My Favourite London Specialty Coffee Shops

I've been writing about London's first forays and then larger leaps into the specialty coffee world since I started this blog in 2007. I've written about more than 200 London coffee spots over the years — some have since closed and my tastes have changed too, especially as the city's specialty coffee scene burgeoned and boomed, spreading from Soho and Shoreditch, into other central areas and then way beyond.

I compiled my first concise London coffee guide in 2011, updating it in 2012 and 2014. An update was long overdue but I knew a top ten would barely even scratch the surface and because friends, family and others often ask for my recommendations, I needed something more in-depth. 

Created in 2017 but updated regularly with my latest coffee shop discoveries, my guide currently comprises 140+ London specialty coffee shops and cafés, from Crouch End to Clapham and Dalston to Deptford. These are my personal favourites based on my own experiences and by no means represent a fully comprehensive list — there is a central/eastern bias based on where I live, work and hang out. 

As with my New York coffee guide, some of the featured venues have sister branches, and rather than listing every location I've visited, I've selected my favourites. Asterisked venues below (purple on the map) are my top favourites. I've linked below my reviews, and for more information, including my photos and details of other branches, please check out my accompanying Google Map. Finally, this Flickr album includes many photos of these and other London coffee spots.

Last updated: April 2024.

% Arabica 2 Market Street, Spitalfields Market, London E1 6DT Review

15grams 28 Greenwich Church St, London SE10 9BJ (Greenwich) Review

Abuelo 26 Southampton Street, London, WC2E 7RS (Covent Garden) Review

Alchemy 8 Ludgate Broadway, London, EC4V 6DU (City) Review

Allpress 55 Dalston Lane, London, E8 2NG (Dalston) Review
58 Redchurch Street, London, E2 7DP (Shoreditch) Review

* Amoret Coffee 53 Pembridge Road, Notting Hill, London, W11 3HG (Notting Hill) Review

* Association Coffee 12 Creechurch Lane, London, EC3A 5AY (City) Review

The Attendant 27a Foley Street, London, W1W 6DY (Fitzrovia) Review
74 Great Eastern St, London, EC2A 3JL (Shoreditch) Review

Bar Termini 7 Old Compton Street, London, W1D 5JE (Soho) Review

* Batch Baby Rose Lipman Building, 43 De Beauvoir Road, London, N1 5SF Review

The Black Lab 18 Clapham Common Southside, London, SW4 7AB (Clapham) Review

The Black Penny 34 Great Queen Street, London, WC2B 5AA (Covent Garden) Review

Black Salt 26 Vauxhall Street, London SE11 5LG (Vauxhall) Mini-review

Browns of Brockley 5 Coulgate Street, London, SE4 2RW (Brockley) Review

Brunswick East Unit 3D Stamford Works, Gillett Street, London, N16 8JH (Dalston) Review

Bühler and Co 8 Chingford Road, London, E17 4PJ (Walthamstow) Review

BUSI 42–48 Great Portland Street, London, W1W 7NB (Fitzrovia) Review (closed — but planning to reopen in a new location)

Canada Water Cafe 40 Surrey Quays Road, London SE16 7DX (Canada Water) Review

* Caravan 1 Granary Square, London, N1C 4AA (King's Cross) Review
30 Great Guildford Street, London, SE1 0HS (Southwark) Review

* Carbon Kopi 11 Margravine Road, London, W6 8LS (Hammersmith) Review

* Catalyst Cafe 48 Gray's Inn Road, London, WC1X 8LT (Clerkenwell) Review

Chapter 72 72 Bermondsey Street, London, SE1 3UD (Bermondsey) Review

Chief Coffee Turnham Green Terrace Mews, London W4 1QU (Chiswick) Review

Climpson & Sons 67 Broadway Market, London, E8 4PH (Hackney) Review

Coffee Circus 136 Crouch Hill, London, N8 9DX (Crouch End) Review

Coffee Island 5 Upper St Martin's Lane, London, WC2H 9NY (Covent Garden) Review

Coleman Coffee Unit 5, Dockley Road, London, SE16 3SF (Bermondsey) Review
20 Lower Marsh, London, SE1 7RJ (Waterloo) Review

