A Scandi Mega-Chain Is Coming to London

Fika stalwart comes to the capital

The influential Swedish coffee shop Wayne's Coffee, founded in Stockholm in 1994, is opening a site on High Street Kensington next month — as reported by MCA. Given Sweden’s influence on London’s now thriving speciality coffee scene, a chain outpost from the same country is sure to make waves. Huge in Scandinavia and the Baltic countries, Wayne's Coffee also operates in Cyprus and Saudi Arabia. Its welcoming mixture of fika, Scandi style, latte and wifi, now so ubiquitous, was pioneering 25 years ago, and may yet prove a novelty in W8. Expect organic everything, from pastries to beetroot lattes.

Pizza Union look to expand east...

The Roman-style pizza mini-chain are following in their competitors’ footsteps and bucking the Brexit trend through expansion. Currently boasting sites in King’s Cross, Aldgate and Spitalfields, all serving fast, high-quality pizza at affordable prices, the brand looks to step further east with a proposed site in Dalston, according to MCA.

... While NY Fold spreads its slices out of Soho ...

From Rome to New York, but staying with pizza, by-the-slice outfit NY Fold are set to double their presence in the capital (from one site, to two.) Originally based on Charing Cross Road, the influencer-encouraging brand will be hoping their devoted following flock to their new location.

... And Antica Da Michele will open on Baker Street after all

After a lengthy will-they won’t-they process, it appears that L’Antica Pizzeria da Michele will indeed open on Baker Street — as presaged by MCA at the end of September, and revealed on the brand’s Twitter account today.

Corazón Soho will mark Day of the Dead with a feast ...

This Saturday night, Corazón in Soho are marking Day of the Dead with a mezcal-lashed midnight feast. It’s £48 for four courses, including guinea fowl mole, and goat’s milk flan with candied pumpkin, plus mezcal matching and an agave zombie welcome cocktail. Revels kick off at 11.30pm. Buy tickets here.

... While El Pastór lay on an Ofrenda

El Pastór’s Dia de los Muertos fest takes place on Friday from 10pm to 2am, featuring a traditional ofrenda (like a harvest supper, only with skulls), plenty of, ahem, artisanal mezcal and tequila, and electronica sets channelling the spirit of El Colmillo in Mexico City, former stomping ground of El Pastór owners Sam Hart and Crispin Somerville. Tickets, £20, including welcome drink, here: https://www.rsvp-popup.com/events/elpastor-diadelosmuertos