Today, we’re visiting London and another high brow but less touristy area: Knightsbridge. While it certainly feels more residential, it still affords a splendid stroll among fine architecture – and cars, I must say – making for a luxury respite from the hustle and bustle Piccadilly and co.

The cafes and restaurants here are more boutique-style and even though my previous experience wasn’t much to look back on, I was certain I would find a worthy contender in this neighbourhood. Google helped me locate a few and I easily did my step target for the day to check them out. But either I was not committed enough to find them or there were full to the brim – it was weekday lunchtime after all.

So I ended up somewhere I had previously spotted by chance and tried to avoid, pre-judging it as pricey and pompous. I was vaguely aware of Clap restaurant, having probably read about it in BA’s inflight magazine and their description of the decor and fusion menu spoke to my aesthetics – but I’m yet to visit.

As anything in Knightsbridge, the front of the restaurant is at once elegant and ostentatious – a huge flower feature around the door and a gold sun-shaped sign above it. And yet, the adjoining cafe stands out even more, with its red gloss tile frontage and huge glass entrance, open to invite the sunshine and spill out the chilled vibes from within.

The couple of tables outside were surprisingly free but in full (blaring) sunshine, so I opted for an indoor seat instead, especially when I saw the decor: minimalistic but modern and classy, with plenty of greenery around and a super high ceiling allowing air and light to circulate freely. About half of the tables were taken and there was a small queue at the counter – difficult to decipher where it started or ended as the patrons here were relaxed and unrushed. Neither was I, so I took my time admiring the sweets selection, which called for attention: Japanese-inspired flavours of pastries and cakes beautifully presented and substantial in size despite their obvious Insta-appeal.

I was snapped out of my reverie by the barista ready to take my order, even though it wasn’t my turn at the till yet. A mocha was the obvious choice but the cake was a challenge; on the barista’s advice, I went for the matcha pain au chocolat blanc.

I was invited to take a seat wherever to be served my order when ready, so I chose the wall / window sill. The wait was brief; the presentation wasn’t quite what I expected from a posh-y place like this, using a standard-looking mug; the top layer of the drink also looked a bit too frothy; however, the colour gave me a good feeling, so I dove in.

Maybe a bit too eagerly, because the coffee was on the hotter side and the milk foam was, indeed, a bit too frothy. But the taste was glorious: once again that luxurious Belgian cocoa flavour I associate with my mouthwatering experience in Perth. I had no trouble finishing it with no bitter aftertastes; and it went quite well with the matcha pastry, which thankfully didn’t taste like grass (which had put me off green lattes in the past)

Overall, I was pleasantly surprised with Clap Ka-fe because it was neither pretentious nor overly pricey – for London, under £5 for a luxurious mocha is well worth it. Complemented with the chilled vibes and decor – and lunchtime availability (they do serve savoury foods also including sushi) makes it a very accessible coffee stop just nearby the major department shops – without the crowds.

I should probably give the restaurant a try next!

To learn more about Clap Ka-fe visit their website.