Simply looking at the textured, earthy terracotta walls of Marylebone's new specialty café, Cup of Joy, I could swear they smell of chocolate — or like the aromatic interior of a well-used coffee grinder. This kind of synesthesia might seem completely irrelevant, or rather obvious, to you, but acquires new meaning as you hear about founder Benni Allan's hopes and inspirations for this address.
The sensory atmosphere of Cup of Joy, which opened its doors last month, was informed by the richness found in stone walls and courtyard spaces in Istanbul, Turkey, where the concept is originally from. Nestled on 28 Blandford Street, the café strives to bring the city's coffee-drinking culture to the heart of the British capital, along with the warmth of its Mediterranean sun.
