My love affair with telephone boxes has waxed and waned boosted by images of Doctor Who (preferably the dashing Peter Davison not the overdone Tom Baker) emerging from the Tardis and knocked down by the reality of smelly, vandalised roadside call boxes.
Even in the UK it's hard to find one now days which makes the telephone box styled entrance to London Xpress even more poignant for expats and lovers of curious anomalies.
Positioned in the thriving top precinct of Logan Road, London Xpress is a little different from it's neighbours Pearl, Canvas, 1889 Enotecca and Crosstown Eating House. It's really just a simple cafe with a theme of British food.
Owners Jay 'coffeenoisseur' and Satty 'coffeenista' Bassi are British by birth with origins in Liverpool and Yorkshire. Jay has lived in Australia for 14 years and Satty for four years. Both have experience in hospitality and readily extend a welcome to their customers.
The cafe menu includes normal burgers and pies but also some specials that will put a smile on an ex-pom's face like pork pies, cornish pasties, linconshire sausages, eccels cakes and bakewell tarts. Most of these are imported from a manufacturer on the Gold Coast.
I tried a cornish pastie, bakewell tart and eccels cake. All were perfectly acceptable commercial quality but I would love to taste home made versions of the same.
Only open for a few weeks, the cafe is still finding it's place. Satty has plans to import sweets from the UK including chocolate limes and bon bons along with drinks like Tizer, Irn-brew and Tango.
There will also be a take home selection with tea bags, pork pies and sausages.
The coffee is Aromas and I did like the sweet touch of crushed Flake chocolate on top.
Football fans will be overjoyed by the big screen on the wall and plans to open London Express for breakfast on mornings when games start early. There's also free wifi.
Bottom line: The British twist lifts this cafe above the ordinary, just. Coffee was good.
London Xpress,
22 Logan Road, Woolloongabba ph 3161 8989
Open seven days from 6.30am
London Express,
22 Logan Road, Woolloongabba. 3161 8989