For those of you craving a refreshing café experience, I would highly recommend The Delaunay; situated in the heart of London on the corner of Aldwych & Drury Lane. My foodie partner in crime and I happened to stumble across this hidden gem during an evening stroll of the city, and I must concur it was a delightful experience! Celebrities such as Nigella Lawson, actress Kirsten Dunst, Helena Bonham Carter and Tim Burton are regulars according to The Evening Standard.

As you enter the café, it’s almost as if you’ve been transformed back to the 1940’s, except this place is Austrian, which was a pleasant surprise! The venue itself exhibits an ambience which I haven’t experienced as such in other cafés. The classical wartime music, wooden furnishings, tiled flooring, marble counters and an eloquent newspaper table stand all supplement a transformation back in time. I also liked the random miniature classic film posters scattered across the venue and was impressed with the service as well; the waiters dressed in smart attire were very polite and swift in service. Now, onto the food…

I must concur, given the time of day and the fact that I had not so long ago previously consumed a Pret sandwich; I only had enough room for a pain au chocolat! Likewise London Ki Ladki was in a similar dilemma. Albeit the fact that the pastry had likely been prepared in the morning, it still tasted amazing! Supermarkets and your common café tend to go overkill with butter and sugar on the pastry. However The Delaunay’s pain au chocolat had a delicate, fluffy texture with the perfect balance between butter, sugar and chocolate.

Pricewise – I personally felt this place is reasonable with a very varied menu that includes Austrian specialities. If you see their menus they have a Breakfast, All Day Á La Carte, Afternoon Tea and Brunch; so definitely spoilt for choice! The Afternoon Tea menu in particular looks amazing and I definitely would come back for it. They also have a vegetarian menu with some very interesting dishes; I’ve got my eye on the Lecso Spiced Vegetables in a buckwheat pancake with a fried duck egg. My foodie partner and I purchased two (rather large) pain au chocolats which came to £4.50 – so not too bad!

In summary, I think The Delaunay offers a unique atmosphere coupled with a reasonably priced and varied menu. It’s the ideal place for an evening first date, a spot of afternoon tea or even to grab a cup of tea to help settle your nerves before an interview!

Now time for the LKL Foodie Adventure scores:

Food: 3.5/5

Food Presentation: 3.5/5

Venue & Atmosphere: 4/5

Service: 3.5/5

Value for Money: 3.5/5

Total Score: 20/25

I would like to thank my foodie partner in crime London Ki Ladki for granting me the opportunity to guest write on her wonderful blog. My name is Benoy and I actually run my own blog on boxing (haha yes completely un-related to what I’ve just written about), here’s the link: www.ben10boxing.blogspot.co.uk. Thank you for taking the time to read my article, hope you enjoyed it and please continue to follow London Ki Ladki’s foodie adventure.

Photo Source: London Ki Ladki and The Victorian Awning Company