Tiraffe Tea & Coffee
A Tiraffic chill spot with Tiraffic desserts!
What is a meal without dessert? A sweet treat is always a cherry on top to a satisfying meal.
Recently, I chanced upon a café that serves a wide range of desserts, from pastries to cakes; it's a must-visit if you have a sweet tooth.
Just newly opened in November 2023, Tiraffe is situated three minutes away from Holborn station.
Tiraffe is easy to spot with wide-paneled windows that displays the signboard largely, not very hard to miss.
Their windows are also decorated with fun, bright illustrations, showing that it is not only a café but also an art space for creatives to showcase their work.
Inside, it is tastefully decorated with artwork done by independent artists, and they change the displays frequently so that it is kept interesting and vibrant each time you visit.
The place is also very spacious, with plants placed here and there, giving the space a down-to-earth vibe.
The pastries and desserts are displayed in a glass case, and you can browse and take your pick. The names and prices are written on the casing.
They also serve brunch menu items such as stuffed croissants and bagels, and from observing other tables, they seemed to be generous with the fillings.
There was also a variety of drinks to choose from, from matcha to coffee, with a special twist to it! I really did want to try one of their drinks but, we ate a filling lunch before we came here so we only had room for dessert.
The variety of desserts is so vast that we had a difficult time deciding what to have since everything looked so pretty and tasty.
Finally, we decided to have the strawberry matcha chiffon cake, which did not disappoint!
The presentation of the cake is so pretty that it was heartbreaking to ruin it by eating it (but of course not without a photo first!). When we finally got the courage to take the first bite, it was a favor to our tastebuds.
The matcha chiffon cake was light and fluffy, frosted with fresh cream, which wasn’t too sweet and had a slightly salty taste. It felt like I was eating clouds because it was just so perfectly soft and not too stodgy in the stomach.
The fresh strawberries on it were sweet and crunchy, being the perfect pair to the cloud-like cake.
We sat by the window, which allowed us to people-watch as we enjoyed our dessert.
I particularly liked the seating furniture where we sat because it was a low, foldable garden chair that was surprisingly comfortable, and the tables were cute, little, sturdy storage boxes.
It really added to the chill atmosphere of the place as we chatted about many things, not noticing the passing of time.
But if you are not there to chill, don’t worry because they have normal seatings as well so you can bring your laptop there to get some work done
Tiraffe definitely ranks as one of my top cafés in London, and it’s not overpriced. It's a great place for students to reward themselves with a sweet treat after toiling away with assignments. I would certainly head back there to try their other desserts and drinks.
Address:
Unit 2, One, Southampton Row
London WC1B 5HA
Written by Althea Scully