Fika Cafe — Kingston’s Chic New Coffee Spot
By Coyla Vuki
Located in a snug little corner outside the Kingston Gate of Richmond Park, Fika Cafe proves not only to be the perfect spot for grabbing a coffee and catching up with friends, but also has a charming story behind it. An independent, female-founded business, opened after the tough winter lockdown of 2021. I had the pleasure of sitting down and interviewing Mehran, co-owner of Fika Cafe with his wife. Mehran talks me through the struggles of running their business through the lockdowns, but also of how rewarding they have found this journey together. I already knew that Mehran and his wife were lovely owners due to the warm greeting they always gave me, but upon learning more about their story, I knew it deserves to be shared.
Mehran began by firstly praising his wife, for she was the one who founded Fika; sheer determination on her part was what allowed Fika to open in the first place. Having left her job as a dental hygienist, she began the hunt for the perfect location to open the cafe she had always dreamed of. The search proved difficult as as COVID restrictions meant that her ambitions had to be constantly pushed back. After a two-year long search, the couple were able to secure 265 Kings Road, a serendipitous find located by beautiful Richmond Park.
“the joy of seeing the cafe flourish with a number of regulars popping in for their daily coffee.”
Opening in July 2021, Fika Cafe experienced immediate success as Mehran set the scene of their opening day for me, describing the flooding of locals who were thrilled to see this new cafe opening up right outside their doorstep. The love for the local community is tangible as I speak to Mehran, who describes the joy of seeing the cafe flourish with a number of regulars popping in for their daily coffee.
The menu, which was created completely by Mehran’s wife, expanded to incorporate not just breakfast foods, but also lunch items, ice cream and plenty of drinks. Their menu proves to be so diverse that I often find myself trying a number of different items, yet I have discovered that my personal favourite item is the iced latte which incidentally pairs perfectly with their delicious carrot cake (okay maybe this is my favourite item). All is prepared locally, and something I really admire about the co-owners was their policy of not sacrificing quality over money — Mehran mentioned the fact that before putting anything on their menu, they would try it themselves and make sure that they enjoyed it first.
As we came to the end of our chat, there was one question left on my mind. — why ‘Fika’? Mehran smiles and answers that despite their Persian roots, the word actually had a Swedish origin, meaning ‘Come together and have a coffee’. He stated that there was no other name that they felt passionately about, and I’m so glad that that was the case, as it perfectly sums up the positive experience that anyone can expect to have at this cafe. With their reasonable prices, friendly staff, trendy yet sophisticated decorations, and delectable food items, Fika really does prove to be the perfect place to ‘come together and have a coffee’.
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All images courtesy of Coyla Vuki.
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