Tinderbox Espresso Emporium

There are three things I look for in a coffee shop:
1) great coffee
2) lots of comfy seating
3) free wifi
This place is certainly very cool with hidden and quiet seating and a great location at the N1 centre in Islington. But the coffee was average, and the wifi slow and required login (which they give you), but only good for 30 minutes.
My 3 stars are well justified. I prefer Costa if I want average coffee as they have good seating and free fast unlimited wifi.

Finally a real italian espresso in London.

Def a fan of this place largely because they have a great selection of tea! Mmm Mango Tango!
I am currently here for work purposes and the free wifi which doesn’t seem to be working today which is a disappointment but I can get a lot done when I am not messing around on Unilocal and facebook!
I think the food is a little pricey for what you get but it looks and tastes good, homemade cakes by the looks and some savoury options too. There are various places to sit, i’m currently sharing a booth with a stranger but that is very pleasant and unobtrusive as the vibe of the place is not imposing at all.
I often pop in here with Ian for a warm drink as it is definitely more of a local establishment than other coffee places around.
So yes, I am a fan!
xyz

This place is exactly A-​OK — nothing stands out about the drinks or the food selection (a few paninis, pastries, cakes) but the space is great for camping out for a little while. The service is relaxed and unfussy. Once you’re in there’s very little pressure to leave… even if you’re there on a weekend.
There’s lots of light on the balcony if its not too cold, (although it overlooks the mall so that kills the vibe a little…) or a huge window from the main space looking out towards Camden Passage. That main space is pretty open, with one communal table and a few smaller ones. To the side are three or four dark booths nestled under an elevated lofted area with one long surface for plugging in: people tend to take their computers and camp out (like me!) with the free wifi for hours at a time. Plus you can zone out between working by looking over the ledge at people sipping their coffee and catching up with one another.

Tinderbox is a conundrum. It’s at the upper end of the coffee-​offerings in Angel, and yet it’s still somehow not ticking all the boxes for the majority of Unilocalers. This calls for a good, old-​fashioned Pros n’ Cons review.
Pros:
Space — it’s large, airy, has many seating options and is very easy on the eye
Location — right next to the cinema, near to the tube
Staff — I have always found them to be friendly, cheery and very helpful
Connectivity — wifi and plugs mean you could work here if you so desired
The Booths — these deserve a special mention because they are, quite simply, ace.
Cons:
Price — we’re talking pretty damn expensive
Popularity — It’s nearly always busy, so despite being a spacious place it can sometimes be tricky to find a seat
Food — a mediocre pasta salad and a dry mocha cake both served to be very disappointing on my last visit
Upkeep — it often seems to be rather unkempt, with used cups and plates everywhere
Price — SERIOUSLY. IT’S EXPENSIVE.
An (almost, if you don’t count double entries) equal number of points for each. However, due to the fact that I value the importance of price over location, and the quality of the food over the quality of the wifi, I’ve had to err on the side of my fellow disappointed Unilocalers.
Tinderbox, please try harder.

Yeah, this place is so, so, and I have mixed feelings about it.
The place is across 2 floors, although I’d recommend sitting upstairs, way nicer, and there’s an outdoor balcony which is nice on a warm summer’s day (mind you, this London, so the probability of that happening is slim to none…). I agree with some of the reviews, it can be a bit messy upstairs, but I like the atmosphere better.
I think that this place could be really nice with a few improvements: better service, more frequent clearing of tables, warmer coffee (and perhaps better coffee wouldn’t hurt!).
I haven’t had any of the pastries or anything, so can’t comment on that.
I think Angel needs some better coffee places; the only decent place in my mind is the CoffeeWorks project and perhaps the Candid Café…

Excellent Desserts and very spicy Chai Tea Latte.
The café is still across two floors. There is wifi, and some nice booths to fit 4 – 5 people. The place opens till late for a coffee shop. The pecan tart is divine and whilst there are a few seats outside, there’s always a struggle to find seats as people hog a booth with just their laptop.
Really worth a visit after some shopping at the N1 centre or just to catch up at a non-​bar location after work or pre-​cinema wait.

I’m sad that I’ve never been here before despite the fact that I live so close by. The cofffee here is quite decent. I had a flat white. It was pretty good. I’d have to come back to try the other coffees and desserts. But I will say that they have a pretty awesome balcony overlooking the N1 centre. It makes for some pretty interesting people watching!

