Tina We Salute You, Dalston, London

As soon as this entry was published, the photos were out of date.

Every 8 weeks, Tina undergoes certain changes. The walls are whitewashed and a local artist takes over, creating a brand new decor for the next two months. We arrived on the last day of the current theme (by a graffiti artist).

If we'd come a couple of days later, we would have been sitting in a 1970s Christmas lounge.

What a brilliant idea.  Another brilliant idea is to offer coffee of the very highest order.  Mine was perfectly presented and delicious.  The beans come from the highly regarded Square Mile Coffee, a name you might be familiar with if you frequent London's top coffee shops.

Another brilliant idea is kitch ceramic teapots and cups, with proper loose-leaf tea and a strainer.  I don't know anything about this "tea" stuff, but my girlfriend does and she was dead impressed. 

And there are more brilliant ideas... great big doorstops of toast, a communal table with preserves in the middle, and, of course, the name, which the friendly owners tell us came about one drunken night.

Many of the customers are regulars (a good sign). One of them asked me not to make her favourite place too popular!

You'll have to make a detour from the well-beaten central London path to get there, but if you do I very much doubt you'll be disappointed.  Tina, We Salute You is one of those very special coffee shops which left me not just content but inspired.

Tina, We Salute You
47 King Henry's Walk
London
N1 4NH

Tuesday-Saturday 8am-7pm
Sunday 10am-7pm
Monday closed

http://www.tinawesaluteyou.com/

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/London-United-Kingdom/Tina-We-Salute-You/54908535403