Just when you thought Kingsland Road couldn’t get any bigger you find out that there was an X-Factor act named after the east London street. Which is remarkable in terms of the road’s fame but also for the dire state of band names. Kingsland Road? What’s going on? There’s keeping it real and there’s taking it too far. What can we expect next year? New Kids on the Trelawney Estate? Humph! Coming back to the original point (which was the popularity of Kingsland Road in case you’ve forgotten), this area has got cafes and eateries opening up and down it faster than you can say, “What! You’ve never heard of New Kids on the Trelawney Estate?” Which is pretty fast. Curio Cabal is one of these new openings and it is an opening that furnishes the street with a place to get exquisite coffee and homemade cakes. And the coffee comes from Monmouth and undercuts the coffee artisans’ own café prices (which seems like a salient point for some reason).
Curio Cabal has a roadside patio filled with chairs and strung up light bulbs whose size makes the café’s interior seem even smaller than it is. There is enough space for twenty people or so within the cosy café and perhaps double that outside. So if you want a better chance of seeing Kingsland Road walking up Kingsland Road, then you’re in luck because there is plenty of roadside bum space.
Located next to the canal and with Tonkotsu East already just around the corner, there is a sense that this area of Haggerston might be further developed. But until then, Curio Cabal is a good place to stop for a lunchtime sandwich and a Monmouth latte, especially if the sun is out.