Friday 11 January 2013

Look Mum No Hands, Old Street, central London


A conspicuously trendy mecca for cyclists, Look Mum No Hands combines a workshop with a cafe-bar in a large light-industrial space. Facing the big windows is a wooden bar with electric sockets and high chairs. Behind that, are more conventional wooden tables, plus an extended corner seat with comfortable padding. Look Mum No Hands would be a good place to work, if the WiFi wasn't so flaky. The white walls are decorated with arty prints of cyclists and there are a couple of bikes hanging from the ceiling in front of the windows. The grungy staff have tattoos and piercings and one even has extended ear lobes, reminiscent of a prehistoric tribe. The vittles are quite expensive: A smart pot of tea, plus a caramel slice, will set you back almost a fiver. Even so, Look Mum No Hands is usually packed with a cosmopolitan clientele and seems to have cachet with cyclists. 7/10