A coffee at the Lantana Cafe, Charlotte Place, Fitzrovia, London W1 -

With my spirits flagging after a miserable afternoon battling through the crowds of Oxford Street, I found myself in urgent need of a decent cup of coffee – and Lantana Cafe in Fitrovia turned out to be the perfect place to refuel.

Offering an excellent selection of cakes and snacks, the cafe has a cosy atmosphere, although space is limited inside.

There’s usually seats available outside though, but as the place can get very busy, you may have to queue to get served at busy times – but the coffee is definitely worth the wait.

A bit of background

Opening in 2008, this Australian-run coffee outlet has bagged a bouquet of best cafe awards, and after devouring a delicious cake and enjoying a particularly splendid coffee, it was easy to see why.

Named after a ‘noxious Australian weed‘ (err, OK), the success of Lantana has led to the launch of a sister outlet called Salvation Jane (yes, another rampant Australian weed) in painfully trendy Shoreditch, east London.

I’ve yet to visit the east London cafe, but I’m told it’s quite different to Lantana, being considerably larger in size and offering a more comprehensive menu, plus beer, wine and cocktails in the evening.