Espresso Room

'Room' pretty much says it all. This shoebox of a coffee bar opposite Great Ormond Street Hospital (and its handy cashpoint, because, note, they don't take cards) is barely big enough to swing a teabag let alone a cat, yet when we surveyed the spate of new coffee bars for the 2010 Time Out Eating & Drinking Awards, this spot was the hands-down winner.

Since then, London has become even more heavily endowed with potential caffeine fixes and, short of roasting its own beans, we reckon Espresso Room still beats most of them. And who could be more deserving of great coffee than the staff of the hospital opposite? They come in a steady stream for drinks made from Has Bean and Square Mile beans, plus 'builder's', 'posh' or herbal teas.

The range of food isn't huge, but it's top-quality, with a daily soup (pea, spinach and coriander, on our visit), sandwiches (lovely smoked chicken and artichoke hearts on sourdough, or cheese and pickle) and well-made cakes (the choc chip and walnut blondie would convert doubters).

Pleasant, intelligent staff offer a glass of water with the brews and are happy to grind bags of beans for customers to take home.