Andrea Burton, a coffee loving girl who travels the world looking for the best coffee spots, Andrea lets us in on all her coffee spots in London
A sip by sip guide to some of my favourite places to enjoy coffee in the big smoke.I’m a south of the river girl born and bred. I studied in the East, have been entertained by the drama of the West End & wandered the streets of the North but one thing’s for sure I coffee in all corners of London Town.For the coffee loving tourists London is your haven right now.Independent coffee shops serving specialty coffee are firm staples on high streets, in markets and along cobbled alleys.
STRAIGHT TO THE HEART OF THINGS – Central London
Tap Coffee
Sip at: No.193 Wardour Street Soho W1F 8ZF (& other various locations)
Mocha Lovers this is the place for you. However their cold brew & iced lattes are equally superb. Their motto is ‘Better Coffee’ go check them out and taste why. Great coffee all round using single origins & blends on rotation. The low hanging lights create a warm and welcoming vibe with high tables and benches. The effortlessly easy sipping space created here is casually intimate but good for the solo visits too. http://www.tapcoffee.co.uk/
TimberYard
Sip at: 7 Upper St Martins Lane WC2H 9DL
A stone throw away from Leicester Square & Covent Garden it sits nicely on a corner. Boldly coloured benches on the outside and a bright airy well lit interior. Serving a delicious range of artisan cakes too to go with their coffee. From V60 brewing to filters the coffees are carefully crafted using specialty beans from the likes of Berlin roasting company The Barn. Enough said.A great place with large sharing tables and comfy sofa squares, glass tables and hidden corners for the single sippers too. Sit by the window and sip on as you watch London go by.https://tyuk.com//
Flat white
Sip at: 17 Berwick St, W1F 0PT
It shares its name with one of the most ordered espresso based coffees of today. Nestled along a cobbled Soho street, Flatwhite has a lot of character inside as it does outside. They serve fabulous coffees not to mention scrumptious breakfast favourites like peanut butter on toast or even the infamous avocado smash. Great if you’re not an early riser they serve this all day brunch. It’s where you’ll find creatives & freelancers amongst tourists and artisan coffee seekers. If you’re familiar with Australia & New Zealand’s pioneering coffee culture then Flat white will be pure antipodean nostalgia. It’s also conveniently right by Berwick Street Farmers Market, records shops and vintage magazine shops too. http://flatwhitesoho.co.uk/
Store Street Espresso
Sip at: 40 Store Street, WC1E 7DB
If you’re on your way to or from the British Museum, this independent coffee shop is certainly worth a visit. It’s almost like THE local coffee shop as many of its visitors either study or work locally. Although the menu includes the usual suspects, when it comes to the coffee there is nothing usual about it at all. Beautiful specialty coffee served here with a mini gallery of artisan cakes to satisfy any sweet craving. The Macchiato is a must. Long benches with long tables to match, spot cyclists and bookworms sipping quietly here though its super relaxed atmosphere makes it a great place to catch up over a coffee. They also host public cuppings (the technical term for coffee tasting) great for the discerning coffee lover. http://www.storestespresso.co.uk/
Monmouth Coffee
Sip at: 27 Monmouth St, WC2H 9EU
This is certainly one of my absolute favourite coffee houses in London. They roast their own beans sauced from single farms,and though they are part a small chain it’s worth its weight in gold coffee beans. There’s often a queue outside (good sign) but you have to try the coffee here for yourself. They serve organic whole milk making your cappuccinos with a luxurious foamy finish. Alternatively order a crisp and note flavoursome filter, the coffee arrives freshly roasted each day. It warmly lit inside with cosy booths for sharing. The short bread medallions are bit size but huge on taste factor, and the chocolate brownie squares are like cubes of heaven. If not you could always add a little organic cane sugar to your short sharp espresso. A truly traditional and British Coffee company serving ethically sauced relationship coffee. http://www.monmouthcoffee.co.uk/
STEP ASIDE CENTRAL
Workshop Coffee
Sip at: 27 Clerkenwell Rd EC1 5RN
Work Shop is more than just a cafe serving seminal coffee in London. It serves as a restaurant for all day to evening dining. The winner of the very first Coffee Masters Competition also happens to be the Head of Quality at Work Shop. James Bailey won prestigious award at the 2015 London Coffee Festival tournament. Nevertheless the coffee served here is of superb quality and the proof is really in the cup. If you prop up the bar you can watch the baristas at work and perfectly placed at the back of the shop is rather robustly sleek looking roaster. Clerkenwell is full of innovative start up and pop ups a great place to visit for art loving coffee enthusiasts. It is also home to Clerkenwell Design Week. https://workshopcoffee.com/
Hackney Coffee Company
Sip at: 499 Hackney Rd, E2 9ED
A newer kid on the coffee block that has clearly been brewing around the speciality block a few times. I will get to the coffee, but first a moment for the mouth watering artisan cakes. I recommend the Lemon and Rosemary slab or the Green Tea and Pistachio Blondie. Order a Black Americano, they use coffee from a fabulous roasting company Extract. The single origin washed Santa Clara sets the tone after one sip. This North East London coffee shop boasts a well-stocked book shelf and quaint chesterfield sofas. In a few words a super quirky cosy joint, suits you sir. http://www.hackneycoffee.co/
Origin Coffee
Sip at: 65 Charlotte Rd, EC2A 3PE
I call this my espresso clinic. The simplicity of the design leaves you curious about the coffee. I highly recommend this place if you like your espressos. Origin is home to the 2016 UK Barista Championship winner, Dan Fellows. It’s situated just a short walk away from the famous Brick Lane, one of East London’s eclectic, vintage and flea markets. It is like a speciality coffee lab where science meets tradition for complexity of taste. http://www.origincoffee.co.uk/
THERE IS ALWAYS TIME FOR MORE COFFEE…
Worth a visit:
The Attendant
Sip at: 27A Foley St, 6DY
One of the places listed in my little black books of hip sips. The Attendant is a located in Hoxton and Shoreditch, London’s answer to New Yorks lower east, in my caffeinated opinion… http://the-attendant.com/
Kaffeine
Sip at: 66 Great Titchfield St, W1W 7QJ
Perfectly placed behind London’s shopping valley Oxford St.Kaffeine is independently owned with a super chilled ambience inside, you can almost hear a coffee bean drop.Smaller and perhaps more intimate than some though great views of London life from the window or the bench outside. http://www.kaffeine.co.uk/
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