The 44 greatest coffee shops in Britain have been crowned for 2026 – here’s the full list (and Time Out’s favourites)

Real coffee-lovers know that you can’t just go just anywhere for a proper cup of the good stuff. Chain brands are convenient enough, but they rarely have the attention to detail necessary to impress a true coffee-head. 

That’s why the Best Coffee Shops in the UK ranking exists. The guide, as you’ll guess from the name, is dedicated to finding the nation’s highest quality cafés and it just revealed its 2026. A grand total of 44 must-try coffee spots were recognised across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

An exhaustive rating system sees the list rate each business against nine criteria: quality of coffee, barista expertise, customer service, innovation, ambiance and atmosphere, sustainable practices, quality of food and pastry, consistency and community.

According to Best Coffee Shops in the UK 2026, London was the national hub for coffee shops with a whopping 11 out of 44 entrants based in the capital. That’s an entire quarter of the list that can be found in the city. One of the top picks in the capital, Catalyst, is also a Time Out favourite. This Scandi-esque spot stands out not only because of its in-house roasting, but also because of its frequent pop-up events and cocktails every Friday night. You can read more about Catalyst here.

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Manchester and Bristol were the second best represented cities, with four entries each. Like London, one of Manchester’s top rated cafés also features in Time Out’s list of the best coffee shops in the northern city – Siop Shop was described by Time Out’s local experts as ‘bright, friendly and with stacks upon stacks of homemade doughnuts’. We’ve also got a roundup of our favourite cafés in Bristol, but none of them made the Best Coffee Shops cut this time. 

The remaining coffee shops were split pretty evenly across the country, ranging from city centre spots like Lagom Coffee Bar in Newcastle to often-overlooked towns such as Titch Coffee in Kilmarnock or Wayland’s Yard in Worcester. The only other places claiming multiple spots on the list were Glasgow, with three, and Dundee, which appeared twice.

Each café which earned a place on the ranking will be eligible to be included in the 100 Best Coffee Shops in the World, which will be revealed this February.

The 44 best coffee shops in Britain in 2026

Here are the best cafés and coffee houses in Britain for 2026, according to the Best Coffee Shops in the UK.

England

• Greytone Coffee, Bristol
• Sweven, Bristol
• Wogan, Bristol
• Dareshack, Bristol
• Common Grounds, Chichester
• Dark Pony Coffee, Falmouth
• Saints of Mokha, Leicester
• Special Guests, London
• Prufrock, London
• Calico, London
• Moonstruck, London
• Catalyst Café, London
• Curators, London
• Carbon Kopi (Baron’s Court), London
• Zero to One, London
• Formative, London
• Specialty Cafetiere, London
• Nostos (St James), London
• Saint Nine Coffee, London
• Scenery, London
• Just Between Friends (Ancoats) Manchester
• Atrium, Manchester
• Sale Moon, Manchester
• Siop Shop, Manchester
• Lagom Coffee Bar, Newcastle-upon-Tyne
• FIKA, Norwich
• Broadway Coffee Roasters Espresso Bar, Portsmouth
• Kavi, Winchester
• Method Coffee Arches, Worcester

Northern Ireland

• Cultura, Belfast
• Rosta Coffee Bar, Derry/Londonderry

Wales

• Mec Coffee, Cardiff
• Narrative Coffee, Rhayader

Scotland

• HoFN, Dundee
• EH9, Dundee
• Lowdown, Edinburgh
• Ottoman Coffee Company, Glasgow
• Zennor (Langside Drive), Glasgow
• Through the House, Glasgow
• Titch Coffee, Kilmarnock
• The Life of Reilly Coffee, Penarth
• Birch, Portree
• Mossgiel Coffee House, Stewarton

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