The best coffee shops in London, picked by a local caffeine nerd

Coffee has a storied history in London, first arriving down the River Thames on boats from far-flung parts of the world way back in the 1600s. Today, the classic brew remains an integral part of London life, from convivial cafes-cum-social hubs to caffeine-fuelled enclaves for remote working.

Speciality coffee in London

While few of the city’s historic coffee houses still exist today, a new wave of small batch and speciality roasters have since landed in the city, giving you access to quality coffee on almost every street corner. From London Bridge to Deptford, Hackney to Chelsea, we’ve hunted down the best of the best in each London neighbourhood. Discover iconic institutions, late-night lattes, socially conscious producers and trailblazing roasters, which all come together to form the city’s exciting modern coffee scene.

The best coffee shops in East London

Prufrock Coffee, Farringdon

Best for: friendly, quality coffee from an OG of the London scene
Location: 23-25 Leather Lane, Farringdon, London, EC1N 7TE

Thanks mainly to its relaxed, unpretentious energy and staff who are serious about their coffee without being intimidating or overbearing, this Leather Lane cafe has established itself as one of the frontrunners in London’s artisan coffee scene. Prufrock sources its speciality coffee from equally celebrated London roastery Square Mile, while also stocking a rotating list of blends from around Europe and beyond. Three filters change regularly, alongside a strong list of speciality teas.

Climpson & Sons, Hackney

Best for: A weekday morning stroll
Location: 67 Broadway Market, London, E8 4PH

This Hackney institution has been serving well-crafted coffee to the masses since 2002 when it graduated from a stall on Broadway Market (which still exists today) to the current bricks-and-mortar cafe in an old butchers’ shop. The options are simple: espresso drinks, daily batch filter, and brunch and lunch menu of grilled sandwiches, brekkies and toasts made with bread from much loved Dalston bakery Dusty Knuckle. Climpson And Sons was the name of the Butchers that used to be on the site, too, so it’s keeping a little bit of east London history alive. Warning: this place, along with the market, gets mobbed on a Saturday, so consider yourself warned.

Dark Arts Coffee, Homerton

Best for: heavy metal coffee
Location: 1-5 Rosina Street, Homerton, London, E9 6JH

The guys behind Dark Arts seamlessly blend semi-ironic Hells Angels chic with a love of the occult and an uncanny ability to make dumb coffee content that absolutely kills it on TikTok. In short: they’re fun, but their coffee is also really, really good. The roastery site in Homerton is where it all goes down behind an exposed brick facade. It is well worth a trip for bags of beans and takeaways if you’re in the area and fancy hearing what kind of metal the roasting team are playing. There are also outposts in Shoreditch and Waterloo if you don’t want to travel that far east for a cold brew fix, too.

Allpress Espresso Roastery, Dalston

Best for: a multisensory bean-to-cup experience
Location: 55 Dalston Lane, London, E8 2NG

Allpress has long been king of the London coffee scene. A quiet calm comes over a well-versed Londoner when they see the retro-style Allpress font on the side of a takeaway cup: it’s simple, recognisable and – with more than ten years in the roasting game – close to iconic. Thankfully there are about 250 Allpress-serving cafes inside the M25, so getting your fix isn’t too tough, but we recommend going straight to the source. Alllpress’s Dalston roastery in east London allows you to witness the magic first person, and you can see (and smell) green beans becoming intoxicatingly flavourful small-batch roasts over a coffee or two and brunch.

The best coffee shops in London Bridge

London Grind, London Bridge

Best for: late night coffee (caffeinated negroni anyone?)
Location: 2 London Bridge, London, SE 1 9RA

For dependable coffee and all-day buzz, look no further than Grind. There are eight sites around the city, most of which open for evenings from Thursday to Saturday, but the London Bridge flagship is your go-to for after-hours coffee and, equally importantly, coffee-infused cocktails. It’s open until 1am on weekends, so chase that turmeric latte with a coffee negroni.

Monmouth Coffee Company, London Bridge

Best for: A London institution
Location: 2 Park Street, London Bridge, London, SE1 9AB

A stalwart of Borough Market since its regeneration in the late 1990s, , Monmouth Coffee is the grand dame of coffee shops in London, taking on a warm, slightly preppy vibe that’s quintessentially British without being overly twee. The speciality coffee is obviously great too, and you can grab several different single-origin varieties bagged whole bean or ground, and also pick up a range of filters and espresso drinks to have in and takeaway.

The best coffee shops in North London

Pophams, Islington

Best for: go for the pastries, stay for the coffee
Location: 19 Prebend Street, Islington, London, N1 8PF

This one’s kind of cheating because it’s definitely more of a bakery than a coffee shop, but you’re always going to grab a latte or flat white to wash down a pastry or two. Pophams is famous for outright ridiculous viennoiseries like its maple and bacon swirl and their marmite and schlossberger cheese pastry, but it also serves banging coffee from Ozone roasters too. Just be prepared to get in line for a bit at the weekend.

Redemption Roasters, Kings Cross

Best for: a cup that gives a little back
Location: Unit 109 Stable Street, Coal Drops Yards, Kings Cross, London, N1C 4DR

With its roastery based in a prison just outside London, Redemption is a little different from some of the other cafes and producers on this list. Yep, this small coffee chain’s story is a good one: the roastery was founded to help train offenders in skilled labour while in prison so they’re more likely to find work again when they get out. Redemption also helps ex-offenders back into work after they leave prison, either through its own cafes, or with community partners throughout London. There are ten outposts all across the city, but the Kings Cross branch is a great addition to Coal Drops Yard – a covered outdoor shopping mall that’s home to several concept stores and regular weekend markets like The Drops and the Independent Label Market, which sees some of the UK’s most forward-thinking indies sell limited edition vinyl.

