Coffee Shops

It may seem odd dedicating part of a tourism site to coffee but I truly believe that it is one of the things London does best! This is thanks to a lot of influence from Australia and New Zealand.

There are coffee shops absolutely everywhere in London so this is far from an exhaustive list but I’m only including only places I’ve actually been to and can recommend.

15grams

I’d kind of given up on the coffee shops part of this site but 15grams is just so good, I went there twice in one day.

Expect a stronger than average flat white and pastries from St John. The cafe is tiny - there was a queue out the door at lunch time.

Area
Greenwich
Roaster
They roast their own
Website
www.15grams.co.uk
Hours
Mon-Fri
08:00 - 16:00
Sat-Sun
09:00 - 17:00
Photo of a flat white in a Duralex cup.
Photo by me, I love these vintage cups.

Amoret

Coffee shop and roastery located near Portobello Road. It is in an old building so there are steep steps to get into the shop and to most of the seating.

Area
Notting Hill
Roaster
Amoret
Website
amoret.co.uk
Hours
Mon-Fri
08:00 - 16:00
Sat
09.00 - 22.00
Sun
09.00 - 16.00
Photo of a flat white in a glass cup
Photo by me, horribly out of focus

Bon

Bon is a very small coffee shop on Lordship Lane, towards East Dulwich. There’s no indoor seating, just two benches outside.

The incredible traffic along Lordship Lane means you won’t stay long, but the coffee was good and they do a small selection of cakes and bread.

Area
Dulwich
Roaster
Square Mile
Website
www.bondulwich.com
Hours
Mon-Fri
08:00 - 14:00
Sat-Sun
09:00 - 15:00
Photo of a flat white in a black cup on a bench.
Photo by me, perched on a bench.

Colonna and Smalls

An extremely upmarket and thus pricey shop at the northern end of Leather Lane.

They usually have a range of beans to choose from, and can do aeropress coffees. I went for a lighter roast and it was worth the price.

Area
Holborn
Roaster
Colonna
Website
colonnacoffee.com
Hours
Mon
08:00 - 16:00
Tue-Thu
07:30 - 16:00
Fri
08:00 - 16:00
Sat
09:00 - 16:00
Sun
10:00 - 16:00
Photo of a flat white in a kind of blueish cup.
Photo by me.

Dose

Just south of Farringdon, Dose is absolutely tiny and always rammed. I go there so often they know my name - never a good sign. 😬

If you sit outside you can enjoy watching one of London’s most fraught Zebra Crossings, the scene of a thousand tiny dramas every rush hour.

Area
Clerkenwell
Roaster
Square Mile
Website
www.instagram.com
Hours
Mon-Fri
07:00 - 15:00
Sat
09:00 - 14:00
Photo of a flat white in a red cup.
Photo by me, such a good coffee.

Grind

Coffee by day, cocktails by- well, also by day. There’s a small amount of outdoor seating.

Area
Covent Garden
Roaster
Grind
Website
grind.co.uk
Hours
Sun-Mon
08:00 - 18:00
Tue
08:00 - 19:00
Wed
08:00 - 20:00
Thu-Fri
08:00 - 21:00
Sat
08:00 - 22:00
Photo of a flat white in a red cup.
Photo by me, this was a solid 8/10 flat white.

Lift

Pleasant third wave shop in Notting Hill.

Area
Notting Hill
Roaster
Manhattan
Website
liftcoffeelondon.com
Hours
Mon-Fri
07:30 - 16:30
Sat
08:30 - 16:30
Sun
09:00 - 16:00
Photo of a flat white in a glass cup
Photo by me, I'm not good at this

Monmouth Coffee

I’m going to be bold and call this my favourite flat white in London. The shop is tiny so ordering can be a hectic experience, but it is worth it.

You have to take along a reusable cup, or there’s a refundable £5 deposit to rent a cup. I wouldn’t advise trying to sit in-store!

Area
Covent Garden
Roaster
Monmouth
Website
www.monmouthcoffee.co.uk
Hours
Mon-Sat
08:00 - 19:00
Sun
Closed
Photo of the exterior of the shop
Photo by me, takeaway flat whites are not photogenic.

Origin Coffee

Coffee shop offering classes and tasting sessions, located in a Southwark railway arch.

I go here all the time and definitely recommend it, but I am resigned to my flat white sometimes taking ages and arriving lukewarm if it is busy.

They sell beans too, the Stronghold blend is a good, forgiving dark roast for home machines.

Area
Southwark
Roaster
Origin (in Cornwall)
Website
origincoffee.co.uk
Hours
Mon-Fri
08:00 - 16:30
Sat-Sun
09:00 - 17:00
Photo of a flat white in a kind of earthenware cup thing with no handle.
Photo by me. Sorry, this was just on my phone.

Prufrock Coffee

Despite being hidden away behind the market stalls of Leather Lane Prufrock is always busy.

It is table service - not ideal if you’re in a rush but otherwise well worth visiting.

Area
Holborn
Roaster
Square Mile
Website
prufrockcoffee.com
Hours
Mon-Fri
07:30 - 16:30
Sat-Sun
09:00 - 17:00
Photo of a flat white in a white cup.
Photo by me. 9/10, quite mild tasting.

Store Street Espresso

Nice coffee shop featuring guest roasters. Lots of seating but goodness me the entire population of London descends upon the place at lunchtime.

Area
Bloomsbury
Roaster
Square Mile
Website
www.storestespresso.co.uk
Hours
Mon-Fri
07:30 - 18:00
Sat
09:00 - 17:30
Sun
09:30 - 17:00
A flat white on a wooden table outside Store Street Espresso on a grey day
Photo by me. Outside. In the rain.

The Wren Coffee

Further proof that I don’t know what I’m doing with this website - the coffee wasn’t that great (takeaway cups only, boo) but I’m giving them a pass thanks to the beautiful setting.

The cafe is located in St Nicholas Cole Abbey. It is still a church, so be prepared for some light attempts to convert you with books & posters.

Area
City of London
Roaster
Caravan
Website
www.thewrencoffee.com
Hours
Mon-Fri
07:00 - 16:30
Tue
Closed: 12:45 - 14:00
Photo of the inside of the café, a city church.
Photo by me, just a nice place to be.

WatchHouse

WatchHouse is a chain so I wasn’t super excited to visit but I was amazed by the great coffee.

Maybe I was just lucky but it seemed my flat white was made with ristretto, it had a punch.

They serve brunch, the avocado toast was good!

Area
Marylebone
Roaster
WatchHouse
Website
watchhouse.com
Hours
Mon-Fri
07:30 - 18:00
Sat
08:00 - 18:00
Sun
09:00 - 18:00
Photo of a flat white with fern-like latte art.
Photo by me, truly this was excellent.