Espresso Bar, Tate Modern, South Bank

https://www.tate.org.uk/visit/tate-modern/level-10
Blavatnik Building, London SE1 9TG England

In 2016, Tate Modern opened its long awaited second building, Switch House (later to become the Blavatnik Building). At its very peak, a viewing platform from which you could see down the South Bank and out over the Thames. The problem was that, from this vantage point, you could also stare into the surrounding flats. 

A controversy ensued and talk of legal action, but what could the Tate do to protect their crowning glory whilst avoiding the wrath of wealth Londoners? It would seem the answer was to repurpose the area as an espresso bar, closing pff the balcony so you can’t get close enough to the edge to peer into how the other half live whilst still offering views of the river and beyond. Plus, now they could turn a profit and sell their own brand coffee, which they roast at a WWII Nissen hut at the back of Tate Britain.

Navigating the lift system to the top of the building feels a little like a 90s video game puzzle (the original Pokemon players will know what I mean) as you can’t directly shoot to the top but need to find the right floor to change at. Once you do puzzle out this awkward ascent you are rewarded by the aforementioned views and the opportunity pick up a branded pick me up alongside cakes and confectionery.

Slightly citrus, the acidic night of my oat flat white cuts through the milk and manifests with a somewhat lemony floral that alights on the tongue with a dancing fizziness. A sharp burst of coffee that tickles the tip of the tongue but is smooth on the throat offering an oddly alluring cup of coffee that one might not expect from purveyors of art. Well worth the visit if you’ve popped in for some pop art or are meandering about the modernism.