We were in London for a week last month, and the sheer number of good cafes and coffee shops in the city amazed us. Some are like coffee institutions, some are casual joints, some make lovely outlets when you need a midday break, some are totally worth waking up for.
Whether you are looking for a nice spot to chill out and to have a light lunch, or to satisfy your caffeine addiction, here is our guide to London’s Top 25 Independent Cafes & Coffee Shops.
ASSOCIATION COFFEE
A sleek and well-designed cafe with an industrial feel, Association Coffee caters to executives working in the area, and every cup of coffee is prepared to a high standard. In addition to espresso, it also has a range of coffees that are continually changing. You can also get sandwiches, pastries and a variety of cakes to go along with the coffee.
10-12 Creechurch Lane, London EC3A 5AY
Tel: +44 20 7283 1155
Mon to Fri: 7.30am – 5pm
Nearest Station: Aldgate/Liverpool Street
CAMDEN HOUSE COFFEE
A favourite among the locals living in the Camden neighbourhood, Camden House Coffee is a good spot to head to for a coffee break if you are visiting Camden Market.
30 Camden Road, Camden Town
London NW1 9DP
Tel: +44 20 7428 9477
Mon to Fri: 7am – 6pm
Sat: 8.30am – 5pm
Sun: 10.30am – 4pm
FERNANDEZ & WELLS
Small, homely and cosy, Fernandez & Wells is one of those hole-in-the-wall kind of neighbourhood cafes that we love. Fernandez and Wells may be a coffee chain – with six shops in London – but you can always depend on them to serve a reliable cup of coffee.
73 Beak Street, London W1F 9SR
Tel: +44 20 7287 8124
Mon to Fri: 7.30am – 6pm
Sat: 9am – 6pm
Sun: 10am – 5pm
Nearest Station: Piccadilly Circus
FLAT WHITE
Flat White was established in 2005 to introduce the coffee culture from Australia and New Zealand to London. It serves exceptional coffee made by their talented and passionate baristas, and we would even consider this an institution!
17 Berwick Street, Soho
London W1F 0PT
Tel: +44 20 7734 0370
Mon to Fri: 8am – 7pm
Sat & Sun: 9am – 6pm
Nearest Station: Oxford Circus
FOXCROFT & GINGER
Another cafe that we like in Soho is Foxcroft & Ginger. Trendy yet laidback, it is a space where you can sit and linger with a cup of good coffee while escaping from the hubbub of the city. Need something to complement your coffee? They have an array of cakes and pastries like Chocolate Truffle Brownie, Chocolate & Orange Cake, Carrot Cake & Cream Cheese, and Croissant that are freshly baked on premise.
On the brunch menu, you can find a selection of dishes like Eggs Bennie, Veggie Frittata, Pancakes with bacon, and French Toast. Foxcroft & Ginger is a lovely cafe, if you ever find yourself in Soho, this all-day dining spot is the place to go.
3 Berwick Street, Soho
London W1F 0DR
Mon: 8am – 7pm
Tue to Fri: 8am – 10pm
Sat: 9am – 10pm
Sun: 9am – 7pm
Nearest Station: Piccadilly Circus
GAIL’S ARTISAN BAKERY
What drew our attention to Gail’s Artisan Bakery was the aroma of the freshly baked breads. The talented bakers at Gail’s bake nearly 30 types of bread – including French Dark Sourdough, German Rye and Caramelised Garlic Bread – every day. If you love bread, you will fall in love with Gail’s Artisan Bakery.
Gail’s Artisan Bakery has 16 bakeries across the city, including Notting Hill, King’s Road, Bloomsbury and Soho.
128 Wardour Street
London W1F 8ZL
Tel: +44 20 7287 1324
Mon to Thu: 8am – 9pm
Fri: 8am – 10pm
Sat: 9am – 10pm
Sun & Bank Holidays: 9am – 7pm
JOE AND THE JUICE
Joe and the Juice has several outlets in London, but we like the Soho shop on Dean Street. While you can get sandwiches, salads and coffee, the spotlight here is actually the wide selection of fresh fruit juices.
46 Dean Street
London W1D 4QD
Nearest Station: Leicester Square/Piccadilly Lines
LANTANA
For really good brunch and coffee, go to Lantana. It has firmly established itself as a hot favourite in London’s coffee scene.
Lantana is a casual and relaxing Aussie-style café, perfect for brunch or to catch up with your companion over coffee and pastries. We can sit here and chat all day long because the environment is too inviting. If you are there for breakfast, you must try the English Muffin Breakfast with sausage patty, fried egg and bacon.
13 Charlotte Place
London W1T 1SN
Tel: +44 20 7637 3347
Mon to Fri: 8am – 6pm
Sat & Sun: 9am – 5pm
Nearest Station: Goodge Street
L’ETO CAFFE
They have an insane display of daily fresh bakes, and it is almost frustrating to pick just one. Every item baked and assembled with love, and you can almost smell the pastry chefs’ passion in every piece.
