Best Coffee Shops in London
We’ve called London home since 2015, and being the coffee lovers we are, we’ve spent countless weekends hopping between cafés across the city, always in search of the perfect flat white or pour-over.
London’s specialty coffee scene is one of the best in the world, home to passionate baristas, local roasters, and cafés that care deeply about the craft.
What makes London so special is how varied it is. You’ll find speciality roasteries in converted warehouses, cosy cafés tucked inside parks, and minimalist spaces serving up some of the cleanest cups you’ll ever taste.
Below, you’ll find our favourite coffee shops across London. Places we’ve visited time and time again, not because they’re trendy, but because they’re consistently good.
(We prefer cafés where the baristas make the coffee themselves — not chain-style setups with automated machines like Blank Street — and where there’s a genuine focus on flavour.)
Monmouth Coffee
Borough Market | Covent Garden | Bermondsey
Monmouth Coffee was one of the first coffee shops in London to truly champion the origin of the bean. Long before speciality coffee became a trend, they were sourcing directly from farmers and focusing on quality over hype.
Despite never advertising or competing in barista championships, Monmouth has built a loyal following entirely through word of mouth. Their filter coffee is consistently excellent, strong without being bitter, and their Borough Market location — tucked under the arches — is a London coffee pilgrimage.
Expect a queue, but it moves quickly, and the experience feels timeless in the best possible way.
Archetype Coffee
Fitzrovia
Archetype is the kind of place you stumble upon and instantly want to linger. A tiny independent spot in Fitzrovia run by Aaron Murley, it attracts all sorts of characters — from retired locals and creative professionals to curious travellers. It’s a space that invites you to slow down and enjoy your coffee, whether you’re diving into a book or getting lost in conversation with a stranger.
The layout is intentionally open, inspired by the spirit of the early English coffeehouses — places that sparked conversation and community. You’ll often find Aaron himself behind the machine, chatting with guests or reading between pours. The energy is warm, intellectual, and quietly inspiring, making it one of the most unique coffee experiences in London.
WatchHouse Coffee
Several locations across London, Bermodndsey Street and Maltby Streer are our favourites
We first started coming to WatchHouse when we lived near London Bridge, drawn to the tiny Bermondsey Street spot tucked inside an old watchmaker’s building. Since then, the brand has grown massively — it’s even VC-backed now, which would normally put us off — but they’ve somehow managed to keep that independent spirit alive.
The coffee remains exceptional, with a focus on consistency and smooth, balanced flavours. The Bermondsey Street and Maltby Street cafés are still our favourites, offering that cosy, neighbourhood feel that made us fall in love with WatchHouse in the first place.
You’ll now find them dotted all across London, but these original locations still have something special.
Ozone Coffee
Shoreditch | London Fields | The City | AldgateOriginally from New Zealand, they’ve been roasting and serving in Shoreditch since 2012, long before East London became the coffee hub it is today. Their approach has always been about community and craft — ethically sourced beans, expert roasting, and baristas who really care about getting it right.
We love the Shoreditch spot for its buzz — part café, part roastery, part restaurant — where you can settle in for a proper breakfast with your flat white. The London Fields location is equally brilliant, with a slightly calmer feel and plenty of space to work or linger. Wherever you go, Ozone nails that balance between being a serious coffee shop and a warm, welcoming space.
Origin Coffee
Shoreditch | Southwark | British Library
Originally from Cornwall, they were one of the first UK roasters to focus on direct trade and seasonality, and their Southwark café captures everything they stand for — thoughtful design, friendly baristas, and beans roasted to bring out clarity rather than heaviness.
It’s a calm, bright space that’s ideal for a quiet morning or a midweek catch-up, with staff who are always happy to talk through what’s on the bar that day. Their single-origin espressos and pour-overs are consistently excellent, and if you’re after something to take home, they always have a great selection of retail bags and brewing gear.
