A small café that has made itself a thriving part of a vibrant local ecosystem, Temptations is a community favourite for both its menu and its attitude. We unearth the luxury of this local watering hole that has earned the title of Most Outstanding Café, 2020 – Islington.
An exemplary café based in Islington on Highbury Corner, Temptations café is a small business that has garnered a lot of notoriety in the local area for its great service and products. With a modern looking façade and a welcoming exterior, it has floor to ceiling glass windows that make up the shopfront, allowing customers a great view of the vibrant streets of London outside. Its clean and well-designed interior provides a solace from the hustle and bustle, and a blackboard on one wall displays a colourful mural to greet customers. Its designs on the mural and menu boards all contribute to cultivating an atmosphere of fun, giving it an eclectic feel.
Temptations keeps regular opening hours from Monday to Friday, including some public holidays, and attracts plenty of custom from local regulars and passers-by. The testimonials of these customers keep Temptations a well-established part of the high street, and with many reviews online leaving nothing but glowing commendations, its efforts have been successful. It takes great pride in its menu being diverse and wide-ranging, from soups to other hot dishes like chilli con carne or Moroccan chicken tagine, all of which are home-made from scratch. Temptations also offers different specials every day such as slow roast pork and apple buns. As though that weren’t enough to satisfy customers, the café also serves gluten free options and caters to allergies and dietary needs with efficiency and empathy. Its customers can also expect to find that the coffee is exemplary, and a key focus of its business model.
With a motto of ‘independent café, independent spirit’, it is important to Temptations that the atmosphere is just as excellent as the products. It works hard to create a friendly ambience for its customers to enjoy, and all its staff are dedicated to accomplishing this by way of quick and charismatic service. Each member of staff strives for standards of excellence when serving Temptations’ customers, greeting each person with a smile and always being up to chat about items on the menu. ‘I’d much rather go here than the other chains nearby,’ one review says, and the hard work of the team ensures that many in Islington feel the same way.
It also offers the option of ordering group platters for workplace lunches to collect from the store, and this has put it in excellent standing with surrounding businesses that need to cater for their clients, even last minute. A local Water Studio that operates directly opposite the café has used its services multiple times to provide food for the meetings it holds on its premises, and found the products have been ‘top notch’ every time. With so many café establishments in London, it can be hard to stand out. Yet, Temptations’ attitude towards the community and its own excellence has ensured that it does.
This café also comes highly recommended for the reasonable nature of its prices. Operating in London, many businesses struggle to keep price points down when the cost of rent is so high, but Temptations is dedicated to ensuring this aspect of its business remains intact. Being a lunch and drinks provider, its customers can partake in the respite it provides without breaking the bank. Further to this, after 4pm, it serves all food at a 50% discount. It also offers its customers free Wi-Fi and wireless phone charging to allow its clients to work on their projects or answer emails whilst they relax. Temptations is also a big believer in corporate social responsibility – in the past, to show this, it has held Macmillan coffee mornings, serving coffee, tea, and cake for the cost of a pay-what-you-feel donation. These allow it to give back to the local community and be a force for good. You can keep up with this café’s news and developments through its social media sites, and very soon, its upcoming rebranded website.
For further information, please contact Nilesh Bhudia at www.temptationscafe.co.uk