of Taylor Street Baristas - now there are a host of pretenders, and whilst not as good as Association or CCS, are worth a visit in their own right (I've listed them below, as I would otherwise have to formally review each one to create a 'proper' list):
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Within City proper:
- Alchemy Coffee [St Pauls/Ludgate]
- Fleet Street Press [Fleet Street]
- Host Cafe [Cheapside/St Pauls]
- Liberty of Norton Folgate [Bishopsgate]
- Peloton [Spitalfields]
- Carter Lane Coffee House [Blackfriars]
- Notes Barrows [x 4 - various locations around the City]
- Taylor St Baristas [x 3 - various locations around the City ]
Around the City-limits:
- Nude Espresso [just off Commercial Street]
- #guardiancoffee [Shoreditch (Boxpark)]
- Exmouth Coffee Co. [Whitechapel]
- Love in a Cup [Aldgate]
- White Mulberries [St Katherine's Dock]
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I was fortunate enough to attend a cupping there back in April of this year. I was utterly out of my depth, and being one of only a handful of people there out of amateur curiosity rather than professional, it was initially intimidating. However it turned in to something fully worth leaving work early for - the opportunity to sample ten coffees from a single region, presented in a knowledgeable and interesting environment, was not something that you can freely take advantage of every day; this is one of the many reasons I appreciate the place so much.
I seem to be writing a fair few five-star reviews lately - I had wondered if my standards were too lax, but then it just dawned on me that it's only ever tempting to review something when the experience blows you away on at least one, if not many levels. In this way, Association EC3 is the exemplar. The only downside to the place is that it brings up the shutters over the weekend. But therein lies part of the charm - its inaccessibility both geographically and temporally means that when you make it there, you appreciate it even more.
