© Charmaine Mok
London's best cafés and coffee shops
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By Charmaine Mok
Updated: Mon Feb 27 2012 -
Time Out sips its way across town, testing every kind of coffee, from cappuccino to ristretto, to compile the definitive list of where to find London’s finest brews, cafés and coffee shops.
Want more? Watch our video featuring James Hoffmann of Square Mile Coffee Roasters on London's growing coffee scene
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Bea's of Bloomsbury
44 Theobald’s Rd, WC1X 8NW (020 7242 8330/www.beasofbloomsbury.com). Holborn or Chancery Lane tube. Bea's of Bloomsbury (ONC), 83 Watling Street, EC4M 9AF. St Paul's tube.
We realised Bea’s was serious about coffee when we read a note plastered on the (replacement) espresso machine lamenting: ‘Our La Marzocco is at the espresso hospital and we wish it to get better soon.’ From choice of machine (a coffee connoisseur’s pick) to supplier of beans (Square Mile Coffee Roasters), there’s true dedication to the art of coffee-making here, so order a drink, draw up a seat and gaze at the spectacular cakes that threaten to overshadow the fantastic brews. Check out the new branch at One New Change near St Paul's Cathedral for a contemplative brew and stellar cupcakes. Read more
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Dose Espresso
69 Long Lane, EC1A 9EJ (7600 0382/www.dose-espresso.com). Barbican tube/rail.
James Phillips's quirky little coffee shop is bigger than its modest premises. An intense dedication to ethically-sourced quality coffee is commendable, and with the combination of good beans and a La Marzocco espresso machine, you'll know that your cup lies in good hands. Read more
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Espresso Room
31-31 Great Ormond Street, WC1N 3HZ (07760 714883/www.theespressoroom.com). Holborn tube.
Ben Townsend's closet of a coffee bar proves that size doesn't matter – it won our award for Best New Coffee Bar in the Time Out Eating & Drinking Awards 2010. He and his small, friendly team serve Brit-style treats and perfectly-pulled shots in a space that is quite literally a room, but Townsend's dedication to coffee has bean hunters calling in from far and wide to get a dose. Read more
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The Farm Collective
91 Cowcross Street, Farringdon, EC1M 6BH (020 7253 2142/www.farmcollective.com). Farringdon tube/rail.
Owners Craig and Dom have created a provenance-conscious café where you can be sure of quality. The space is small, with only a few seats, so it's better to grab a quick morning or mid-afternoon takeaway cup. They use Square Mile coffee beans, and the staff are well trained in the ways of the espresso machine. Read more
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Fernandez & Wells
16a St Anne's Court, W1F 0BG (020 7494 4242/www.fernandezandwells.com). Tottenham Court Road tube.
Brace yourselves for the invigorating triple ristretto shots served at this third branch of Fernandez & Wells, which is earmarked as the 'espresso bar' of the trio. The displays of fat doorstep sandwiches, pasteis de nata and various cakes is impressive, but coffee-lovers will know that these are only secondary to the legendary brews. The baristas make magic by way of textbook-perfect crema served at the correct temperature. With the cappuccinos, the foam stands proudly several millimetres above the cup rim – the mark of an expert indeed. You can also grab coffee and food at their Beak Street branch. Read more
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Flat White
17 Berwick Street, Soho, W1F 0PT (020 7734 0370/www.flat-white.co.uk). Leicester Square, Piccadilly Circus or Tottenham Court Road tube.
Its namesake coffee – the flat white (and if you don't know what it is, a blackboard behind the counter explains it) – is good and strong, and the team of baristas are always on-form and friendly. Situated just off bustling Berwick Street market, this is a good retreat from the fast-moving corridors of Soho. Like its sister, Milk Bar (below), there's always some form of interesting art on show. Read more
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Fleet River Bakery
71 Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, WC2A 3JF (020 7691 1457/ www.fleetriverbakery.com). Holborn tube.
