Did anyone actually think you’d get through this massive Porvoo saga without this post?
Back to my favourite cafe in Porvoo, Helmi (meaning ‘pearl’ in Finnish) cafe!
Have I ever bragged about the cake counter before? I know it’s not all vegan but… just look at those colours and textures!
The tea was served in these lovely cups (notice the star and crescent moon shapes in the tea strainer). And on the left you can see an actual, real, heavy-duty meringue.
Vegetarian spinach-olive-pie above.
Needless-to-even-say-how-rich slice of chocolate cake with a cuppa.
Even though the day of this visit was a bit on the cloudy and rainy side, the temperature was still high enough to enjoy the last moments of summer breeze in the garden of the cafe.
Before anyone asks: yes, I know what ‘fanny’ means in the British context. And that’s exactly why I wanted to name this post as such. (Although I think that in this context, ‘Fanny’ is referring to a popular old Finnish-Swedish feminine first name.)
And in the reality that’s the actual name of this lovely little cafe I visited last time in Porvoo.
The preparedness to serve high-quality teas was the first thing that got my eye!
There was quite a good selection of food and beverages (including various smoothies!). Unfortunately I can’t recall anything being 100% vegan on the menu so I just focused on taking pictures and sipping my standard choice: coffee with oat milk.
Cafe Fanny is quite spacious inside but also decorated with selected vintage items that give that needed occasional splash of colour. One of my favourite ones were these green chairs above!
The cafe is located next to the town hall plaza and is quite a popular place especially during the summer season when the terrace area is opened.
The interior of Cafe Fanny divides into a couple of old rooms where you can sit down for a moment with a cup of coffee – and maybe even a croissant (evidence below).
I’m kinda considering the possibility of starting a new ‘series’ on this blog; called Treasures of Lark Lane! since I will do loads of posts about this bohemian street located in Liverpool, UK.
One of my favourite places for tea is Milo Lounge cafe bar right at the end of Lark Lane, near one corner of Sefton Park.
After I confessed my love for the unique tables, my companion told me that originally they used to be the floor of a sports hall in a local school. Talking about recycling!
All in all, Milo Lounge has really interesting interiors, lovely atmosphere – which is probably the main reason that the place can be absolutely full during the busiest hours.
What I love the most, is that they have a different menu for vegans and a lot of veggie options as well! In a world where getting even the basic soy milk for your latte can be a challenge sometimes, I find it almost a luxury treatment.
Milo Lounge even has a small outdoor terrace area which I didn’t know up until now! It is also a dog-friendly place; hence I can’t wait to be able to take my own furry friend to have a cup of tea (or cold water) with me…
Next on the ‘Lark Lane series’ – Gasp Vintage coming up tomorrow!
Today I happened to flaneur around the village of Woolton in Liverpool.
After visiting a couple of charity shops, I decided that it’s about time to visit one of my favourite cafes in UK.
The Old Hardware Shop has served a vegetarian menu since 2014 – and lately gone completely vegan!
Notice the cockerel shakers.
The place is painted dark blue with cute animal-themed decorative items on the tables and on the walls. Also, each table has different kind of salt and pepper shakers.
Unicorn and rainbow shakers.
The Old Hardware Shop isn’t just a place for the cool kids to hang around after high school; each time I’ve visited the place, it has been full of happy customers from all ages and walks of life. I personally find particularly cute that many seniors seem to have found the cosy and affordable cafe as well as the younger veggie enthusiasts.
Little doggie shakers here.
As a somewhat fish-fanatic I had to try the faux tuna toastie with melted vegan cheese inside. Since we arrived about an hour before the closing time, they unfortunately had run out of coleslaw (millennial tragedy right there…) but I got a serving of crisps instead. How very British indeed!
My friend had a chilli hot dog with vegan mayo and kidney beans. The waiter was kind enough to ask if everything was alright and if we wanted to have a glass of water with it. Luckily it wasn’t too hot, even for me!
Finished the meal with two (soy-based) milkshakes – banana on the left and chocolate peanut butter one on the right.
I know what you must be thinking – ew, it’s all vegan…
I happened to be wondering down Allerton Road (quite near to the famous Penny Lane actually) on a rainy Sunday when I spotted this promising-looking cute little cafe. Unfortunately it had already closed – so I decided to head back the next day when Marmalade Skies was opened again!
And oh boy – the independently owned cafe didn’t disappoint us!
Marmalade Skies offered a nice selection of breakfast and lunch options, sweet treats (vegan options included), teas and other beverages.
The cafe that labels itself ‘child-friendly’ was filled with families or mothers with kids having a nice brunch or a cuppa. Although I have to admit that this might not be the most suitable place for you if you simply can’t stand the occasional noise of kids playing and running around with plastic dinosaurs.
On the other hand, if you do have small kids, Marmalade Skies is just the place for you with its individual play rooms, child-proof wooden gates, changing table and, probably most importantly, friendly and patient staff.
I wasn’t feeling very hungry so I just had the absolutely lovely pink rose lemonade that I most definitely recommend to try. And a slice of this irresistible chocolate cake below!
Buahahahahahaha. It was all mine!
Upcoming content about my UK adventures coming soon – so stay tuned and let me know your thoughts in the comments section below!
Mysterious Yellow 