A very thorough guide to new places & learning new things in London 🇬🇧

If you’re into exploring a city beneath its surface and off the beaten path, this is the Filter for London you’ve been looking for. Natalie’s 2,100-word tour of one of earth’s most storied cities is not brief; it is thorough & delightful. Get up, brew a cup of coffee or a good Earl Grey, and settle in…

*Natalie Brittan and her husband, Chris, run Carbon Kopi with 2 locations in Hammersmith and Fulham, London. Photos courtesy of Natalie Brittan*

Filter: What do you do for fun around London?

We (my husband/business partner Chris and I) love exploring new places, parks, architecture/buildings, good food and coffee, learning new things, history, and culture. There's always something new that blows my mind such as the St. Clement Dane's Church that rings bells in the tune of the actual nursery song/rhyme "oranges and lemons")—if you have time look up the song, the song mentions many London landmarks!

I also have a soft spot for the exaggerated, faux-gentrified hipster joints, particularly the likes of Hackney in East London and south of the river, Brixton and Peckham. I think it's because I am based so far from these areas that I find it so refreshing when I find something with a different proposition and vibe to what I'm used to.

We recently ventured to the famed Dusty Knuckle Bakery in East which is a bit of an institution—sourdough, pastries, and focaccia sandwiches. I loved the honey and feta pastry but if you're not a fan of aniseed flavours maybe steer clear!

I love Peckham Levels (a multiplex converted old cinema) that now houses food halls, rooftop bars, and other hipster businesses.

We also enjoy Pidgin in Dalston, an intimate neighbourhood restaurant for a special occasion meal and were impressed with the variety and quality of food and wine—the menu changes weekly which must be a huge challenge for the chefs!

Filter: If a good friend came to visit, where would you be sure to take them?

I'd take them to Richmond Park on a cold, crisp day—the deer are giant and always mesmerising to look at and the park is so massive you'll find yourself lost in a veritable green paradise of twigs, leaves, trees, and trunks.

I also love all the museums and beautiful free spaces we are able to roam and wander at whim. Tate Modern is one of my favourite buildings with its endlessly high ceilings and sense of space, and also the V&A (find the John Madejski Garden—on a sunny day it's lovely to bask in and there's water fountains for the young and young at heart to dip their toes in).

I also love the Design Museum in Holland Park—they've created an intentional space to think about design, creativity, branding, and the various ideas that have shaped and filled our world with colour.

If we're staying local I can't go past Hammersmith Bridge on a nice day—the strip down by the River Thames is some of the most beautiful river spots, and we get to point out some of the famous shooting locations (Bond), and there's Bishops Park and Fulham Palace which offers sprawling greenery and heritage galore.

In the West Kew Gardens is another favourite of mine if they are into botanical pursuits—trees, flowers, greenhouses (if I ever miss the subtropical and tropical climes of the countries I grew up in all I have to do is come here for New Zealand ferns, cocoa trees, and pitcher plants), even art galleries and I have spent many a day trying to wrench my children away from their intelligently designed Children's Garden.

While we're on the subject of tropical jungles I find the Barbican Observatory a mind-blowing place in the heart of central London. It's architecturally interesting (it has that otherworldly sense of being retro or futuristic—an enigma that keeps drawing me back to it) with a lush, thriving, indoor jungle that is the most surprising find for city dwellers.

Filter: What do you like to do to escape the city?

We have family in the Southwest, and my husband is from there, so have explored most of that part including Somerset and Devon. We tend to favour beaches and twee village locations but also enjoy bigger city-like places such as Bristol, Bath, and Brighton.

In terms of beaches, there's so much we haven't explored, it usually has to be en route to see family but we have enjoyed the likes of Ilfracombe in Devon, Bournemouth, and Isle of Portland (we went to see a lighthouse called Portland Bill though I'm told Swanage is better).

We once had a blissfully idyllic holiday in the Cotswolds (Northleach/Turkdean) and explored the hugely touristy Bourton-on-the-Water and Stow-on-the-Wold. Another cutesy town worth visiting is Castle Combe, and of course, if you're en route to the Southwest, try and catch a glimpse of Stonehenge on the motorway. We've never actually seen it up close but if you don't like contending with the tourists this is the best way to see one of the world's most curious sights. Why it's not considered one of the world's seven wonders is a mystery to me.

We also had a stunning summer's day at Hever Castle (Kent) which is not too far from London and is the historic home of the infamous Anne Boleyn. If history is your thing then perhaps take the trip to Hampton Court Palace too to satiate your Tudor appetite.

People should know that Bath is hugely weather dependent—walking around cobbled streets is not great in the pouring rain. The Jane Austen Centre there is also pretty teeny tiny so if you feel claustrophobic maybe not!

Many of the historic estates I've mentioned above offer their gardens for a reduced entry fee so you don't have to pay to go into the castles/stately homes if it's not your thing.

Filter: What touristy things in London are worth the hype?

I would say Hyde Park is infinitely gorgeous and vast, we have fond memories of children "falling" into Princess Diana's memorial fountain (it's a circular loop with running water, great in the summer) every time we visit. Nearby Holland Park is also beautiful and filled with very varied walks and finds and it's of course close to all the London landmarks such as Kensington Gardens, Kensington Palace, Marble Arch, St James's Park.

In the financial district I love the Sky Garden (you have to book!) and although less lush than the Barbican it's still a great space to look out over London. It's also close to the Monument to the Great Fire of London which is another key part of history.