The best coffee shops in Central London

Old Spike, Piccadilly

Best for: a coffee with conscience
Location: 16 Sherwood Street, London, W1F 7BJ

Ethical roaster Old Spike may have made its name down in the south east neighbourhood of Peckham, where it still has its roastery, coffee training campus and original cafe, but its newer site near Golden Square is a great central London coffee shop if you want a top class and socially conscious cup. As a social enterprise, Old Spike is committed to getting homeless people into work, either by offering coffee training and work assisting at its roastery or by working as a barista in one of its three London shops.

Bar Italia, Soho

Best for: All-hours people watching
Location: 22 Frith St, Soho, London, W1D 4RF

All neon lights, beaten up floor tiles and Italian football on the TV, this coffee shop isn’t about beautiful microfoam and tasting notes – it’s about sitting on the street with a strong black coffee and a cannoli and watching the world go by. There are only three hours a day when you can’t get a coffee at Bar Italia (between 3am and 7am, if you’re asking), so wait long enough and you’ll see actors, musicians and TV journalists walk past the door. Coffees are on the pricier side, but hey, a couple of quid for a latte is nothing when you’re funding an institution.

Algerian Coffee Stores, Soho

Best for: stepping into a retro shrine to all things coffee
Location: 52 Old Compton Street, Soho, London, W1D 4PB

Possibly London’s original speciality coffee shop, Algerian Coffee Stores has been hawking coffee on Soho’s Old Compton Street since way before most people even knew what a cafetiere was. Inside this Soho institution, you’ll find more than 80 different varieties of coffee – from flat whites to cold brews – to take away, as well as over 120 loose leaf teas. Oh, and somehow it’s still only £1.50 for a cappuccino or latte – you don’t see that often in London.

The best coffee shops in West London

Kuro Coffee, Notting Hill

Best For: Japanese aesthetics, matcha
Location: 3 Hillgate Street, London W8 7SP

Kuro Coffee is a neighbourhood favourite and for good reason: launched by Julian Victoria and Jacob Van Nieuwkoop, this compact corner coffee shop serves brews made from Origin Coffee beans, alongside matcha and speciality teas, in a calming space that draws on Japanese minimalism. On the same street you’ll find Kuro Bakery, stacked with indulgent dipped pastries and vanilla cream-stuffed croissants, and Kuro Bagels for sweet and savoury filled options. On Fridays and Saturdays, Kuro Coffee transforms into a candelit wine and cocktail bar.

TAB X TAB, Notting Hill

Best for: Brunch and matcha lattes
Address: Westbourne House, 14-16 Westbourne Grove W2 5RH

At TAB X TAB, join a fast-moving queue for creamy oat flat whites made with Ozone Coffee, one of London’s best matcha lattes and single-origin brews from monthly guest roasters. Baristas are known for their precision pours and latte art, all served in an airy space with concrete walls. The brunch menu includes chicken Katsu sandos with Vietnamese slaw and seriously creamy avocado on toast, served on tactile Mceramics plates. For something stronger, try the coconut espresso martini or Yazu negroni. Located on delightful Westbourne Grove with indoor and outdoor seating, TAB X TAB is perfectly positioned to explore the area’s nearby vintage shops, independent boutiques and restaurants.

Vardo

Best for: a pre-gallery pick-me-up
Location: 9 Duke Of York Square, Chelsea, London, SW3 4LY

When it comes to the London coffee scene, it would be remiss not to mention Caravan, the nine-site chain of Antipodean speciality coffee roasters and restaurants that’s the catch-all for almost any occasion. Vibey enough for brunch with mates, easygoing enough to take your dad to dinner and classy enough that it makes a nice easy client lunch spot. Vardo is a sister restaurant to Caravan, set in a refined circular pavilion right outside the Saatchi Gallery in Chelsea. Sit out front on Duke Of York Square and watch the crowds pass by up and down King’s Road, and then maybe let your coffee (ours is a Caravan seasonal filter) roll into lunch, where there’s a list of grain bowls, sourdough pizza and New Zealand-inspired small plates.

The best coffee shops in South London

NOLA

Best for: an early Sunday breakfast
Location: 224 Rye Lane, Peckham, London, SE15 4NL

There’s something incredibly nourishing about NOLA in Peckham. Maybe it’s the play of light and shadow on the stripped-back wood interiors and off-white walls; maybe it’s the speciality coffee roasted by Bailies in Northern Ireland; maybe it’s the all-day brunch menu, or the fact we’re an absolute sucker for a grilled cheese and kimchi sandwich. Whatever it is, it works. Close to Peckham Rye Overground, this is a great coffee shop to visit early on a bright Sunday morning whether you’re nursing a hangover or just feeling the end of weekend blues.

WatchHouse Roastery

Best for: design-led interiors and experimental brews
Location: 36 Maltby Street, London, SE1 3PA
Price: from 3.50 GBP

Found in a repurposed railway arch in Bermondsey, the WatchHouse Roastery flagship on Maltby Street boasts an experimental laboratory with floor-to-ceiling windows, allowing customers a glimpse of the espresso experts at work. Order an artisan brew from the slick U-shaped central bar, designed by architectural studio Kirkwood McCarthy. WatchHouse is open for breakfast, brunch and lunch and has additional sites in Tower Bridge, Bermondsey and Somerset House.