* Colonna & Small's 96a Leather Lane, London, EC1N 7TX (Clerkenwell) Review

Craft Coffee Battle Bridge Place, London, N1C 4TB (King's Cross) Review

Crispin The Pavilion on The Corner, White’s Row, London, E1 7NF (Spitalfields) Review

Crol & Co 77 Dunton Road, London, SE1 5TW (Bermondsey) Review

Curators Coffee Studio 9A Cullum Street, London, EC3M 7JJ (The City) Review

Daisy Green 20 Seymour Street, London, W1H 7HX (Marylebone) Review

District 7 New Union Square, London, SW11 7DN (Nine Elms) Review

The Espresso Room 31-35 Great Ormond Street, London, WC1N 3HZ (Bloomsbury) Review
24 New Row, London, WC2N 4LA (Covent Garden) [Formerly New Row Coffee; review]

Establishment Coffee 11 Saint Bride Street, London, EC4A 4AS (The City) Review

Federation Coffee Unit 77-78 Brixton Market, Coldharbour Lane, London, SW9 8PS (Brixton) Review

Fernandez & Wells 43 Lexington Street, London, W1F 9AL (Soho) Review (of now-closed Beak Street location)

Fix 126 126 Curtain Road, London, EC2A 3PJ (Shoreditch) Review

* Flat White 17 Berwick Street, London, W1F 0PT (Soho) Review

Flor 1 Bedale Street, London, SE1 9AL (London Bridge) Review

* Formative Coffee 4 Butler Place, London, SW1H 0RH (Victoria) Review

Four Boroughs 10 Church Road, London, SE19 2ET (Crystal Palace) Review coming soon

Four Corners 12 Lower Marsh, London, SE1 7RJ (Waterloo) Review

Fowlds 3 Addington Square, London, SE5 7JZ (Camberwell) Review

* Frequency 121 King's Cross Road, London, WC1X 9NH (King's Cross) Review

13 Camden Passage, London, N1 8EA (Islington) Review

Friends of Ours 61 Pitfield Street, London, N1 6BU (Shoreditch) Review

* The Gentlemen Baristas 63 Union Street, London, SE1 1SG (London Bridge) Review
11 Park Street, London, SE1 9AB (London Bridge) Review

162 Piccadilly, London W1J 9EF (Mayfair) Review

* Good as Gold 209 Mantle Road, London, SE4 2EW (Brockley) Review

Hagen Espresso Bar 27-29 Swallow Street, London, W1B 4DH (Mayfair) Review

Half Cup 100-102 Judd Street, London, WC1H 9NT (Bloomsbury) Review

Hej 1 Bermondsey Square, London, SE1 3UN (Bermondsey) Review

Hopper Coffee 4 Roger Street, London, WC1N 2JX (Bloomsbury) Review

Host Café St Mary Aldermary, 69 Watling Street, London, EC4M 9BW (The City) Review

House of Morocco (King's Cross) 82 Caledonian Road, London, N1 9DN (King's Cross) Review

* HR Higgins 79 Duke Street, London, W1K 5AS (Mayfair) Review

I Will Kill Again Arch 216, 27A Ponsford Street, London, E9 6JU (Hackney)  Review (relocated, in espresso bar form, to 1–5 Rosina Street)

* Intermission Coffee Unit 2, The Hardy Building, Heritage Lane, London, NW6 2BR (West Hampstead) Review

* Iris & June 1 Howick Place, London, SW1P 1BH (Victoria) Review

Jacob the Angel 16 1/2 Neal's Yard, London, WC2H 9DP (Covent Garden) Review (closed — but planning to reopen in another location)

Juliet's Quality Foods 110 Mitcham Road, London SW17 9NG (Tooting Broadway) Review; brunch mini-review