Tinderbox really could have been *the* coffeehouse that Angel requires… but the coffee just isn’t quite there. It’s got the location, the expansive seating area overlooking Upper St, the vintage leather airplane recliners, morning papers and a bit of sunshine if London is treating you… but weak espresso. Come on star baristas where are you come and grace Angel pleeeeeeease!

A bit of a mixed bag really. With a bit more effort I think that this could be really first class. However, for me Tinderbox is currently in the doldrums.
The primary plus point is that exists at all — there is a dearth of options in this part of town. It also has a separate take away kiosk on the ground floor for a quick coffee hit if you can’t linger. This may in fact be the best way to experience Tinderbox as the main café upstairs is often a chaotic mess of uncleared cups and plates. The staff do not appear to be interested in either clearing up or taking your order in a polite personable manner — recently asking for an explanation of the various cheesecake toppings on display provoked the kind of reaction one would normally associate with being asked to do something unimaginably awful.
Still, on the positive side, when the place is tidy and you just order and don’t ask questions, the coffee is reasonably good (though often slightly cool for my taste) and the layout is quite cool with a balcony area (albeit looking out onto a shopping centre), booths, communal tables and some bar stools. The cakes (if you can identify what you want without assistance) are actually quite good — particularly the Portuguese custard tarts. I just wish that the small points could be remedied so that this café realises its potential.

two pounds fitty for a friggin fern on my coffee? It was not even tasty coffee.
It’s kind of hidden away which can be bad if you’ve never been before. I have to say the design of the place is pretty cool looking though. Little weird cave tables and an upstairs loft bench section with outlets for the laptoppers.
I perched myself up there and worked for a good few hours with little to no disturbance. Someone next to me ordered the earl grey and it smelled delicious. I think that’s what I’ll go with next time I want to work in a cool people watching perch with something hot and tasty in my hand.
CELEBRITY SPOTTING!: Dudley Dursley totally rehearses lines here. Watched him from the loft trying not to be creepy. Took me a minute to recognize who he was. hehe.

Tinderbox, I say booooo to you. I don’t understand why on a Tuesday evening every surface is littered with dirty cups, half eaten cake and coffee rings scattered on every surface. I hate to do this but, I think you suck.
You have super cool seating. I love the booths (my bottom loves a good booth) and the stadium seats where all the ‘hood rats hang out is pretty neat too (although the 7 teenagers who have ordered 1 coffee between them and smell of BO and fags isn’t quite so neat). I asked for a small peppermint tea and Tinderbox demanded £2.20. Yup, £2 flippin’ 20 for some hot water on a tea bag. Outrageous! Okay so it was a pot and loose leaf tea but I did ask for a small, they didn’t mention there was only one size and it came in a pot. I do love a good pot though. You can see why this place make me go «booooooo», like in a terrible Pantomime.
I also go pissed off that this café was full of idiots. People taking over 3 chairs with their coats, not willing to share a table, leaving their dirty stuff for the next customer. So disrespectful and rude!
Now last my not least the loos. Don’t do it! The Angel N1 centre has a free public loo on the bottom floor, trek out to that and save your time and nose!

So it’s a chain coffee shop. I should have known from the get-​go that I wasn’t exactly in for the time of my caffeinated life. I didn’t really think I’d be signing up for a 15-​minute wait for a cappuccino either, though.
I wasn’t alone in my angst, either. It was like a zoo in there. I am not exaggerating when I say there were 5 customers having… shall we say…“disagreements” with the staff. I mean, come on, it’s a Sunday so really, do you have to go through the «I have places to be, oh my god» routine that seems to have become Angel customers, but I do sympathise on some level. 15 minutes is *ridiculous*.
And when it finally came it wasn’t a skinny capp as I’d asked, but by that point I’d have been willing to take the raw beans and didn’t kick up a fuss (though I feel I was a lone ranger in my «just put up with it» attitude, as described above).
All-​in-​all, a hideous experience. But it’s an awfully convenient location, the coffee is definitely better than the Bux (though not exactly anything to phone home about). and the décor is pretty funky. I was especially smitten with those lightshades that were made to look like paper coffee cups. Now if only I could get my hands on the real deal in a timely manner, maybe I wouldn’t have to be staring at the sodding light-​fittings.