Holborn is somewhat devoid of places with personality, so Fleet River Bakery – with its rustic warrens of rooms with homely furniture and rockabilly tunes – is a reliable option when you're in the area. Bread is made on the premises and Monmouth coffee is served. Read more
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Foxcroft & Ginger
3 Berwick Street, W1F 0DR (020 7287 5890/ www.foxcroftandginger.com). Tottenham Court Road tube.
At the south end of Berwick Street lies this vision of a café, with its smooth wooden interiors and funky basement room. Monmouth coffee is served here, as well as substantial brunches, lunches, and all sorts for famished mouths in between. Cakes and pastries are always laid out on the counters. Coffees are served, quaintly, in mismatched crockery – flat white in a China tea cup, anyone? Read more
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J&A Café
4 Sutton Lane, EC1M 5PU (7490 2992/www.jandacafe.com). Barbican tube or Farringdon tube/rail or bus 55.
There is something extremely gratifying about finding this café at the end of an unassuming, narrow alleyway just off the Clerkenwell Road. A tiny sign board just a bit larger than a sheet of A4 set on the floor advertises its existence, but it takes a keen eye to spot it, and a curious spirit to venture on down. It would be cliché to call J+A a hidden gem – but here it seems oddly apt, considering it’s housed on the ground floor of a former Victorian diamond-cutting factory. There’s natural light aplenty, lots of seats and a behemoth of a wooden table for communal chinwagging; the atmosphere is often tranquil and relaxing. It’s a great place to unwind with own-made cakes (if the apple and maple syrup one is available, try it) or an array of fresh café-style fare made from ingredients sourced from very commendable suppliers. Read more
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Kaffeine
66 Great Titchfield Street, Fitzrovia, W1W 7QJ (020 7580 6755/www.kaffeine.co.uk). Oxford Circus tube.
One of the best looking coffee shops out there, situated at the quieter end of Great Titchfield Street. Aussie owner Peter and his team are a welcoming lot, and very skilled in their trade. Visit the Kaffeine blog for weekly menus, and don't forget to try their luscious pasteis de nata (Portuguese egg tarts). And the coffee, of course, which helped land the place the runners-up award in the Time Out Eating & Drinking Award in 2010 for Best New Coffee Bar. Read more
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Lantana
13 Charlotte Place, W1T 1SN (020 7637 3347/www.scramblingeggs.blogspot.com). Goodge St tube.
Australian proprietress Shelagh Ryan is determined to make London a better place by serving quality, no-nonsense food and proper coffees to the people. This airy space is ideal for a quiet morning reading the paper or chatting. Ryan has chosen what she calls the ‘coffee super-couple’ of Monmouth beans and a La Marzocco espresso machine – ‘sexier than Brad and Angelina, better pedigree than Peaches and Pixie’ – and we agree. We voted Lantana our favourite café in the 2009 Eating and Drinking Awards, and the coffee clearly played a large part in its nomination and eventual win. In spring 2010, Lantana took over the space next door to open Lantana Out, to handle the ebb and flow of the takeaway crowd; the original café is for eating in only, and a few extra tables have been added. Read more
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London Review Cake Shop
14-16 Bury Place, WC1A 2JL (020 7269 9030/www.lrbshop.co.uk/cakeshop). Holborn tube.
Bookworms and regulars to the nearby British Museum might already be familiar with this hideaway café – or perhaps you’ve wandered past and clocked the satisfied punters sipping tea and nibbling on cakes in what appears to be a bookshop. The London Review Cake Shop is accessible through the London Review Bookshop, which makes it a less obvious venue to passers-by and more of a secret haunt for those of a more literary inclination. The café serves excellent cakes and pastries (lavender, honey and polenta biscuits, or a superlative berry danish, all flake and butter, on our last visit), moreish lunches (Persian chicken hot pot, carrot and orange soup with crème fraiche, sesame baguette with salmon, gherkin spread and ricotta), top-class teas from Jing (served with beautiful bamboo and glass tea ware) and Monmouth coffees. It won’t remain little-known for much longer, though, as news of its delicious offerings spreads throughout Bloomsbury.
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Look Mum No Hands!
