 The ambience, the buzz, the broad appeal across all age groups and ethnicities, the relaxed social interaction, the seductive food and drinks' menus: these are just some of the heady ingredients that make up London's thriving café culture. Add to that the freedom to linger at leisure over a snack or drink, in a relaxed and welcoming environment, either alone or in company and one can begin to appreciate the joys of participating in one of the world's most vibrant café cultures.
London, it is fair to say, has succeeded in stamping its own identity upon the city's burgeoning café scene. Rather than mirroring the uniformity of Parisian-style boulevard cafes, where a certain sector of the population gathers to preen and chatter, or the sumptuously decorated coffee houses of Vienna, where people still go to philosophise about the meaning of life, London has seen fit to do things differently.
Key to this success is diversity. No particular style dominates. Traditional, modern, eclectic - anything goes!
It is these intangible qualities, unique to the capital that truly set it apart from other cities, around the globe. Its cafés are more than mere watering holes. Their location, décor, regular customers, staff, menus, atmosphere, all add up to something greater than the sum of the individual parts. And, it is this overall experience that defines a café's enduring popularity.
Most London cafés, however, have one overriding factor in common - they are all places where one can go to unwind and relax. And, it is on warm, sunny days, when cafés can go alfresco, spilling out on to the pavements and gardens that the café experience is at its most appealing. Who, then, can resist a slice of the action!
City cafés range from good, old-fashioned "greasy spoons" serving no-nonsense nosh with a mug of tea on formica-top tables, to elegant, up-market establishments, where one can mingle with the rich and famous. Also popular, nowadays are "live music" and "book shop" style cafés, where customers are positively encouraged to linger over their coffees, juices (or whatever takes their fancy) in true James Joycean fashion.
But, what of future trends - where is the city's café culture heading?
Recent café openings (and refits), including household names such as Gordon Ramsay and Conran, may point us in the right direction. A number of intriguing developments, for instance, at the upper echelons of London's café society, provide us with a clear indicator of things to come.
The newly opened Conran Group Grand Café and Bar, at The Royal Exchange, Bank, EC3, is a prime example of large-scale investment in the future café culture of the City. In the words of Conran, this 70-seater establishment "takes its influence from the elegant early twentieth century Viennese coffee houses and Harry's Bar in Venice". Another lavish Conran Café Bar is scheduled to open in the autumn.
Then, there's the recent refit of Gordon Ramsay's Boxwood Café, located in The Berkeley Hotel, (rumoured to have cost in excess of £1 million!). Here we have proof that there are rich pickings to be made from this expanding area of the catering industry. The 120-seat Boxwood Café now occupies the entire ground floor of The Berkeley; the walls are covered in hand-crafted gold leaf wall paper, the floor is embedded with mother of pearl and drinks are served in Riedal glasses - all highly impressive! This sumptuous venue is no run of the mill! It is, nevertheless, a café and in that respect, a bold departure for Gordon Ramsay. "We've done so much in the premier division of restaurants", says the celebrity chef and now, "the café allows us to diversify".
New start-up cafes, however, are not confined to the upper end of the market. Business is fairly buoyant across most sectors of café style catering, with a particular emphasis on different cuisines, from around the world.
The mêlée of possibilities is endless. If you're looking for a haven of comfort and tranquillity, you'll find it; if you prefer something a little livelier, then, you're also spoilt for choice.
Clearly, London's café culture is no passing trend; it is here to stay and will continue to flourish, in all its diversity.
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