Coffee Culture: The Peanut Vendor — London, UK
The place was packed. Not by people, even if a few creatives were working on laptops, what I had to manoeuvre to reach the bar were mismatched chairs, cascading greenery and mid-century design furniture.
Located on an unassuming corner just outside Victoria Park, The Peanut Vendor is a surprise in all manners. The store focuses predominantly on 20th Century furniture, and it is possible on any given day, to find a mid-century Modern couch with some Art Deco-inspired pillows on it, next to a Hollywood Regency era coffee table. But they also have a small coffee bar, serving up a third wave coffee and indulging slices of cake.
It’s interesting to see that more and more, coffee places in London tend to push boundaries when it comes to creating a space for people to linger. It’s no longer enough to provide patrons with good coffee in and of itself, the atmosphere, interior design and overall aesthetics need to be instagrammable.
But my scepticism aside, The Peanut Vendor ticks all the boxes when it comes to a place where I return again and again. The coffee is excellent, the cosy atmosphere invites for quiet contemplation (or work), and the baristas are friendly. Don't miss it.
What to order
Using grains from The Barn, a Berlin-based coffee roaster, The Peanut Vendor’s coffee is the main draw. Our favourite is hands down the Oatly latte but when the sun shines are we feel for something more refreshing, Gingerella ginger ale is an excellent choice.
