El Café de la Central, Eixample

I love getting back to London during the year. I marvel at all the new concepts that have popped up and taken over in the few months I have been absent. My palate is partial to strong flavour combinations and London always delivers.

The second reason I love London are the bookshops. My hunger for food is secondary to my hunger for knowledge. I consume podcasts on Heritage Radio or Eater Upsell daily but I miss print. Amazon is practically instant these days, especially with their premium service. But I find it hard to commit to a book without having a look and I can’t get a feel for the content by swipping through a few allocated pages. Nothing compares thumbing through the real thing. Then plopping down on a chair for a coffee from the bookshop cafe.

That’s a perfect afternoon right there – except I had to wait for my trips to London to have one.

Until now.

Because La Central’s Eixample branch now has a Cosmo Cafe outpost in the pretty light filled alcove on the 1st floor.

La Central is a local bookstore mind you, so most of its collection is in Catalan & Spanish. But there are a few English titles, even in the cookbook section (and not just Jamie Olivers). I spot a Our Korean Kitchen which I have at home and have my eye on Sirroco.

Happily the coffee is infinitely better than the Costa Coffee / Coffee Nero branches that seem to populate London bookshops.

A neat white tiled bar with a glass display of cookies and butter croissants. The coffee comes in a thick lipped black cup. You can enjoy it inside or at one of the tables on the terrace. All this just off the busy shopping street of Rambla de Catalunya.

El Café de la Central
Carrer de Mallorca, 237,
Eixample 08008
lacentral.com/librerias/cafeteria