* Kaffeine 66 Great Titchfield Street, London, W1W 7QJ (Fitzrovia) Review

Kafi 20 Cleveland Street, London, W1T 4JA (Fitzrovia) Review

Kapihan 13A Parkgate Road, London, SW11 4NL (Battersea) Review (this location closed but it has reopened nearby at 547 Battersea Park Road, SW11 3BL)

Kiss the Hippo 51 Margaret Street, London, W1W 8SG (Fitzrovia) Review

50 George Street, Richmond, TW9 1HJ (Richmond) Review

Lane Eight Coffee 6 The Pavement, London SW4 0HY (Clapham) Review (review of the now-closed East Dulwich location)

 
Lantana 13 Charlotte Place, London, W1T 1SN (Fitzrovia) Review
44–46 Southwark St, London, SE1 1UN (London Bridge) Review

Lantern Coffee Little London, 8 Mill Street, London, SE1 2BA (Bermondsey) Review

LIFT 133 Kensington Church Street, London W8 7LP (Notting Hill) Review

LoFi 11A Broadway Parade, London, N8 9DE (Crouch End) Review coming soon

Lomond Coffee Arch 7, 4 Deptford Market Yard, Deptford, London, SE8 4BX (Deptford) Review

London Grind 2 London Bridge, London, SE1 9RA (London Bridge) Review

London Velo 18 Deptford High Street, London, SE8 4AF (Deptford) Review

Louie Louie 347 Walworth Road, London, SE17 2AL (Walworth) Review

Lumberjack 70 Camberwell Church Street, London, SE5 8QZ (Camberwell) Review

Lundenwic 45 Aldwych, London, WC2B 4DW (Covent Garden) Review

Lyle's The Tea Building, 56 Shoreditch High Street, London, E1 6JJ (Shoreditch) Mini-review

Machine 97 Tower Bridge Road, London, SE1 4TW (Bermondsey) Review

MAKEMAKECOFFEE Lower Road, Surrey Quays, London, SE16 2UF (Surrey Quays) Review coming soon

Milk 18–20 Bedford Hill, London, SW12 9RG (Balham) Review

* Monmouth Coffee Arch 3 Spa North, Dockley Road, London, SE16 4EJ (Bermondsey) Review
2 Park Street, London, SE1 9AB (Borough) Review

Monocle Cafe 18 Chiltern Street, London, W1U 7QA (Marylebone) Review

* Moonstruck Cafe 153 South Lambeth Road, London, SW8 1XN (Stockwell) Review

Mouse Tail 211 Borough High Street, London, SE1 1JA (Borough) Review

* Nagare Coffee 40 Brushfield Street, London, E1 6AG (Spitalfields) Review

Nkora 21 Hackney Road, London, E2 7NX (Shoreditch) Review

* NOLA 224 Rye Lane, London, SE15 4NL (Peckham) Review

* Nostos Coffee 10a Battersea Park Road, London, SW8 4FF (Battersea) Review

6 Orchard Place, London, SW1H 0BF (Victoria) Review

Notes 1 Pancras Square, London, N1C 4AG (King's Cross) Review

Nude Espresso 26 Hanbury Street, London, E1 6QR (Shoreditch) Review

Old Spike Roastery 54 Peckham Rye, London, SE15 4JR (Peckham) Review

251 Southwark Bridge Road, London, SE1 6FJ (Elephant & Castle) Review

* Omotesando Koffee Rathbone Square, London, W1J 5EZ (Fitzrovia) Review

* Origin Coffee 65 Charlotte Road, London, EC2A 3PE (Shoreditch) Review
96 Euston Road, London, NW1 2DB (King's Cross) Review

* 84 Scoresby Street, London, SE1 0XN (Southwark) Review

Over Under Coffee 145 Ladbroke Grove, London, W10 6HJ (Notting Hill) Review  

* Ozone Coffee Roasters 11 Leonard Street, London, EC2A 4AQ (Shoreditch) Review

8 Pritchard's Road, London, E2 9AP (Bethnal Green) Review

* Paradox Coffee + Design 13–23 Westgate Street, Netil Market, London, E8 3RL (Hackney) Review

