Eat trendy and fake it as a “Londoner” (with a whole lot of heart)

Foxcroft and Ginger: Soho, London

http://foxcroftandginger.co.uk/

Why it qualifies for my feedgood factor: You feel like you’re part of some kind of coffee-drinking, laptop using, hide-away from London “trendy” community here. [I unashamedly use the wordy "trendy", here, to highlight the fact that I am not, in fact, "trendy", as only people who aren't "trendy" use the word "trendy".]

That’s five times I’ve used that word, and I’m pretty sure it works against you the more you use it!

Their basement downstairs is designed in a really quirky way, with benches with a variety of different design of cushions. Their mismatched, “vintage style” cups and plates also makes it feel homely.

Good for the mind: I first discovered this cafe when I first moved to London, and being surrounded by arty, liberal Soho types here (this is a compliment, hopefully not taken as a negative or generalised stereotype) was great for my ego- and it’s easy to quickly become part of it! Pretty much everyone who goes there spends their time working on their own on their laptops/reading books/magazines etc., passing around tap water and squeezing past each other in the small compact seating area. On a few occasions I’ve met random fellow coffee-drinkers, and although random conversations don’t happen a lot, you end up feeling friendly towards people, because it’s so cosy and homely (and people, like me, sit with their laptops for hours, only glancing up to smile and to sip on their tea/flatwhite- you get that sort of familiarity with strangers that have just one small thing in common).

Good for the body: They have really scrummy gluten-free/grain-free polenta cake, and a variety of really wholesome and hearty salads (with no Iceberg lettuce in sight, just scrummy butternut squash in chickpeas and roasted Winter Veggies- hoorah!) It looks healthy, tastes healthy yet delicious, so it makes me feel healthy.

Although the banana bread is my favourite (and I assume less good for the waist-line!)

Conclusion:
Going to this cafe kind of nourishes the soul (sorry, cliche, but it’s the best way to describe it). Not many places, in my experience, can you go to in London and spend hours in one place, and not feel “lonely” when you are alone. It’s like a little pocket of London, hiding away from London in their basement area.

And so, for a London Newbie from the Midlands, I start to feel like I, as I feel anyone could, belong here (this is unbearably cheesy, and I did not expect this post to go in this direction, but I promised myself I’d write honestly and naturally, so I don’t apologise).And it could just be good for me too- as long as I don’t pick the banana bread (which I always do, of course!)