La Maison, Highbury☕

Today I wanted to begin a series which was one of my main aims and inspirations for creating this blog, and that was to explore and identify spots across London I've personally read, studied or mostly just consumed a good snack or beverage. I personally believe all these places are worth a visit if you happen to study in London or just are visiting on a day trip or holiday.

So the first feature in this series is La Maison, Highbury or you may know it better as Dexter's cafe in One Day. This cafe featured in the recent series that came out over a year ago which is why this post felt so fitting as it was a nearly a year ago I discovered this soul destroying novel by David Nicholls. 

Having also read the book i felt a deep connection to these characters and in the rush of popularity last year found myself seeking out the filming locations which led me to La Maison. Not only is it distinguished by its appearance in the series, it also holds so much character with its deep blue exterior on the corner of a peaceful street. The food selection was good for cake and a nice lunch. I had a tuna bagel which was delicious. I also had an vanilla iced latte which is my preferred drink and this was also great.

What made this particular cafe so enjoyable was the atmosphere, of course there is the extra attraction because of its one day connections but it was also just a lovely space to relax in. We expected the popularity to impact the table availability, but this was not the case. I went with a few friends to do some studying and felt no pressure to move on or give up my table which is great as personally i hate feeling like the workers want me to pack up because i'm hogging a table. The appearance of the cafe was also charming as it had a lot of plants and exposed wood which added to the chill vibes.

Since, One Day is in the topic of discussion i thought i would also use this opportunity to talk about my opinion on the book, series and even film as i want to review as many books as i can so you guys can feel supported in your choices to read. *Spoilers ahead* EMMA AND DEXTER!!! My word never has a right person wrong time archetype been more accurately represented in literature. I also loved that we were able to get an in look into the continuation of their relationship through one day a year. As even though one day can feel very small when living it, it gives so much outlook into where we are and how we are doing with year by year progress.

It did take me a second to realise each time we saw the narrative was Saint Swithin's day, the day they met, which is why Nicholls is such a genius. Because throughout the whole book Emma refers to the idea of a death day and how we live it every year without knowing. Little do we know as readers this day we keep revisiting is in fact her death day so like Emma we are also reliving her life without knowing what is fated on that day.

The series was one of those adaptations that I would consider worth it. Leo Woodall and Ambika Mod's chemistry and dynamic bought the book to life so beautifully. Leo’s adaptation of Dexter was especially worthwhile as he made us feel so much empathy even though he could be such an asshole. He held such depth in Dexter’s ability to be good. Which is why it’s such a shame when he achieves good with Emma that it is ripped away by a rainy Saint Swithin's day. The only rainy one in the many years of their friendship.

The film I happened to come across on Greek Netflix and thought I would give it ago last summer. My honest opinion is once again it’s worth a watch but in no way does it capture the same depth the series does purely due to the lack of time to develop the storyline. A series was the correct format to retell a story like this one, which is why I’m glad the time was taken to remake it.

So whether you give the book a go or take a trip to La Maison, I hope you enjoy the experience as much as I did. Happy reading!!!!📕📚🔖