As exams loom closer and closer, many of us will be studying all day long. It’s important to remember to take breaks, stretch your legs, and recharge in order to make your revision sessions more effective. If you are on campus and need some caffeine and a bit of sugar to keep you going or just need a change of environment, here are some of my new recent favourite coffee shops and bakeries that are close to LSE.
Chestnut Bakery
Newly opened on 21 March, Chestnut Bakery is quickly becoming a favourite of mine. It’s located at the end of Floral Street which tends to be less busy than central Covent Garden even though it’s right next to it. It has a very sweet exterior covered in flowers as an homage to its street name and has a nice environment for taking a break. I highly recommend their eclairs and their signature matcha and white chocolate croissant. Sit by the window for good people watching to take your mind off of revision!
Drury Lane 188-189
I recently enjoyed a delicious breakfast bacon and egg roll at this café, but I wasn’t able to sit inside because of how popular it was. I took this as a sign of good food and coffee, and I was right. However, don’t be turned off by the fact that it is busy; I went on a Saturday, so that’s why it was so crowded. If you go during the week, it’s much more reasonable and there is plenty of seating. The café offers several different baked goods as well as a variety of drinks from coffee to smoothies, and the interior is very artsy with lots of bookshelves and comfy chairs. It reminds me of a poetry café or somewhere where writers might go to do their work. When it’s not too crowded, it’s a great place for studying and has the prime location of being right around the corner of the LSE Holborn residence hall.
Arome Bakery
This is my number one bakery. Whether it’s for a study break or meeting a friend, Arome is my go-to recommendation. It perfectly combines Japanese flavours with French pastry skill – super yummy! I think the brown sugar toast is one of their best products and you can’t find it in any other bakery. Do be aware that the shop is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays, so if you’re in need of caffeine at the beginning of the week, you may want to detour to one of the other places on this list.
London Review Bookshop
Nea the British Museum, the London Review Bookshop is a very cute little spot for a pastry as well as perusing some good books. They also have seating in a little courtyard behind the bookshop, perfect for when the weather is nice. If you don’t have enough time to sit outside (or inside if the weather is poor), they have a little window you can order takeaway from to bring back to campus. However, since you can’t eat food in the library anyway, you might as well take 15 minutes to explore the bookshop and enjoy a break while munching on some of their scrumptious cakes.
Lilly’s Café
Very centrally located in Covent Garden, I highly recommend Lilly’s Café for breakfast. I especially love their Weligama eggs as a savoury option, but they also serve mini cakes. Some of their cakes even have a star-sign or zodiac theme if you’re into astrology. However, most recently they’ve begun serving fondue which is great for sharing and a lot of fun between friends. The interior of Lilly’s feels positive because of its brightly coloured walls and their staff is super friendly and gives excellent recommendations if you don’t know what to get. Lilly’s is definitely more of a sit-down place, but if you are pressed for time, try the Gentleman’s Barista you pass as you come into Lilly’s. Both are situated in a building that houses multiple restaurants. Make sure to take note of the others as you come in, in case there are any other restaurants that spark your interest and you want to come back.
Of course, there are so many places around campus, not to mention on campus, to take your study break at. If you don’t go to any of these places or bring your own food and don’t need to go out for a break, you do still need to remember to stretch your legs and recharge throughout the day.