The Pear Tree Greenland Place, Yeoman Street, London, SE8 5ET (Surrey Quays) Review

The Penny Drop 13 Tottenham Street, London W1T 2AH (Fitzrovia) Review

Presse Books 140 Great Dover Street, London SE1 4GW (Borough) Review

* Prufrock Coffee 23–25 Leather Lane, London, EC1N 7TE (Clerkenwell) Review

Queens of Mayfair 17 Queen Street, London, W1J 5PH (Mayfair) Review

Red Lion Coffee Co Batavia Road, London, SE14 6AX (New Cross) Review

The Scalpel, 52–54 Lime Street, London, EC3M 7AF (The City) Review

* Redemption Roasters 84b Lamb's Conduit Street, London, WC1N 3LR (Bloomsbury) Review
Stable Street, King's Cross, London, N1C 4AQ (King's Cross) Review

The Roasting Shed Echo Building Unit 2, East Bay Lane, London, E15 2SJ (Hackney) Review

* Rosslyn Coffee 78 Queen Victoria Street, London, EC4N 4SJ (The City) Review

118 London Wall, London EC2Y 5JA (The City) Review

* Saint Espresso Angel House, 26 Pentonville Road, London, N1 9HJ (Islington) Review
214 Baker Street, London, NW1 5RT (Marylebone) Review

* Saint Nine Coffee 67 Southwark Street, London, SE1 0HX  Review

* Second Shot 49 Church Street, London, NW8 8ES (Marylebone) Review

Shoreditch Grind 213 Old Street, London, EC1V 9NR (Shoreditch) Review

Soho Grind 19 Beak Street, London, W1F 9RP (Soho) Review

St David Coffee House 5 David's Road, London, SE23 3EP (Forest Hill) Review

Stir Coffee 111 Brixton Hill, London, SW2 1 AA (Brixton) Review

Store Street Espresso 40 Store Street, London, WC1E 7DB (Bloomsbury) Review
54 Tavistock Place, London, WC1H 9RG (King's Cross) Review

222 Bishopsgate, London, EC2M 4QD (The City) Review

Story Coffee Ram Quarter, 15 Barley Walk, London, SW18 1UL (Wandsworth) Review

* TAB x TAB 14–16 Westbourne Grove, London W2 5RH (Notting Hill) Review

Urban Baristas 138 Wapping High Street, London, E1W 3PA (Wapping) Review

* Velasquez and Van Wezel 78 Park Road, London, N8 8JQ (Crouch End) Review

Walker Wyatt Coffee 3 Upper Tooting Road, Tooting Bec, London SW17 7TS (Tooting) Review

WatchHouse 199 Bermondsey Street, London, SE1 3UW (Bermondsey) Review
37 Shad Thames, London, SE1 2YR (Bermondsey) Review

* 36 Maltby Street, London, SE1 3PA (Bermondsey) Review

70 St Mary Axe, London EC3A 8BE (The City) Review

Where's Fred's 7 Frederick's Place, London EC2R 8EA (The City) Review

* White Mulberries Ivory House D3, St Katharine Docks, London, E1W 1AT (Wapping) Review

Unit 6, Hay’s Galleria, Tooley Street, London, SE1 2HD (London Bridge) Review

Wood St Coffee Blackhorse Workshop 1–2 Sutherland Road Path, London E17 6BX (Walthamstow) Review

* Workshop Coffee 80 Mortimer Street, London, W1W 7FE (Fitzrovia) Review
1 Barrett Street, London, W1U 1DN (Marylebone) Review
25 London Street, London, W2 1HH (Paddington) Review

Formerly on the list but now closed:
80 Stone Cafe 7a St George's Circus, London, SE1 6HS (Elephant & Castle) Review

Black Box 8b Great Newport Street, London, WC2H 7JA (Covent Garden) Review

Black Swan Yard 37 Bermondsey Street, London, SE1 3XF  (Bermondsey) Review

Brooklyn Coffee 139 Commercial Street, London, E1 6BJ (Shoreditch) Review

Bulldog Edition at the Ace Hotel 100 Shoreditch High Street, London, E1 6JQ (Shoreditch) Review

