But the most recent phenomenon is the proliferation, over the past 15 years or so, of the coffee bar. Given the speed of the expansion of Starbucks, Costa Coffee, Caffe Nero et al, it almost feels like we’re being invaded by masses of predominantly foreign students, armed with their branded and bright aprons, syrup guns and oversized cups.

Therefore, when we recently moved offices to Marylebone, which has many a coffee house, my immediate priority (naturally taking precedence over the obviously futile aim of actually justifying my employment) was to find somewhere that would serve me a proper coffee, in whatever form I desired.

“Proper coffee” doesn’t include an oversized cup and the resulting excess of liquid and imbalanced ratio of coffee:milk. Nor does it include; showering my cappuccino with any number of powders without having the decency to ask me first, any variety of freeze-dried coffee (one establishment did indeed try to make my cappuccino with this!) or any conversations that include the terms “grande”, “medio”, “primo”, “dry”, “skinny”.

Whilst I am on the subject, what is wrong with “small”, “medium” or “large”, “less milk” or “low fat? If we will persist with the notion that, by consuming even more milk we’re somehow getting better value, when in fact all we’re doing is allowing the retailer to mask the true taste of their coffee, then can’t we at least use simple English to define the sizes? I’m certain that these silly phrases were introduced to partly give the consumer the sense of authenticity but also, I am sure that as a result of market research, it was felt by the big coffee corporates that “small” or “low-fat” would be better replaced with terms that wouldn’t offend the deeply sensitive or insecure.

You may have already gleaned from previous articles that I am, if nothing else, a fair-minded chap and so to that end, I visited seven different establishments (excluding the major chains) in order to find my coffee fix. To further emphasise my inner-Corinthian, I even returned to the Lebanese food/juice bar on Paddington Street, after an increasingly flustered barista’s coffee machine failed to crank up the first time. Unfortunately the coffee was quite similar to what (I imagine) sleeping with your mother-in-law would be like, not really worth the trouble, especially given the bitter aftertaste.

The very last place I visited was the Chiltern Rooms, a rather timid, understated and slightly tired looking cafe, with a blue awning and a dusky, somewhat convoluted interior (the cafe is split into three different rooms). In a quieter part of Marylebone, Chiltern Street sits elegantly and quietly parallel to the roaring traffic of Baker Street and the bustle of Marylebone High Street. The Chiltern Rooms serves the typical West End cafe fare of quick and light meals (pasta, soups, sandwiches, pastries etc).

I’ve yet to eat a main meal there so this review is simply to praise their coffee. They use the omnipresent Illy brand (blend unknown), but they know how to make it properly. For example, when they serve espresso, it is automatically accompanied with a glass of water, as is traditional and correct. The thick consistency of the espresso, the steady “crema” layer and the smooth, rounded flavour are all characteristics of a well-executed espresso.

Equally their cappuccino is served in a normal-sized china cup and allows one to actually taste the coffee which blends with steamed milk, adding a little liquid glory to my morning routine. No powdered chocolate, no nutmeg, just coffee and milk.

They also serve a nice array of home-made enemies of the cardiovascular system; so far I have tried their jam tarts (light crumbly pastry with sticky, almost chewy jam filling) and their Tiffin slice (dense chocolate slice bound together with crumbled biscuit and glacé cherries). Both are delicious.

So, if you are near Baker Street or shopping in Marylebone and need some respite, a small diversion to Chiltern Street (in between the junction with Blandford Street and Dorset Street) will be rewarded with good service and good coffee, straightforward and without all the bluster.