My friends back home nicknamed me El Caffeino for my relentless, passionate love for the black liquid gold known as coffee. I have every coffee making device you can think of: chemex, espresso machine, syphon and even a Bayreuther Kaffeemaschine, to name just a few. I travel far and wide, dragging friends and family around the world looking for the best cups of coffee.
Before moving to London 4 years ago, I was apprehensive about what kind of coffee scene I’d find. I’d heard horror stories from fellow coffee-loving friends who’d lived in London years before and how the words “flat white” may as well have been a racial slur rather than an order for my favourite, New Zealand invented, rich, caffeinated drink.
Upon arrival I was overwhelmed with the absurd number of chain coffee stores; Costa, Pret A Manger, Starbucks, Nero, etc. around every turn. But as I started drinking my way around London, starting in trendy Shoreditch, I realised that there was a thriving and unique coffee scene in London. What started as a simple list for myself to keep track of my favourite coffee shops, quickly became a citywide hunt for the very best London had to offer.
I love that I can share my passion for coffee through this map, so that others can enjoy a great cup of specialty coffee rather than defaulting to one of the big coffee chains.
So without further ado, 4 years and thousands of coffees later, I’ve whittled down the very best that London has to offer, drinking some pretty terrible coffees along the way so that you don’t have to! The full map is at the bottom.
Best Flat White:
Climpson & Sons Cafe
67 Broadway Market, London E8 4PH
Always serving great coffee whether it’s a Flat White, filter or Americano. Every cup comes with a smile even when the queue is out the door on Saturday market days.
Best Espresso Martini:
Sophie’s Soho
42-44 Great Windmill St, Soho, London W1D 7NB
Rich chocolatey chilled espresso, velvety cream foam and a caffeine punch to keep you going into the early hours.
Best Filter Coffee:
Workshop Coffee
80 Mortimer St, Marylebone, London W1W 7FE
Top quality beans create top quality filter. Workshop Coffee source the very best beans and know how to get the ultimate notes in every cup.
Best Coffee with a View:
White Mulberries
St Katharine Docks, St Katharine’s & Wapping, London E1W 1AT
Nothing beats a sunny day sitting outside White Mulberries in St Katherine’s Dock, iced coffee in hand, freshly baked pastry on hand, boats bobbing in the docks with Tower Bridge sitting in the distance.
Best Coffee & Cake:
Grounded Coffee Company
9 Whitechapel Rd, Shadwell, London E1 1DU
With a counter stacked with glorious cakes and sweets how could you only get coffee? Ground roast their own beans and also make most of the cakes themselves too. Try the chocolate fudge bar with a long black for an excellent bitter sweet combo.
Best Coffee & Brunch:
Brother Marcus - Angel
37-39, Camden Passage, The Angel, London N1 8EA
Brunch of the Gods - the French toast topped with bacon floss is like nothing i’ve ever eaten. For savoury fans, the Brother Marcus is my first choice every time, grab a bottomless filter coffee for £2.50 while you’re at it.
Best Variety of Beans:
Roasting Plant Coffee
4 Borough High St, London SE1 9QQ
Roasted in transparent tube mini-roasters nicknamed Java Bot, right in-store then sucked straight over to storage tubes, or direct to each espresso machine to order. The Roasting Plant is truly a unique experience.
Quaintest Cafe (with great coffee):
The Watch House
199 Bermondsey St, Bermondsey, London SE1 3UW
Inside the cutest corner, watch house, serving up high-quality coffee. Every detail has been thoughtfully designed and crafted down to the countertop.
Best Hidden Coffee Spot:
Hideaway Coffee
7 Smith’s Ct, Soho, London W1D 7DP
Escape the hustle and bustle of central London by slipping through Farrier’s Passage to Hideaway Coffee for a relaxing brew. Run by a friendly couple, they’ve created a welcoming place to recoup and refuel before venturing back out.
Best All-round Cafe:
Ozone Coffee Roasters
11 Leonard St, Old Street, London EC2A 4AQ
For top-quality coffee, excellent food, great service and a cafe that cares deeply about sourcing and brewing the best coffee around, Ozone is the place to go. They serve a Flat White with elegant latte art, perfect strength coffee with a thin layer of foam on top – exactly what I’d expect back home in Wellington.
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For the full list of my favourite coffees in London:
https://www.google.com/maps/placelists/list/1rNleamweQzr3lLuPTOFvGdrnE6Q?hl=en
I’d love to hear what your favourite local coffee shop is in your city. I regularly travel and will try and visit on my upcoming trips. Leave a comment and I’ll check it out!
– El Caffeino
(aka Joel Edwards, @nzjoel)
