The Place has a warm place in my heart. Although I hadn't been there in a while (thanks, Covid), it still had the same cosy atmosphere as it did 3 years ago when I first moved into the area and visited it with my family. 

 

Tucked at the end of New Malden high street, the classic cafe instantly hits you with a warm smell of coffee and baked goods. The Place is furnished in dark wood and has long lights hanging from the ceiling, which casts a warm golden glow on the cafe. 

I entered and greeted Shane, a worker at the cafe who had very kindly agreed to answer some questions.

We took a seat and after a couple of minutes where I tried to remember how to use my voice recording app, the interview started. 

One of my first questions was about the bright posters on the window and walls inside The Place, talking about a Live Lounge on Wednesdays at 7:30 pm. I learned from Shane that the Live Lounge began almost two years ago and is a popular event in The Place. A wide range of performers can be found playing on Wednesday evenings such as jazz bands, choirs and once, even a performer playing traditional Indian string instruments!

I asked Shane what a typical day would be like at The Place and he told me that the cafe is a chill and calm environment so they tend to get a lot of students looking for a quiet place to study. It's also a popular brunch place which means it gets slightly busier on the weekends, but thankfully, never too hectic. 

Looking at the menu, it was easy to see why it's such an admired location in the local community. There were several dishes on offer, from salads and toasties to snow ice. Unlike many other coffee shops in the local area, The Place has a prominent Korean influence in its menu options, serving bubble tea as well as its well-known smoothies. Shane personally recommends the kimchi pesto panini, an exciting mashup of two classic flavours. 
 
Next time you're in the local area, I would definitely advise you to pop into The Place, whether you decide to order a takeaway coffee or take advantage of the free Wifi and listen to some live ukelele playing during the Live Lounge. Whatever you'd like, The Place certainly has something for you!

 

For more information, check out The Place's website: https://www.theplacecoffee.co.uk