155 Wardour Street, London W1F 8WG
Tel: +44 20 7494 4991
Mon to Tue: 8am – 9pm
Wed to Sat: 8am – 11pm
Sun: 9am – 9pm
Nearest Station: Tottenham Court Road
KAFFEINE
Inspired by the coffee culture in Australia and New Zealand, Kaffeine is an independently owned cafe and espresso bar. It has been widely recognised as one of the most famous coffee places in London for setting a high benchmark for consistently good quality coffee. The café is bustling and always packed with regulars – a must visit for coffee lovers.
66 Great Titchfield Street
London W1W 7QJ
Tel: +44 20 7580 6755
Mon to Fri: 7.30am – 6pm
Sat: 8.30am – 6pm
Sun: 9am – 5pm
Nearest Station: Oxford Circus/Goodge Street
KONDITOR & COOK
Founded in 1993 by German born baker Gerhard Jenne, Konditor & Cook offers a wide range of cakes and confections – using organic, free-range eggs and natural butter – with seasonal variations. It has six outlets across London, but the flagship store is the swanky cafe at 30 St Mary Axe, also widely known as The Gherkin – an iconic symbol of London.
The Gherkin
30 Saint Mary Axe
London EC3A 8BF
Tel: +44 844 854 9369
Nearest Station: Liverpool Street/Tower Hill
MAISON BERTAUX
Maison Bertaux, one of the oldest patisseries in London, is our go-to place for a quiet afternoon tea. They offer many beautiful cakes and pastries, but our favourite is their almond croissant.
28 Greek Street, London, Greater London W1D 5DQ
Tel: +44 20 7437 6007
Mon to Sat: 8.30am – 11pm
Sun: 9.30am – 8pm
Nearest Station: Leicester Square
MONMOUTH COFFEE COMPANY
Monmouth Coffee Company is a true London institution. It has achieved legendary status in the city for serving top quality coffee. The guys at Monmouth travel around the world to hand pick and source for the best coffee beans for their roastery.
Don’t be surprised to see queues outside the coffee shop when you are there. After having a cuppa, remember to bag a pack of Monmouth’s coffee home. They are available in whole beans (or ground to your specification).
27 Monmouth Street
Covent Garden
London WC2H 9EU
Tel: +44 20 7232 3010
Mon to Sat: 8am – 6.30pm
Nearest Station: Leicester Square
MURIEL’S KITCHEN
Stepping inside Muriel’s Kitchen had us falling head over heels in love with the café immediately. A homely and well-designed space with velvet tub chairs, mosaic tiles, bird-cage lamps, and garden swing seats? Yes, they’ve got that covered. Friendly staff that greet you and make you feel at home? But of course.
Open from breakfast to bed time serving delicious home-cooked comfort food – using local British ingredients – at inexpensive prices (most of the dishes are mostly priced under £10)? Checked. A gorgeous cake and display counter that makes you feel like a kid in Disneyland? We are sold.
36 – 38 Old Compton Street
London, W1D 4TT
Tel: +44 20 7434 0111
Mon to Sat: 8am – 12 Midnight
Sun: 9am – 11pm
Nearest Station: Leicester Square/Piccadilly Lines
NOTES COFFEE & WINE
Just a short walk from Trafalgar Square is Notes, a speciality coffee, food & wine company in Covent Garden. The cafe serves food such as pastries, eggs and toast throughout the day. During lunch, there is a range of salads, sandwiches and soups – nothing fanciful, just comfort food for the soul.
At Notes, they take their coffee seriously. Besides having a espresso-based coffee menu, it also has a dedicated brew bar for filter coffees. Also, there is a selection of popular wines, as well as some unusual wines that you cannot find elsewhere.
31 Street Martin’s Lane
London WC2N 4ER
Tel: +44 20 7240 0424
Mon to Wed: 7.30am – 9pm
Thu to Sat: 7.30am – 10pm
Sun: 10am – 6pm
Nearest Station: Leicester Square
OTTOLENGHI
While Ottolenghi is more like a takeaway deli for fresh salads and delicious desserts than a proper dine-in cafe, it is one place that has our hearts and one that we always return to. Ottolenghi has an amazing array of desserts and pastries that make us go weak in the knees, and everything looks completely seductive.
Ottolenghi is listed in our guide to Top 10 Cheap Eats in London.
63 Ledbury Road, London W11 2AD
Tel: +44 20 7727 1121
Mon to Fri: 8am – 8pm
Sat: 8am – 7pm
Sun: 8.30am – 6pm
Nearest Station: Bayswater
PEYTON AND BYRNE
Peyton and Byrne is a modern British bakery cafe with a neat display of pretty pastries, cakes and bread that are freshly baked every day. There are currently seven bakeries across London, but we like the one at Wellington Street in the heart of Covent Garden. The outdoor seats are perfect for people watching as you sip some tea – choose from a range of 40 exclusive blends of tea – and some pastries.
