Bea's of Bloomsbury, A Hidden Delight

It was a late morning again and rather than heading to the tube and then to find someplace to grab a quick bite, I remember reading about a cafe called Bea's of Bloomsbury that was located a couple of blocks north of my hotel. Located at 44 Theobald's Road in the Bloomsbury neighborhood of London, it's easily to walk past the indistinct facade of this 800 sq ft cafe. But wide eyes will notice a display of pastries just inside the window.

Walk in and be welcomed by an array of fresh baked goods on the black counter along with savory items. As much as I wanted to eat a heavenly looking piece of meringue, I opted for something more befitting a breakfast: an americano white and a spinach and sausage sandwich. Simple but good. Since I definitely wanted to try one of the sweets, I hoped to return to the cafe during the weekend.

The cafe is open for lunch and afternoon tea. During peak times it may be difficult to find a table so order your items to take away. It'll be cheaper. Snag a table in the back of the cafe and you'll have a view of the open kitchen with chefs preparing the day's menu items. If tables are available, place your order at the counter and choose from the menu or from the display and pay. The staff will bring your selections to the table.

Opened in 2008, the cafe is open Mon-Fri 8am-7pm, Sat 10am-7pm, Sun 12pm-7pm. Closest tube stations are Holborn and Chancery Court. More info at beasofbloomsbury.com. Click here to view cakes from  Bea's.