What's the Verdict?
Read for yourself firsthand what the Cognoscenti say about us. Don’t just take our word!“Coffee Shop of the Year”, What’s On Magazine,
“Caffè Vergnano sells the best coffee I’ve ever drunk, anywhere.”Giles Coren
“A remarkably sublime coffee.”Gordon Ramsay
"The best espresso in London". The Times
What's On Magazin...
WHAT'S ON MAGAZINE - "COFFEE SHOP OF THE YEAR"
COFFEE SHOP OF THE YEAR AWARD The first known coffee house in London opened in 1652. Nowadays, London is coffee house city. Ubiquitous and corporate in style, the new breed of coffee-terieas, like the Seattle-based Starbucks, serves oceans of musty brown liquid in bucket-sized mugs. Is a 90 per cent milk drink coffee? In search of the true cup – fresh, hot, stringently aromatic and with a velvety ‘crema’ on top we took a caffeine break and discovered the best brews are served by the independents, with our Coffee shop of the Year Award going to a little coffee house in Charing Cross Road. Caffè Vergnano 62 Charing Cross Road WC2 – Here’s coffee for connoisseurs – the only Caffè Vergnano outlet in the UK. No wonder Italians flock here for an Espresso like mamma makes. Every single cup at the friendly family-run café is lovingly prepared on a gleaming Elektra machine and served as if it were a work of art by Michelangelo. Espresso is consistently full-bodied, with a velvety crema, rich flavour and long, resonant finish. It transforms elegantly in milk, with each Cappuccino rounded off on top by the Vergnano ‘1882’ pattern. Americano here is as rich and inviting as the Espresso. Best in town – 10/10. Roger Foss, What’s On Magazine, 07/09/05Roger Foss, What's On Magazine, 24/11/2011
Giles Coren
GILES COREN - SPRING ROUND-UP
Only moments ago, wedged down the back of the big flowery sofa (which I really must get around to re-upholstering), I found the loyalty card for Caffè Vergnano, the only purveyor of food or drink in the world past whose premises I am truly unable to walk without entering. I’ve been meaning to write about it for months, years, but it just got forgotten under all the clutter. It’s just a coffee shop on Charing Cross Road, on the east side as you walk down towards Trafalgar Square, but it happens to sell the best coffee I’ve ever drunk, anywhere. The espresso machine itself is an astonishing thing – an Elektra Belle Epoque – which looks like Flash Gordon must have crash-landed in it here, many aeons ago. To watch the guy raising the cup to eye level to leak, ever so slowly, the frothed milk from jug into coffee so that it rises with a perfect rosetta to the rim, and then see him print “1882” on the rich surface with chocolate is to witness a rare devotion. But a simple espresso served on a pewter tray with a small bitter chocolate and a glass of cold water (to make each mouthful of coffee as rousing as the first) is perhaps a purer expression of the spirit of the bean. Go, for the Lord’s sake. Travel whatever hundreds of miles you must, just for a cup of coffee. It’s worth it. And double worth it.Giles Coren, Giles Coren, 17/11/2011
Gordon Ramsay
GORDON RAMSAY - GORDON RAMSAY
We were very privileged indeed to have the country’s most celebrated chef, Gordon Ramsay, visit our stand. We showed him how we make the coffee, and we were very interested to hear his thoughts, not least because he was the first to formally try our coffee from the new on-demand grinder. We certainly felt the tension of the moment, because the Restaurant Show’s television crew happened to be on hand to film the chef’s judgement for posterity. Although we hasten to add that we have no sponsorship arrangement with Mr. Ramsay, and his personal judgement should in no-way be taken as an endorsement of our product, we were obviously extremely delighted to hear his verdict: “A remarkably sublime coffee.”_, Gordon Ramsay, 01/12/2011
Time Out
TIME OUT - EATING AND DRINKING
When fearsome chef Gordon Ramsay sings the praises of a café (eulogising its coffee as ‘remarkably sublime’), we can consider it something of a safe bet. Caffè Vergnano has earned both these votes of confidence by serving up its 1882 coffee blend to perfection from its Leicester Square venue. You can expect the same level of service from this second and much bigger outlet at Southbank Centre; that means aromatic and full-bodied espresso with a silky ‘crema’, dispensed from a gleaming Elektra espresso machine, pristinely served on an Armani tray (no less), and a glass of water to accompany. An experience for the true coffee connoisseur. As well as great coffee, the new branch includes an Italian bar and restaurant.Southbank Centre, Time Out, 01/12/2011
Westend Review
WESTEND REVIEW - ITALIAN FLAVOUR