Borough Market and Old Spitalfields Market are great places to get food even for locals. I adore Padella and Pochi in Borough and Ugly Dumpling in Spitalfields—the giant soup dumplings really are worth the hype and the queue moves quickly.

Filter: Where are your favorite quiet corners, green spaces, charming walks, or hidden gems there?

I love the Japanese Garden in Holland Park, and the Serpentine Lake, Serpentine Gallery, and Serpentine Bar and Kitchen in Hyde Park are beautifully built spaces with an artistic focus amid all the greenery. There are so many things to see in Hyde Park/Kensington Gardens though, you could never see it all in one day. Peter Pan and Prince Albert statues are all part and parcel of one magical journey.

By the Sky Garden I always love pointing out the little known but well-loved London Mithraeum—a teeny slice of Roman ruins that is preserved and complete with Roman artefacts and sound and smoke effects that make it even more mystical. The beauty of it is you can usually walk in and it's not busy.

Battersea is another otherworldly spot—the newly revamped power station is truly a sight to behold and I do feel quite patriotic looking at it (it was built with foreign investment) and it reminds me of the shopping malls I grew up in as a child. The Uber boat that goes by Battersea is a lovely way to spend the day, cruising along the River Thames and an easy way to take in all the riverbank sights and sounds. I believe there is also a lift you can take with views over London that I have yet to experience. Nearby Battersea Park is also a lovely day out with lovely trails and lakes. It's a hive of activity on a nice day.

Filter: What's another coffee shop around there that you really admire, and what about them stands out to you?

Nostos in Orchard Place has just opened and they represent the pinnacle in speciality coffee—showcasing some of the best the world has to offer in contemporary surroundings, and brewing it with absolute precision, down to adjusting the minerals in the water for that sweet spot extraction.

I also love Formative—consistently effortless and smooth and sleek service in a timeless interior. We have used their coffees in the past and it has been to a really high standard.

For something more laid back in the financial quarter, Rosslyn is something of a household name and we respect what they have done for the world of specialty coffee, focusing on service and highlighting global roasters and coffee producers doing interesting things, and constantly pushing the bar.

I've not been to Lift which is near Kensington, but have heard great things and imagine they have a similar ethos to the shops named above.

Battersea is also home to Nostos' first home and there is also Kapihan, a family-owned Filipino bakery/coffee shop that is true to its roots with a unique, authentic menu.

Filter: What makes London feel like home to you?

It actually takes me a really long time to call a place home—I think because I've moved around quite a bit so I'm still a little bit unsure if it is home (I think the overall UK current milieu and outlook in general has contributed to that reluctance to call it home), but I do love the chameleonic nature of London and it’s probably the only place I can call home in the UK. It is also the only place where I have seen total strangers from completely different ends of the spectrum be nice and chivalrous to one another and to see that gives me hope that we can all get along with everyone despite our differences. I also enjoy how multi-faceted London is, it is so varied you could never claim to see or know its identity in its entirety.

Filter: How did you end up in the London coffee scene?

I was born in Malaysia, moved to New Zealand in my teens and have been based in the UK coming up to 7 years now. I met my British-born husband in NZ and when we had children, we decided it was best to be closer to his family and his older children. Cafe-hopping was one of our favourite things to do in New Zealand and we always harboured dreams of starting our own cafe, and when we arrived in West London it confirmed our suspicions that the area could do with more specialty coffee fixtures.

“Both my absolute favourite Malaysian restaurants are not too far away in Holborn—Seven Floor Tea Rooms and Dapur, the former specialising in popular Malaysian Chinese noodle soups (hard to find outside of Malaysia)…” - Natalie Brittan

Filter: Can you share about your role at Carbon Kopi?

I am less involved in the day-to-day running of Carbon Kopi these days, Chris has the lion’s share of the work, but do pop in from time to time when my schedule allows. We try to have managers in place who can look after the shops as best we can. I think the most rewarding thing about our work is being a part of people's lives—being the highlight of their weekend, their place to call home when they work from home, watching their puppies and babies grow up, and sharing their tears and heartbreak with life's challenges—it's real circle of life stuff and keeps us going for sure.

Filter: If you could move to any place in the world just for the coffee scene, where would you move, and what shop would be the biggest reason?

This is a tough one, I think Copenhagen has such an insanely prolific and exceptional coffee scene and I love all the coffee shops we explored there, but if we're talking about specific shops, I still miss my neighbourhood coffee shop Coffee Pen in Auckland and would move back just for it, it was one of the original reasons that inspired us to set up our own shop.

Filter: Anything to add?

There are secret gardens in the law district by Temple—Inner Temple and Middle Temple—they truly are some of the most beautiful hidden gardens in the city, some parts only open to the public in the summer.

Both my absolute favourite Malaysian restaurants are not too far away in Holborn—Seven Floor Tea Rooms and Dapur, the former specialising in popular Malaysian Chinese noodle soups (hard to find outside of Malaysia) and the latter, Dapur, specialises in daily-changing Malay-style curries and coconut rice—of which many authentic dishes I have tried for the first time here and have not come across in Malaysia itself!

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Carbon Kopi has 2 cafes in Hammersmith and Fulham in London.

Carbon Kopi - Hammersmith

Carbon Kopi - Fulham

Food & Beverage

Old Spitalfields Market

Padella

Pochi