Devotion Coffee's trio of specialty coffee shops have been on my Google Maps 'want to go' list for a long time. While walking along the Regent's Canal a few weeks ago, I took a detour to visit the tiny but mighty Islington location...and immediately wondered what had taken me so long!
Devotion first opened in Clapham Junction, back in 2017. Their Cross Street cafe, just off Essex Road in Angel, followed in February 2020. Far from ideal timing, given the world events that month. But although the Clapham cafe has since closed, Cross Street is thriving and is joined by sister locations in Clerkenwell and The City.
At Cross Street, it's standing-room-only inside. That's to make room for what may be the most exciting and varied selection of coffee beans I've seen in a single coffee shop, especially one this small.
Devotion is like a sweetie shop for coffee geeks! Outstanding roasters from across Europe are represented on the shelves, including lots of rare varieties and experimental processing.
To help you decide, there are flavour profiles pinned to the walls, and the friendly baristas are happy to offer advice. Even so, I spent ten minutes making my coffee shortlist.
I love lavender and it's been popping up more and more as a coffee flavour note of late. It was partly because of this that I was so tempted by the Gesha Pinton roasted by Belgium-based Replica Roasters.
Or did I want to try the yeast-inoculated thermal shock coffee from Colombian producer Wilton Benitez, roasted by Edinburgh roaster Spaceboy? Or perhaps one of the always excellent coffees from my local roastery, Scenery?
In the end, I did go for lavender but from French roaster Tanat, whose coffee I last sampled at Nano Coffee Lab in Palma de Mallorca.
I've been brewing the Colombian Zarza Wush Wush coffee in my V60 all week and it's delicious. The lavender, paired with juicy cherry and pineapple flavours, makes for a complex but delightful brew, especially as the coffee cools.
While at Devotion, I had to try their own coffee too. I ordered a piccolo with the house espresso blend. It was impeccably brewed: sweet and smooth, with caramel and fruit notes, and excellent latte art.
There are a couple of tables out on the pavement and as it was a sunny day, I took my coffee outside to drink before heading back to the towpath.
And now I know exactly where to go the next time I need to stock up on special and unusual coffee beans from superb roasters — both old favourites and new discoveries.
Devotion. 2 Cross Street, London, N1 2BL (Tube: Angel) and other locations. Instagram.
For 150+ more of my favourite coffee shops in London, check out my London specialty coffee guide.
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