London Blend: No. 67 @ the SLG

SallyB2
By SallyB2 Last edited 163 months ago
London Blend: No. 67 @ the SLG

Our continuing, caffeine-fuelled quest to show you some of our favourite coffee shops in London.

The quest for a good cup of coffee in Peckham has until now been at best frustrating. Mean, there are one or two places that serve acceptable coffee, but nothing resembling a destination coffee bar. You know - the sort of place where you go for a specific coffee experience. There is a particular sort of rage associated with coffee fail: hey, we have been to countries where coffee culture is wholly non-existent, let alone small London townships, so we know about these things. The headache, and the dull realisation that there is nothing you can do about it...

Coffee and carrot cake. For a wet August morning.
Coffee and carrot cake. For a wet August morning.
The menu.
The menu.
The much acclaimed SLG extension.
The much acclaimed SLG extension.

No. 67 is a shiny new cafe attached to the revamped South London Gallery. Its scrubbed tables and open counter are more redolent of the shires than the streets of South London, inducing in this Londonista a strong nostalgia for Cranks. The coffee (a Union blend) hit the right spot, strong and nutty with no nasty after taste. They offer a goodly range of soft drinks and coffee-alternatives, but it is No. 67's menu that gets them special mention in the Londonist dispatches. They serve big portions of freshly prepared, wholesome and original food: we had couscous with freshly grilled aubergines, figs and pistachios, and hot salt beef with mustardised beetroot and a jolly decent coleslaw. In the interests of research we also forced down a piece of coca-y carrot cake. Our bill including cold drinks and the afore-mentioned caffeine fix came to under £20. Impressive.

The cafe space is an interesting spot to while away an urban hour or two: you can sit outside at the front or back of the premises (there is a serene patch of back garden with tables and chairs) - or inside the cafe, or in the light and funky annexe with its communal table. The symbiotic blend of old and new, cafe and gallery and shop, has attracted praise from various quarters. Coffee and something to talk about - what could be better?

No. 67 is open Tuesday - Sunday from 10am - 6.30pm (9pm on Wednesdays) at 67, Peckham Road, London SE5 8UH: tel: 020 7252 7649. You can follow them on Facebook and they tweet in tandem with the gallery itself.

Last Updated 16 August 2010