Branching out from its Shoreditch original, Timberyard’s second café brings its brand of wi-fi and caffeine to Theatreland, putting on a splendid show of strong brews, great bakes and light bites.
The scene’s set with heavyweight industrial ducting, comfy armchairs and makeshift tables fashioned from stacked vintage suitcases. It’s a look that would be right at home out east, but it’s still a rarity in Covent Garden.
Coffee is the main draw here, with the Has Bean company providing their signature Jabberwocky blend, as well as beans form Climpson's, Drop Coffee and Cast Iron, from which baristas deliver A-grade, big-on-floral-flavour cuppas.If you’re in a hurry, though, maybe give the drip-fed Chemex filter coffee process a miss. It makes for a scintillating cup, but the brewing process alone takes ten minutes to unleash its aromatic goodness. If you are making an afternoon of it, though, there are plenty of sockets to keep your tablet/laptop equally juiced up, and no pressure to move on after stretching out the first cup.
The specialist teas also score highly: check out the timer to mark that fragrant moment when leaves are infused to just the right degree. Wait 30 seconds longer at your own peril.
Flying the flag for British suppliers, local bakers provide the bread for quality sandwiches and homely baked goods: chunky flapjacks, posh tarts, chewy cookies, traybakes and hot buttered teacakes. There’s even a nod to guilt-free munching – herby grain salads, crunchy granolas, and porridge for the virtuous.
The basement doesn’t have the airiness of its ground floor, but does boast a funky meeting room. It’s not all about creative thoughts and brain showers – an equally warm welcome is extended to weary shoppers wanting a sit down, a good natter and spot of tea and cake.
We’ve come a long way since the internet cafés of the noughties – and there’s not a polystyrene cup in sight.