I’m going to let you into a secret. I don’t hate being in the office. I do still hate commuting, the waste of my time and it costing me £50 a day just to tick a box.
I’m going to let you into another secret too…that of Harrison Coffee @harrisoncoffee_uk, down a side street near Paddington station.
A Chilean colleague tipped me off on this…the name makes it sound like just another coffee shop but actually it’s a delightful little Chilean restaurant, with a glorious selection of empanadas.
I wasn’t feeling red meat so I stuck to the vegetarian side of things…so perhaps I haven’t tasted their best offerings.
Chilean ensalada is mostly tomato, onion and coriander…this was fresh feeling yet arguably the tomatoes weren’t ripe enough to do this dish justice. Oh for Sicilian tomatoes…or Chilean?
The empanada was more of a star. There was depth to the pastry, the cheese and tomato worked as well together as you likely have experienced.
Harrison Coffee is one of only two places that I’d happily go back to around Paddington…I need to try the steak sandwich, and the Pino empanada. 🥩
Rating of 7.5…I’m sure it would be higher if I’d tried non-veggie food…and 100% I’m going back to do so.
2026 Update
OK, well unlike the previous post, I do hate being in the increasingly hot office. Urgh.
But I got to escape for my lunch and went back to Harrison Coffee.
I really should have tried something different, but I just cannot say no to an empanada. Plus I’d eaten breakfast.
I went for the slow-cooked beef and cheese empanada this time.
Freshly warmed up with the little pot of tomato, onion and some spices (more coriander than anything else), it was every bit as good as in 2025, if not a tad better.
It has a proper filling, not half-filled like the place in the station, The Pasty Shop (why on earth did I go there when Harrison Coffee exists?).
Maybe you could argue for a stronger-tasting cheese, but the beef was gloriously tender.
I think my rating is worth an upgrade to 7.8.
Maybe 2027’s update will mention something new
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