Coffee Works Project 96-98 Islington High Street, London, N1 8EG (Islington) Review

Craving 39B Markfield Road, London, N15 4QA (Tottenham Hale) Review

CREAM 31 New Inn Yard, London, EC2A 3EY (Shoreditch) Review
Curators Coffee Gallery 51 Margaret Street, London, W1W 8SG (Fitzrovia) Review

Daily Goods 36 Camberwell Church Street, London, SE5 8QZ (Camberwell) Review

Department of Coffee & Social Affairs 14-16 Leather Lane, London, EC1N 7SU (Clerkenwell) Review

Embassy East 285 Hoxton Street, London, N1 5JX (Hoxton) Review

The Espresso Room 23 Southampton Row, London, WC1B 5HA (Holborn) Review [Formerly Free State; review]

Hubbard & Bell 199–206 High Holborn, London, WC1V 7BD (Holborn) Review

Ko Coffee 258 Pentonville Road, London, N1 9JY Review

Lane Eight Coffee 11 Melbourne Grove, London, SE22 8RG (East Dulwich) Review
Le Café Alain Ducasse Unit 16, Bagley Walk Arches, Coal Drops Yard, London, N1C 4DH (King's Cross) Review

Macintyre Coffee 428 St John Street, London, EC1V 4NJ (Islington) Review

Milkbar 3 Bateman Street, London, W1D 4AG (Soho) Review (closed, at least for the time being)

Modern Society 33 Redchurch Street, London, E2 7DJ (Shoreditch) Review

The New Black 10 Philpot Lane, London, EC3M 8AA, (City) Review

Old Kent Coffee Supply 364 Old Kent Road, London, SE1 5AA (Walworth)
Over Under Coffee 4 Ham Yard Hotel, London, W1D 7DT (Soho) Review
Pattern Coffee 82 Caledonian Road, London, N1 9DN (King's Cross) Review

The Pigeon Hole 2 Datchelor Place, London, SE5 7AP (Camberwell) Review
Sans Pere 84 Great Eastern Street, London, EC2A 3JL (Shoreditch) Review

Scarlett Coffee Roastery 30 Duncan Street, London, N1 8BW (Islington) Review

Second Shot 475 Bethnal Green Road, London, E2 9QH (Bethnal Green) Review
Small White Elephant 28 Choumert Road, London, SE15 4RE (Peckham) Review

TAP Coffee 193 Wardour Street, London, W1F 8ZF (Soho) Review; 114 Tottenham Court Road, London, W1T 5AH (Fitzrovia) Review; 72 Russell Square, London, WC1B 5BA (Bloomsbury) Review

Timberyard 7 Upper St Martin's Lane, London, WC2H 9DL (Covent Garden) Review
Treves & Hyde 15-17 Leman Street, London, E1 8EN (Whitechapel) Review

Terrone Netil Market, 3–23 Westgate Street, London, E8 3RL (Hackney) Review
Vagabond x Trade Union 3 Thomas More Street, London, E1W 1YW (Wapping) Review

Other resources: 
My list is far from comprehensive but luckily, there are myriad resources for finding the best coffee in London. The London's Best Coffee website (and accompanying Best Coffee app) is my first port of call when visiting a new neighbourhood. And if you're interested in the history of London's coffee shops, editor Phil Wain's fascinating and thorough five-part series is a must-read.

Some coffee blogs with particularly good coverage of London coffee shops include: Bean There at (they can fill many of the West London gaps in my map), Bean Thinking (for a scientific take), Brian's Coffee Spot and Cups of London Coffee. And only last week, while I was finishing off this guide, I spotted James Hansen's excellent Eater shortlist of 15 of London's best coffee shops, which has added a few cafes to my to-do list.

Finally, if you prefer your coffee recommendations in print format, check out Caffeine magazine for suggestions in London and beyond.

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