'Oasis of Calm' - Real Italian Coffee

Like most women, all I really need to have a good day is a hot cup of coffee and a nice slice of cake. Then, I am fit to go and ready to handle any challenge the world may throw at me. My quest for these two simple pleasures has taken me all over London, into the nooks and crannies of Camden, Soho and as far afield as Hampstead Heath. However, I have yet to find a coffee (latté or cappuccino, whichever is your tipple of preference) to surpass those served by La Bottega, near Victoria station. ‘What?’ I hear you cry, Victoria is hardly the place to relax, filled as it is with harassed tourists, crowds of office workers and queues of taxis honking their horns. But if you battle through the barrage of noise and people and take a swift left onto Eccleston Street you feel as if you have entered another world. Silence descends, smart white town houses line the streets and plush private parks sit smugly, little oasis’ of calm. And perched on the corner with Ebury Street is La Bottega.

Unassuming, and small enough to be cosy, it sells steaming cups of coffee at reasonable prices. The counter is lined with tempting snacks and a dizzying array of fresh food. Tasty smells waft over you as you recline in comfy green seats, and to top it off the people behind the counter are actually Italian. The perfect place to drop in before a long coach journey, and a brilliant alternative to packed high street chains.