49 Old Street, London, EC1V 9HX (020 7253 1025/ www.lookmumnohands.com). Barbican or Old St tube/rail.
Giro geeks and bicycle babes flock to this bike-friendly, two-wheel loving café and bar. The space is vast, with plenty of tables for sipping coffee or slurping smoothies, and long countertops for laptops and the spreading out of newspapers. In warmer weather, the garage-esque outdoor space (where bikes are fixed and looked over) is a good place to perch. In the evenings, bottled beers and a small wine list come out – just don't try to hop on your bike after a few. Read more
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Milk Bar
3 Bateman St, W1D 4AG (020 7287 4796). Tottenham Court Rd tube.
In a city of crappuccinos, Milk Bar (sister to the equally excellent Flat White, see above) gets it right. The espresso (made from Square Mile Coffee Roaster beans) melds seamlessly into the thick, cashmere-soft layer of foamed milk with microscopic bubbles. Everything exudes effortless cool – from the charming, mellow baristas to the ever-changing art on the walls. Breakfast and simple lunches (salads, generously filled bagels) are served, too. Read more
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Monmouth Coffee
27 Monmouth Street, WC2H 9EU (020 7379 3516/www.monmouthcoffee.co.uk). Covent Garden tube.
This classic coffee company, who supply many excellent cafés throughout London, has been roasting since 1978. As well as being a permanent fixture at Borough Market (see South), this Covent Garden shop offers a few seats for perching along with some pastries and cakes. Read more
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Notes Music and Coffee
31 St Martins Lane, WC2N 4ER (020 7240 0424/ www.notesmusiccoffee.com). Charing Cross tube/rail.
The best of many worlds comes together at this brilliant new café on St Martin's Lane: music, film and coffee. Opened by Rob Robinson and Fabio Ferreira, who run the excellent Flat Cap Coffee Company coffee cart in Victoria, this place has a lot going for it, be it the exhaustive selection of independent and world cinemas on DVD, esoteric CDs or impressive selection of food (from breakfast pastries to hearty salads and plenty of cakes) and coffee (brewed coffee as well as espresso). A real asset in the area triangulated by Covent Garden, Trafalgar Square and Charing Cross, which has until recently suffered a dearth of good coffee shops. Read more
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Pimlico Fresh
86 Wilton Rd, London, SW1V 1DE (020 7932 0030). Victoria tube/rail.
South of Victoria station lies this brilliant little café that offers far more than what you'd expect from the area. Done up with rickety wooden furniture and a giant blackboard to list out the menu, Pimlico Fresh offers a tight menu of hot dishes, breakfast/brunch items and a bevvy of cakes and pastries. Monmouth coffee is used here, and the place is often filled at lunchtimes with local office workers sitting down at the communal table for hot dishes such as Cajun chicken gumbo, baked eggs or avocado on sourdough toast. Read more
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Rose Bakery
Dover Street Market, 17-18 Dover St, W1S 4LT (7518 0608/ www.doverstreetmarket.com). Green Park or Piccadilly Circus tube.
This is the London arm of a British café that took Paris by storm when the first branch opened in 2002. Whereas the Rose Bakery’s two outlets in Paris attract queues every day, this concession in the swank Dover Street Market is discreet, quiet and surprisingly low-key and is frequented by French food-lovers and fashionistas (not always mutually exclusive). As it’s located on the top floor of the über-brand emporium that calls itself a ‘market’, you must pass through rooms showcasing gladrags that will set you back many a pretty penny before arriving in the light, airy space filled with beautiful, in-the-know clientele. It’s not quite as rustic in feel as its counterparts in the rue des Martyrs and the Marais, both of which have a decisively chic and minimalistic interior. But the wonderfully comforting cakes (don’t miss the famed carrot cake, cute and cupcake-shaped) and quiches are just like the ones in the Paris branches, and the teas and coffees are served in the same chunky ceramic mugs and saucers. Read more
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Store Street Espresso
40 Store Street, WC1E 7DB (www.twitter.com/StoreStEspresso)
A real asset to Bloomsbury, and a comfortable distance especially for the students at the nearby SOAS and Birkbeck universities. It's one of the more spacious cafés around, with attractive skylighting, whitewashed walls and wooden tables. Good, strong coffees (with beans from Square Mile Coffee Roasters), hot chocolate and Jing teas are served by young, hip staff. But then you'd expect that as a minimum these days. A quirky book exchange, a lavish selection of pastries and sandwiches, toast breakfasts and hot soups for lunch elevates it above the norm.
