On Friday, I had the classic London experience: my belongings were stolen.

No, my phone wasn’t snatched from my hand by a masked individual on a bike (almost a rite of passage in this city). Instead, my work bag — containing a few expensive and important items — was taken from the bar at my work social, which I hadn’t even wanted to attend in the first place.

The next day (after hopeful dreams that someone had simply picked it up by accident and everything was okay), I awoke with a heavy heart.

I sorely needed cheering up.

And what do you do when someone needs cheering up? You go for ice cream.

Undeniably gorgeous, it’s no surprise this venue has made the rounds on social media.

The minimalist, unsigned exterior — with just the briefest flash of colour — is instantly intriguing as you pass by on charming this De Beauvoir Street. Not that I imagine many people stumble in by accident. Since opening back in January, it’s become well-known on the London scene — trendy, tightly curated, and very much a place to be.

A charming painted step, reminiscent of a children’s storybook, greets you as you enter the single, snug room.

There’s no seating — just bars lining the walls, where people lounge with glasses of wine and scoops of ice cream served in retro yet refined stainless steel bowls.

However — and perhaps it was just the unusually hot, sunny day — it was very warm inside. Maybe the ice cream freezers were working overtime. I asked the server how they coped, and they simply laughed, agreeing that the air con was doing absolutely nothing.

Still chipper, they happily walked me through the list of flavours — a trendy spin on the classics, of course. Think: Chocolate & Olive Oil, and their strongly recommended favourite, Brown Butter & Raisin. I went for a scoop of that, plus another of Ricotta & Blueberry (£4 for one scoop, £6 for two).

Overhead, a joyous, uplifting ceiling by artist Lucy Stein, the space doesn’t make you feel like you’re missing out on the sunshine by staying indoors.

Still, the heat was too much for me to linger. Thankfully, I was allowed to take my ice cream to go in a tub and was warmly encouraged to head across the road to the original Goodbye Horses — where I could enjoy a glass of wine and, crucially, much better airflow.

*Top: Brown Butter & Raisin, Bottom: Ricotta & Blueberry*

I was 10 minutes early to Goodbye Horses opening, so I sat in their quiet and secluded garden on a stone bench, reading my book and eating my ice cream as a gentle, warm breeze washed over me.

When ready, I took a spot by the window on one of the long, thick wooden tables. Perfect spot to watch the staff preparing the food for the evening shift, and the two older men across the street sitting in garden chairs in the road, playing some sort of board game, shirtless and soaking up the sun.

I asked the server for his sparkling wine recommendation, then spent the next hour sipping it slowly to the soundtrack of light reggae vinyls spinning in the background, book in hand.

It did the trick. I couldn’t help but feel lifted from my earlier mood — after I left, I was literally smelling the flowers that popped their heads throught the fences of the perfectly grown gardens as I meandered away down the street back home.

What a good, slow Saturday.

The Dreamery & Goodbye Horses: A Very Pleasant Saturday

Quick Bites: Boro Bistro