44 Wellington Street
Covent Garden
London WC2E 7BD
Tel: +44 20 3422 1452
Mon to Thu: 8am – 7.30pm
Fri: 8am – 8pm
Sat: 9am – 8pm
Sun: 9am – 7.30pm
Nearest Station: Leicester Square
PRIMROSE BAKERY
It is impossible not to like Primrose Bakery. The original shop at Primrose Hill started in 2004, and it has established a loyal fan base over the years. This cute little bakery serves one of the best, if not the best, cupcakes in London. Other than cupcakes, Primrose Bakery also has an array of layer cakes, loaves and sliced cakes.
Primrose Bakery also has a second branch in Covent Garden, but we very much preferred the peace and tranquility of Primrose Hill.
69 Gloucester Ave, London NW1 8LD
Tel: +44 20 7483 4222
Mon to Sat: 8.30am – 6pm
Sun: 9.30am – 6pm
Nearest Station: Camden Town/Chalk Farm
SAID DAL 1923 ANTICA FABBRICA DEL CIOCCOLATO
A chocolate lover’s heaven. That’s how we would describe SAID dal 1923, the London outpost of a popular chocolate shop in Rome. From chocolate, to praline, chocolate spreads in jars and hot chocolate, SAID dal 1923 is the real life Charlie & The Chocolate Factory.
41 Broadwick St, London W1F 9QL
Tel: +44 20 7437 1584
Mon to Sat: 8am – 11pm
Sun & Holidays: 11am – 7pm
Nearest Station: Oxford Circus
TAP
The original Tap at No. 26 Rathbone Place – just a short walk from Primark on Oxford Street – has been around for 4 years, and since then, they have opened two cafes in the area. Beat the summer heat with a Jam Jar Iced Latte – two shots of espresso with cold milk and a shot of sugar syrup.
26 Rathbone Place
London W1T 1JD
Tel: +44 20 7580 2163
Mon to Fri: 8am – 7pm
Sat: 10am – 6pm
Nearest Station: Tottenham Court Road
TAYLOR ST BARISTA
Tucked along Brooks Mews in Mayfair, Taylor St Barista is the perfect pit stop for coffee after shopping at Oxford Street and Regent Street. The coffee shop offers its house blend, Rogue Espresso, as well as a selection of single origin and coffees from around the world. Taylor St Barista also has branches at many locations in London, including Shoreditch, Canary Wharf, and Liverpool Street.
22 Brooks Mews, Mayfair
London W1k 4DY
Mon to Fri: 7.30am – 5.30pm
Nearest Station: Oxford Circus
THE ATTENDANT
The Attendant is probably the only toilet café in London. Located in a former Victorian underground public lavatory with most of the original features being tastefully preserved, this nondescript place is almost too easy to miss.
Be rest assured that it is completely clean and sanitized. If any, it is one cool outlet to hang out at over some fresh brew and brownies; it is not every day that you can dine in a toilet café.
Basement 27A Foley Street
London W1W 6DY
Tel: +44 20 7637 3794
Mon to Fri: 8am – 6pm
Sat & Sun: 10am – 5pm
Nearest Station: Oxford Circus/Goodge Street
TIMBERYARD AT SEVEN DIALS
At the intersection of Tower Street and Monmouth Street is Timberyard at Seven Dials. The café is nicely done up, and we love the vibe of the place. Beyond the excellent coffee and delicious baked goods, what makes Timberyard a place that you can return to is the idea of getting a table by the side of the window to watch the world go by.
7 Upper St Martin’s Lane
Seven Dials
London WC2H 9DL
Mon to Fri: 8am – 8pm
Sat: 10am – 8pm
Sun: 10am – 6pm
Nearest Station: Leicester Square
WORKSHOP COFFEE CO COFFEE
The original Workshop Coffee Co started in Clerkenwell, and this charming and elegant coffee shop currently has locations in Marylebone, Holborn and Fitzrovia. Its newest Fitzrovia outlet is located just off Regent Street, and it feels more like a coffee bar than a coffee shop – in a good, hipster way of course. The interior is inspired by the surrounding neighbourhood’s 19th Century British heritage with its Victorian Bohemia design.
Workshop Coffee Co serves an espresso-based menu, filter offerings through the Aeropress and Fetco CBS brewers, as well as a small selection of food.
80A Mortimer Street, Fitzrovia
London W1W 7FE
Mon to Fri: 7am – 7pm
Sat & Sun: 9am – 6pm
Nearest Station: Oxford Circus
For more recommendations, read our London’s food & travel guides.
You may want to check out angesdesucre next time around