It is refreshing to have a coffee lounge that is open late into the evening and it’s all thanks to Madam Chi! At least you can go here and not have to worry about the time!

Madam Chi is spread over two floors and we chose to have our drinks on the upper level this time. There is a cushioned bench like sofa along one wall and also normal table and chairs. Various books are dotted around on one of the shelves along the wall!

As expected, Madam Chi’s does a range of coffees and teas but it also serves wine! The Darjeeling Earl Grey was served in a big clear pot, and it was with fresh tea leaves. It had a fantastic flavour and there was so much so tea! We couldn’t finish the pot between the two of us!

The staff were really friendly and gave us service with a smile! Even though they had an event planned on the upper floor, they allowed us to go and have our tea there. When it got closer to the time of the event, the staff politely said that we could take our tea downstairs and they made sure that we did not feel uneasy about having to move!

Just a note, the menu for the hot drinks is not on the wall behind the counter! Instead it is on the wall opposite the counter! So, when you walk into Madam Chi’s, you would have your back to it! We couldn’t spot the menu when we entered and had to have it pointed out by the staff!

Madam Chi Coffee Lounge, 187 Upper Street, Islington, London, N1 1RQ

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Two huge wooden tables and long benches make up Papa Del’s communal dining area! There are also a few window seats!

Papa Del’s has a very natural feel to it. The tables are uneven so that slate placemats are used to keep the plates level! It was nice to have such a dining area with all the wooden surroundings! The painted walls and wall lights gave a soft ambiance!

The food was cooked fresh in the open kitchen and so we were waiting a short while for it! The Vegetariana pizza had a thin crispy base and the tomato sauce was tasty. It was topped with tomato, mozzarella, sweetcorn, onions, peppers and mushrooms. We had an additional topping of aubergine! The vegetables were all cooked perfectly!

The Penne Arrabiata was a big portion! The pasta was topped with a sauce of garlic, tomato, olives and chilli! The sauce had a good flavour and it definitely had a spicy kick to it!

The staff were friendly, but there was a slight language barrier going on. A few times when we asked the staff questions, they just said that they did not understand! Luckily, we had the patience to try and explain what we meant in several different ways!

Papa Del’s does a good evening deal between 9pm and 11pm! It is also open in the morning for breakfast!

Papa Del’s, 347 Archway Road, London, N6 5AA

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An afternoon tea with an Indian twist is what 3 Oceans provides! Gone away are the traditional scones and in come the vegetable samosas!

It made a refreshing change to have many savoury items and less of the sweet ones! Instead of small finger sandwiches, we were given two whole sandwiches, cut into triangles! The cheese and tomato one had thick slices of cheese and was on granary bread. The egg mayonnaise one was made with wholemeal bread! There were the options also to have smoked salmon, prawn and ham sandwiches, but we decided just to have the cheese and egg ones.

For the Indian snacks, we were given vegetable samosas, crispy bhajia and kachori. None of these were greasy or oily and all had a mild spice level! The vegetable samosas had a crispy pastry and were filled with mashed vegetables. The kachori also had a similar sort of a filling but were made with a batter outer rather than pastry. The bhajias were sliced potatoes cooked in batter too! All were very moreish and went well with the mint, yoghurt chutney and the tamarind chutney!

As if that wasn’t all filling enough, there were also the chocolate based desserts! There was a rich chocolate cake and also a brownie style cake. Both were very rich and had pieces of nuts in them!

3 Oceans had a lot of teas to choose from; the list spread over two pages! I had the lychee red tea which was a black tea! It had a wonderful sweet subtle fruity flavour! The tea was served by the pot! It was really nice that the staff did not mind giving us additional pots of hot water to replenish the tea through our meal!

The restaurant area was clean and spacious! There were cream cushioned high backed chairs and dark wooden tables. It also has a separate bar area.

The staff were absolutely fantastic and so friendly! They made sure everything was to our liking all the time that we were dining here. It made us feel that we were getting such personal service and made us enjoy our time at 3 Oceans. Even though there was a private event going to happen that evening, the staff in no way made us rush. They let us take our time and did not make us feel uncomfortable or that we were getting in their way!

3 Oceans is a lovely friendly place to go to, with great attention paid to the food and service!

3 Oceans, 4 Lodge Lane, Off North Finchley High Road, London, N12 8JR

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