Reader Reviews - Caffè Mobile
"My favourite coffee shop in Angel is not a coffee shop at all - it’s actually an espresso machine on three wheels.
Located only steps from Angel tube station, next to the freshly cut flowers of the Angelic Flower Co. stall, is Caffè Mobile, a mainstay of Islington High Street. It’s hard to miss: the quirky three-wheeled truck is painted in the tricolore of the Italian flag and situated underneath a huge umbrella of the same red, white and green. The vehicle, a Piaggio Ape (a cross between a Vespa scooter, a rickshaw and a pickup truck) has been ingeniously converted to accommodate a gas-powered espresso machine and large internal water tank, along with storage for all the necessary supplies and ingredients.
Caffè Mobile’s current manager, a Sardinian named Doriano, has been working here for about nine years, after taking over from the previous owner who, legend has it, left for Sweden after marrying one of his customers. Doriano may not be proposing to any of his customers any time soon, but that doesn’t mean that his customers don’t feel the love. For regulars, he remembers their order, whether it be a hot or iced coffee, or perhaps a fresh pastry from the compact selection of croissants, muffins and pastel de nata custard tarts. Those with a bit more time on their hands might linger for a chat on the steps or at one of the tables and chairs set up next to it. As for me, I’ll have an Americano after a morning cycle or run on the canal, while soaking up a few more minutes of the early morning sun.
When you’re in Angel you can’t miss it - and now that you know more about it, you won’t want to miss it either."
MARK BESSOUDO
