Coffee: Ruby Doc, Camden

Ruby Dock is the latest of a trio of coffee focused cafes owned by Michael Homan and his foodie sister-in-law Shelagh to open in The Stables Market. Their first, Lantana off Goodge Street often makes London’s top five lists and Salvation Jane in Shoreditch has a good-for-food reputation.

All three are named after weeds transported from other continents by immigrants that now grow in Australia. Michael boasted “this is a metaphor for coffee cafés, which are thriving on foreign soil and spreading the importance of a good blend to Londoners.”

East London based Square Mile beans were picked out by coffee maestro and manager, Pete. He explains in his Aussie drool “The current blend is 50% from one Guatamalan farm and 40% from another and 10% Kenyan for the sweetness but we change it seasonally as the climate affects the bean’s taste.”

Sip with an ethical conscious because Square Mile do direct trade rather than fair trade meaning these nice guys fund improvements on the farms and then buy the whole season’s produce. Involved from the start, they assure the highest quality and fair wages. This way, the caring coffee punter can track every cost from picker’s wages through to shipping to the price of the final cup.

At £2.50, Ruby Dock’s latte was melt in your mouth delicious: Nutty, silky and not an ounce of bitterness. Pete explained “the milk brings out the roast’s creamy side, if you were to have it black you it would have a citrus taste at the front of the mouth”. It sounds more like he is describing wine than coffee. 

Pete makes it clear that although the beans help, the sensational coffee is down to Ruby Doc’s dedication to perfection at every stage. The milk is organic and heated to 62 degrees, which extracts its natural sweetness. They have five different sizes to suit varying tastes: the usual espresso, macchiato and a new piccolo “a smaller style latte”. A weekly changing guest blend showcases different roasters. This week it’s the fun sounding The Roasting Party.

Food? Healthy goats cheese quiches, plump roast veg sandwhiches and a colour popping Fattoush salad are stacked up on the rustic wooden bar. Inside, the white walls and industrial wood and metal benches are softened with hanging plants and a beautiful leafy wall mural.

Come night, the exposed bulbs are dimmed and the Aussie weighted wine list is whipped out with a smattering of cocktails on there too. Try the Grizzly Martini, a zingy cobble of gin, coriander, lemon and pineapple.

Coffee by day and booze by night – there’s no better place to rest those market beaten feet.

Ruby Dock

Camden Stables Market

Open for Breakfast, lunch and dinner