Omotesando Koffee
FitzroviaOmotesando Koffee brings a slice of Tokyo’s coffee culture to central London. Minimalist, calm, and quietly meticulous, it’s a place that’s as much about ritual as it is about caffeine. The focus here is on precision. Every espresso shot, every pour-over, every matcha whisked to perfection.
Door Coffee
Brixton
Door Coffee is one of London’s most exciting additions, a collaboration between Volcano Coffee Works and their sister brand Assembly Coffee. It’s more than just a café; it’s a space that celebrates craftsmanship, transparency, and the South London coffee community.
You’ll find it tucked under the railway arches, serving house blends from Volcano alongside expressive single origins and limited-edition releases from Assembly.
We love that Door isn’t just about drinking great coffee — it’s about learning too. They regularly host open mornings at their on-site coffee academy, where you can see how professionals are trained and even pick up tips on how to brew better coffee at home. It’s the kind of experience that deepens your appreciation for what’s in the cup.
Caravan Coffee Roasters
Multiple locations - But King’s Cross is our favourite for coffee
Caravan is a great all-rounders — a roastery, café, and restaurant group. We’ve never eaten here but the King’s Cross restaurant has a cool coffee area at the back which is the perfect place to have a cup and get some work done before getting the train.
Caravan roasts its own beans and serves them alongside a globally inspired brunch menu that’s as good as the coffee itself.
We haven’t made it to these next few spots just yet, but they’re all high on our list and we’ll be visiting over the next few weeks. Each comes highly recommended by friends and fellow coffee lovers, and once we’ve been, we’ll update this guide with our own thoughts and photos.
Nagare Coffee
Spitalfields
A minimalist Japanese-style café in Shoreditch, Nagare is known for its calm aesthetic and meticulous approach to coffee. Inspired by the precision of Tokyo’s coffee culture, it serves beautifully balanced drinks using beans from some of London’s top roasters.
Prufrock Coffee
ClerkenwellA cornerstone of London’s speciality coffee scene, Prufrock has long been known for its dedication to craft and education. Founded by World Barista Champion Gwilym Davies, the café is now owned by Square Mile Coffee Roasters — the acclaimed roastery founded by James Hoffmann.
The focus here is all about precision, flavour clarity, and sharing knowledge; baristas are passionate about the process, and the atmosphere feels both welcoming and expertly curated.
It’s a benchmark for what great coffee in London should be.
The Reb Brick beans by Square Mile are our go to espresso beans for the coffee we make at home with our Sage Barista machine.
Monocle Cafe
MaryleboneTucked just off Chiltern Street, Monocle Café is a design-led space that blends Scandinavian and Japanese influences. It’s calm, understated, and stylish — a café that mirrors the aesthetic of the magazine itself.
Coffee Beyond Central London
London is a huge city, and the list above focuses mainly on cafés around Central London and the busy neighbourhoods most visitors naturally find themselves in. These spots are tried and trusted — perfect for a quick coffee between exploring galleries, markets, and museums.
But one of the best things about London’s coffee culture is how deeply it runs into the neighbourhoods. Almost every area has its own set of independent cafés serving seriously good coffee, each with its own local following and personality. From East Dulwich to Walthamstow, Hackney to Peckham, you’ll find passionate baristas, small-batch roasters, and creative community spaces that make each pocket of the city unique.
We’ll be creating dedicated neighbourhood coffee guides soon, highlighting our favourite local spots across London. You’ll find them listed below as they go live:
Best Coffee in South East London (coming soon)
Best Coffee in Peckham (coming soon)
Best Coffee in Clapham (coming soon)
Best Coffee in Putney (coming soon)
If you want some coffee reccomendations for any London neighbourhoods before we publish the blogs, just ask in the comments below!
You’ll find all of our London guides here.
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London’s coffee scene is one of the best in the world, full of passionate baristas, local roasters, and cafés that care about the craft. This list contains coffee shops where the coffee’s done properly.