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Tapped & Packed
26 Rathbone Place, London, W1T 1JD (020 7580 2163/ www.tappedandpacked.co.uk). Tottenham Court Road tube.
This Fitzrovia café deserves an award for its name, if anything. In a coffee culture dominated by espresso, T&P is a refreshing face on the scene, offering an impressive range of brewed coffees. Discerning drinkers can choose their brewing method of choice – siphon, pourover, Aeropress, cafetière – as well as from a range of beans sourced from top roasters. So along with Square Mile beans you'll also find coffee from Union Hand Roasters and Climpson & Sons; guest coffees have also turned up in the past, such as those from Hasbean. Food offerings are kept at a minimum, with the lunchtime crowd clearing them out of salads and sandwiches by early afternoon, but there are always cakes and other sweet treats to go with your cup. They also hold informal coffee courses every so often, too. Read more
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To a Tea
14 Farringdon St, London, EC4A 4AB (020 7248 3498/ www.toatea.com). Farringdon tube/rail or 17, 45, 46, 63 bus.
For a change from frenetic coffee culture, this discreet Farringdon tea room will do wonders. An impressive range of leaves, in their tins, are lined up along the wall while the counter shows off a range of cakes, crumpets, cupcakes and pastries. There are squishy armchairs along one side of the room, perfect for pairs. A good place then, for a cup of tea and a sit down. Read more
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42 comments
Artisan cofee shop on the upper Richmond road is amazing and at long last there is a funky coffee shop around town! It has a warming cosy atmoshpere with plenty of space and light, chirpy cool barista's, great coffee, amazing selection of cakes and pastries catering to any allergies, food ranges from substantial filling sandwiches and quiche to light nutritious salads and soups.
Loretta's is a very clean tidy family run littel coffee shop in Bell street NW 1 .
Amazing Coffee it really has the wow factor .
Loretta and her staff are so freindly .
I just love to drop in for coffee and the amazing pastel de Nata ......
Caffe Zaza near Finchley Rd tube is one of 3 places i have found in London that serve real italian espresso with a decent crema, silky smooth and aromatic, cappucino with creamy foam and creamy milk.
They also do fantastic grilled panini and lots of nice cakes & pastries.
Have you tried Loretta's ?
It's a must,great Coffee ,delicious home cooked food .
Pastel de Nata wow
Loretta's ,NW 16 SP
Some great suggestions here, especially for visitors to London.
Taste of Bitter Love has closed.
Caffe zaza in Hampstead has the wow factor when it comes to coffee, i love it and tastes amazing. If you know coffee you will appreciate this place. They are near the o2 centre Finchley Rd.
Just saw Reilly Rocket in Dalston, got a nice setup with Square Mile and Vintage motorbikes
not super busy, nice to hang out in
Worth a visit
In response to nada on 11th July, what about GAIL's on Portobello Road? They serve Union coffee made properly on a swanky machine.
if it's home made everything and the best coffee in west london, try cafe continente on the north end road in west kensington, they use a local brand and it tastes fantastic, nice place to site and totally reasonable prices too.
Go check out Dan & DeCarlo in East Finchley. This place serves espresso with a crema like you will find in only a handful of places in london. Also no fussing about latte art etc, just great quality coffee and a texture on the cappuccino that has you wanting another. I also recommend the ini canoli or a muffin. yummy!!!!!!!!
WEST
Prufrock at Woodhouse - Westbourne Grove
Grind - Putney
Indie Coffee cart - Edgware Rd
Serious coffee....
Try the London best coffee app or beanhunter.
I really want to find a cool coffee place in west London near nothing hill maybe does anyone know of one? I am sick of starbucks and every other coffee chain!!
It has to be "Black Vanilla" Blackheath so surprised not to see it mentioned. Place is a little pushed for space but the interior is beautiful, clean and refreshing and the staff are helpful and friendly.
For coffee lovers who are looking for a real great tasting coffee and authentic Italian gelato I would certainly recommend Black Vanilla. Best flat white in London!
There is a new cafe opened on ballards lane north finchley called Roy-c it has fantastic salads and the coffee is good there is a sister shop in crouch end called coffee cake and wow what a place go and see it. Saturday they are buzzing