Departure is coffee shop/second hand book shop just down the road from Limehouse DLR and is one of my favourite find in London this year.
With stylish and inviting decor, friendly and interesting staff and brilliant roof terrace-garden to bask in the sun , it has just become my favourite coffee house.
Housed within the shop is a second hand bookshop with a fantastic range of literature. The Departure staff invite you to grab a book to read during your stay even if you don’t end up buying it.
Not only is the place incredibly cool and an absolute refreshment from the common Starbucks or Pret-A-Manger, it is also shockingly cheap. I mean you even feel a bit guilty for it. A cup of tea will cost you in the range of 60p with refills just 30p. A coffee is not much different. There is also free wi-fi. Everything you want really.
This is what a real independent coffee shop should be like.
Image: Umair Mohsin