Today’s food spot is all about the Host café, a very special spot for a few reasons.

First, because it’s located in one of the most magnificent churches in the City: St Mary Aldermary.

St Mary Aldermary is one of the many City churches that was severely damaged in the Great Fire of London in 1666 and rebuilt following plans by Sir Christopher Wren, probably the most well-known architect of the period, and one of London’s most famous architects altogether. (St Paul’s cathedral? That’s him.)

The church is nested within a gaggle of undistinguished buildings and is easy to overlook, but step inside, look up, and discover one of the most striking ceilings of any churches in London.

And the rest of the church ain’t half bad either, if you’ll excuse the cavalier tone. Seriously, it’s gorgeous.

The other thing that makes the Host Café special is that it’s as much social enterprise as café, with a strong community focus. They source their beverages from local ethical suppliers, and the bread for their sandwiches likewise. They used to have a partnership with the Dusty Knuckles, although current breads come from the Celtic Bakers.

And last but not least, it’s a pay as you go co-working space. If you bring in a laptop and plan to stay longer than 90 minutes, they ask that you book your table. (at time of writing, it’s £10 for up to 4 hours with a free drink thrown in, and £18 for up to 8 hours with 2 free drinks). You can do so in advance, or on the day if there is space. And yes, there’s Wi-Fi.

What’s on the menu at Host Café

Ah, but what about the food?

Host Café serves up cakes and pastries, toasted focaccias, and a soup of the day, at very affordable prices. The soup, for example, is £4 on its own, £4.5 with bread on the side; the focaccias are just under £8, and £10 will get you a meal deal (focaccia plus coffee or tea).

There’s a range of coffees and teas, and a large selection of herbal teas, as well as cold drinks and a couple of fresh smoothies.

There’s also the option to buy food from the two vendors on the church grounds (Burrito Joe on Bow Lane and Souvkali By on Queen Victoria Street) and eat it inside, not in the café, but in the church itself. Several of the pews at the back have little IKEA coffee tables for that purpose.

I had a Brie and Walnut toasted focaccia, and what a focaccia it was! Thick as a doorstop, with a pillowy inside and a toasted shell, huge chunks of Brie and a generous serving of walnut and honey, it was like a main course and a dessert in one. Utterly yummy!

Host Café useful information

Address: St Mary Aldermary, Watling St, EC4M 9BW

Host Café on Google maps: https://maps.app.goo.gl/y6ZQT1U1DAR1Jz5n6

Host Café Website: https://hostcafelondon.com/

St Mary Aldermary website: https://www.stmaryaldermary.com/

Opening times: Monday – Friday: 7.30 – 16.00 (Lunch served between 11:30 and 14:00)

How to get to Host Café: the nearest public transport stops are Mansion House (District and Circle Lines), Bank (Northern, Central, Waterloo & City Lines), St Paul’s (Central Line), and Canon Street (BR). Blackfriars (BR) is a 10 minutes walk away.

Good to know: the church has 3 entrances: Bow Lane, Queen Victoria Street, Watling Street.

And also: the Host Café is dog friendly.

Toilets: yes

Where to go from there?

You’re really not far from one of the most interesting museums in London, the Museum of the Order of St John. Or make your way west on the Circle or the District line, and enjoy the Temple Gardens, followed by a stroll around Westminster. Or why not take the Circle line to Edgware Road and visit Alfie’s Antique Market?

Or you could go on a little ciabatta crawl around London, and try the ones at Italo Deli and the ones at the Dusty Knuckle?

Fancy a different kind of sandwich? Dom’s Subs is not far, and their sandwiches are amazing. Or try a bagel, maybe?

And if you’d like to know more about St Mary Aldermary, you might be interested to know it’s part of Open House: here’s the entry for it on the Open House website.