Jolene, Redchurch Street
Once you’ve tasted it, Jolene (you’ll lean) towards this café for your regular drink.
While trying to escape studying, I took a walk around Shoreditch, looking for a place to have a cup of tea or matcha to brighten my dull day.
Walking down Redchurch Street, I decided to get matcha from the popular matcha chain, but that’s when I saw “Jolene” and recalled that it was on my ‘to-try’ list of cafés.
Of course, at this point I had to go since I had accidentally stumbled upon it.
Jolene is located at the corner of Redchurch Street and Club Row, and its salmon-colored exterior isn’t hard to miss in flamboyant Shoreditch.
Setting foot into the small bakery-café, you will immediately notice the range of pastries on display, from sourdoughs to Danish pastries to cookies.
Everything looked so delicious and was organized so beautifully on a piece of brown paper with (what I assumed to be) handwritten names of the pastries and the price.
I absolutely love this small detail because it gave the place character and I think that’s what drew me to Jolene as well when I saw their icon name in a handwritten font.
After ordering the Iced Chai, I had to go outside to wait for my order to be called.
There are benches outside where people can sit while waiting or even chat with their friends over their drinks.
It had a really chill vibe to it, and it feels like time stops when you sit there and chatter away; worries far away, just happy moments.
Finally, my order came, and I must say I was surprised at the cup size because it was bigger than I thought it would be (they only offer one size).
I assumed it would be smaller because the Iced Chai was only £3.70! You can opt for oat milk with no additional fee, which is what I did.
The taste was also worth it; I’m no chai expert, but this is the type of chai that I enjoy.
It had a light hint of spice when you drink it, and the granules of the chai weren’t so chunky as some places would have it.
It was so good and refreshing that I could just finish it in one sitting, but I tried to pace myself with it to make it last longer.
As a bonus point, they use compostable cups instead of regular plastic ones that would take ages to decompose.
This respectable choice definitely aligns with their values, as Jolene is a sustainable bakery/café that supports regenerative food systems and ethical farming.
They believe that their efforts could help make the world a better place.
It was a pleasure to visit such a cute bakery/café on such a lovely day. They have many other branches too, and you can find which one is nearest to you on their website.
Address:
67 Redchurch St, London E2 7DJ
Written by Althea Scully