this place made me wish i was back at Uni, studiously writing papers and having group revision sessions. ok lets be serious, more like procrastinating, while high on caffeine, and flirting shamelessly with my study buddy. actually — no. i dont wish i was still studying. im happy living my real life in London, Thanks.
the BF and i needed a sugar and caffeine fix after being disappointed by the cinema near by. it was the perfect resting spot. we had this cheesecake thingy with chocolate and caramel top (ftw!!) and coffee and tea. The tea set was adorable. the pot fit into this little wooded board it all came on. the coffee was good, not great, ” just above average” says the BF. and whoever made didnt bother making a little flower thingy in the foam — which kind of made me pout, even though it wasnt even my coffee — its the little things!
the music was decent background music — aka nice at the time, but welcomely forgettable. good for flirting — i mean — studying. there are all these little booths and nooks, great for finding your own spot and streaking claim.
even though it was a bit generic feeling, i could totally picture myself loosing a couple hours there. sometimes thats just what you want.

I like Tinderbox… when I can find a seat!
There are all kinds of seating arrangements: outside on the balcony, picnic table seats, bar stools, and even these cool step/​stair/​seat things.
BUT, even though there’s tons of different kinds of seating, it can get really crowded. But if you’re patient, you will get lucky. I like to come with at least another person, so I can swipe up a seat while the other orders our drinks… and if I’m lucky they will pay for it.
I usually have tea when I’m here because they have a pretty amazing assortment. All sorts of exotic-​ness. And it comes served in a cut little teapot bamboo tray.

The interior is stylish and cool.
BUT…
The coffee was mediocre,
the croissant was old and stale,
the loo was disgusting,
and 6 pounds for 3 hours of wifi.
Not cool.

There are cleaner toilets in a crack house!
Seriously, you have one bathroom. you can’t manage to keep one bathroom clean?

I think I slipped and fell back into 2002. This Upper Street hot spot is a mirror image of my university sponsored «coffee shop» in Southern California, (except for the view out the windows, of course). In fact, it’s so decorationally trended that I can’t help but feel a bit like I’m on a TV set. It would be like walking into Central Perk… I expect to look up and see stage lighting all around me.
Acid jazz rhythmically thumping, pencils and calculators flying, bright colours expertly and atheistically paired with dark wood paneling, urban concrete floors, funky light fixtures, simple glassware, exposed heating and vents in the ceiling, nooks and crannies perfectly positioned for group or individual study sessions, and intelligent young people trying to get even more intelligent all around…
Seriously, this place is just too… planned. It’s leaving me quite torn — I’m genetically programed to love it, so does that make me hate it? Eh, I’ll give in. It’s pretty cool.
Coffee was decent — nothing to rave about. Food selection was minimal, mostly in the pre-​package sandwich, pasta range. I am seeing some delicious looking cakes all around which might be worth a go on my next visit. But the reason that it’s cracking on a Thursday afternoon at 4:30pm definitely has to do with the atmosphere.
…oh and now they’re playing my jam «Say IIiiiiii, am evvveryday peeeeeople.» Seriously… how do they know everything I love?!? Creepy. And wonderful.

I had a job interview in Islington the other day and what with the depressing winter weather I came to Tinderbox before hand for a little pick me up.
It is a rather flash café (airplane seats are really quite the feature) with modern branding. There are a wide range of coffees and drinks with a range of flavourings on the rather confusing menu. I had a filter coffee with cinamon. The coffee was good; better than most chains though not as good as Monmouth and Flat White.
A pleasant enough place to stop or pickup a coffee near Angel Tube station.

The Tinderbox is a funky little coffee shop on Upper Street. What makes it funky is that in addition to your standard table and chairs you also have old airline seats to sit in while sipping your coffee. The first time I sat in one I had to suppress a laugh. I go to the Tinderbox pretty often to read or meet friends. I love the hot chocolate and the atmosphere makes me want to spend the whole day just letting the world roll by.
This week I branched out and tried a decaf cappuccino which was a perfect balance of milk, espresso and foam. I debated about having something sweet, I have, in the past enjoyed their brownies with a mint tea. No I was not disappointed in the brownie or the tea. I have never been disappointed in anything I’ve eaten or drunk in the Tinderbox and I’ve always experienced pleasant warm service. The Tinderbox is a nice change from chain coffee shops, it is often very busy, especially on the weekend, so seating is at a premium. If it’s crowded, don’t be afraid to ask to share a table, the customers are just as friendly as the staff.