Observe the frenetic pace of London life as you enjoy a cappuccino and pastry in the window of Caffè Vergnano. A stone’s throw from Leicester Square, this authentic Italian coffee house is handy for the shops and as it’s open in the evenings, great for a pre-theatre espresso to keep you awake during the performance. The emphasis here is quite rightly on the coffee, the centrepiece being a gleaming chrome Elektra espresso coffee machine, an eagle with wings outstretched on top. This huge piece of machinery clearly gets the very best out of Caffè Vergnano’s independently sourced and roasted beans. Whereas many companies use high temperature ‘turbo’ roasters, Caffè Vergnano’s beans are gently roasted at lower temperatures for twenty minutes. This brings out the flavour much more and the proof is in the beautiful, aromatic coffee which results. The attention to detail doesn’t stop there. Espresso, with an excellent crema, is served with water as a rule and cappuccinos come emblazoned with the date 1882, marking Caffè Vergnano’s conception in the form of a family-run grocery store, selling coffee in the Turin foothills. Staff, acknowledged as leading experts in the industry, are friendly, and overall it has a much more personal atmosphere that many other coffee houses lack.Westend Review, Westend Review, 01/12/2011
The Times
THE TIMES - COFFEE UNCOVERED
It is easy to miss this small café in the crowds streaming out of Leicester Square but if Giles Coren, The Times restaurant critic says it sells “the best coffee I’ve ever drunk anywhere”, and we think it serves the best espresso in London, it’s worth seeking out. It is the only British outlet of a 124-year-old Italian coffee dynasty that has turned espresso making into something of a religion. Aromatic and full-bodied espresso with a beautiful ‘crema’ is dispensed from a gleaming Elektra espresso machine and arrives on a dinky tray with a glass of water to clear the palette. Latte has the perfect ratio of coffee to milk and a delicate creamy top. Cappuccino is served with 1882 stencilled on the creamy foam in chocolate powder. Baristas are trained for an average of 3 months so sit back and relax - you are in the hands of experts. Mairi Mackay, The Times Coffee Uncovered, 02/11/06Mairi Mackay, The Times, 01/12/2011
Heart FM
HEART FM - THE BEST CHOCOLATE IN LONDN
How many times a week does someone come up to you and say “Oh you must go there it does the best…” or “I found this restaurant down this cute little side street the other day and their food was AMAZING you must try it…”? More often than not they are exaggerating the claim a little or (and don’t try and deny it) you think that they don’t have the same high standards that you do and that actually the pecan nut whirl is nice but in actual fact you know a deli in Devon that does it even better! Well, on Saturday I was walking around Covent Garden with a friend trying to dodge the swarms of tourists (a lot of Americans I found this weekend!?) and find a café to escape the bitterly cold winds. Charlotte, my friend, suddenly perks up with the suggestion of going to a place “that does the best hot chocolate in London!” It’s a little walk away to the South Bank “but its SO worth it!” (There goes the exaggeration I’m thinking). Now I don’t mind hot chocolate, I’m certainly not obsessed by the stuff, but it’s cold and the thought of a good hot drink is understandably appealing. However hot chocolate is well, just that. It can’t be that good (surely?), they’re probably gonna spice it up with some multicoloured marshmallows in the shape of hearts of something. Three words: OH…MY…WORD… This stuff is divine!! This IS the best hot chocolate in London. Usually hot chocolate just tastes how you expect hot chocolate to taste (do you know what I mean??). This though actually tastes like a few choice blocks of the finest Green & Blacks melted down into a pool of loveliness with smooth foamed milk resting on top. They even stencil their own logo on the top using cocoa powder. It’s presented how you expect food in Claridges to be served, so precise that you worry about disturbing their excellent craftsmanship. I had to take a picture of it so you knew that I wasn’t going a little OTT on the description front. Yes I know what you’re thinking… ‘Enough of this fancy Nigel Slater-esq romantic wording on the taste of a warmed chocolate drink, where can I sample this for myself…?’ Get yourself to Caffè Vergnano on the South Bank between the London Eye and the Festival Hall, under one of the arches before Hungerford Bridge. Even if you have stuffed yourself with copious amounts of chocolate this Easter weekend I’m sure you can find room for a little bit more… Go on treat yourself. Oh and one more thing - before you think it, no this place really is better than your favourite French café down the road from your aunts cottage in the West Country. Matt Wilkinson, Heart FM, 25/03/08Matt Wilkinson, Heart FM, 03/12/2011
Reach
REACH - FLAVOUR OF THE MONTH
FLAVOUR OF THE MONTH The regeneration of the Southbank Centre continues apace, with the opening in February of Caffè Vergnano, the award-winning coffee shop that counts Gordon Ramsey among the fans of its authentic espressos. Brought to London by caffeine connoisseur Luciano Franchi, Vergnano does the kind of cappuccino you’re hard-pressed to find outside Italy – not too long, not too hot and with a perfectly silky schiuma (the foam on top). Featuring a bar and restaurant, the new branch is a real family affair, with Franchi’s father advising on the wine and his mother on the food. It’s also seven times larger than the original café off Leicester Square – proof, if ever you needed it that SE1 is the new heart of the capital. Clare Lynch, ReachClare Lynch, Reach, 03/12/2011
