Nude Espresso

This original branch of Nude just never stops being busy, even at times of the day that should be quiet. The enduring popularity has a pretty simple explanation: quality and (relative) consistency. That, plus a sizeable local catchment area encompassing business as well as residential custom. And a choice of food that’s among the best in London’s coffee bars. Indeed, these days Nude seems to be as much a destination for food as for coffee.

The menu’s approach remains steady even as the selection changes from day to day: breakfasts, brunch dishes, a few fairly complicated assemblies, salads and baked goods of high quality. The coffee proposition is based on espresso; if you take it in one of its milky incarnations you’re in luck, because Nude’s espresso blend is high-roasted and short on sweetness. At weekends the long, narrow and eminently attractive ground-floor room can get very crowded. But it’s a good-natured and well-managed crowd, thanks to matey but ultra-competent staff.