Let’s face it London has no shortage of coffee shops, but that doesn’t mean they’re easy to find. At the end of the day – or in the middle of the day as it were – you want a high-quality coffee experience, not a big brand chain coffee house. So punch the ones below into your phone map.
Kiss the Hippo
Located in Richmond, Kiss the Hippo is a popular and sustainable coffee shop that’s worth the trip to the scenic riverside location. Kiss the hippo is an innovative and sustainable coffee brand in the city, their coffee is ethically sourced, and they have won awards for their speciality blends.
Whether you’re in the area or you’re looking for some high-quality coffee to drink for a meet-up or day trip, deficit considers Kiss the Hippo. In the heat of the London summer, you can sit outside this coffee house and drink an iced filtered coffee you know is sustainably sourced.
Kapihan
Kapihan coffee is the brainchild of Nigel and David Motley, who was inspired by a heritage story from the Philippines. The image of their grandfather sitting outside each morning with a strong Barako coffee flavoured with dark muscovado sugar was enough for them to open Kapihan.
Located in the Battersea area of London and is the place to go if you want some authentic blended coffee from east Asia. The Kapihan coffee house offers unique blends from the Philippines, Thailand, Indonesia, and Myanmar. They also sell many authentic baked goods.
Workshop Coffee
Workshop Coffee is located on Barrett Street in London; it’s been through a few incarnations over the years – at one time, this site was home to Taylor Street and Department of Coffee – but it seems Workshop Coffee is the brand offering the best sustainable solution for coffee.
Workshop Coffee is a modern practice, and delicious. Visit this popular site in London for comforting milky roast coffee and sweet-tasting espresso drinks, all made using clean filters and sustainably-sourced coffee beans. If you can’t visit in person, find a subscription on the website.
Kaffeine
Kaffeine is a London coffee brand specializing in roasts from down under – that’s New Zealand as well as Australia! Owning to their success as a top independent brand in the city, they were able to open another shop – they’re located on Great Titchfield Street and Eastcastle Street.
But Kaffeine isn’t only known for its splendid coffee roast that is sustainably sourced and delicious; the company is also a coffee hub for brewers and rotors around the world. At their site, they offer courses to train and educate new baristas; also enjoy some excellent catering.
Formative Coffee
Located in Westminster in the heart of London, Formative Coffee was created with one goal in mind – to outperform the vast majority of humdrum cafes in the area. Instead of an uninspiring functional coffee shop, Formative Coffee is loud, accessible, and flavoursome – don’t miss it!
If you’re in the Westminster area and you need a sit-down, head to Formative Coffee for a modern coffee shop location with an excellent range of speciality blends. If you want something that tastes unique and different, enjoy the special rotation blends picked by the Formative team.
Omotesando Koffee
When you think of coffee Japan is not the first nation that comes to mind, you’re more likely to think of nations in South America and Africa. Then again, when you think of customer service and quality standards, Japan might come to mind. Omotesando is a Japanese coffee house.
While speciality coffee is easy to come across in London, it’s harder to find speciality coffee that is presented in a culturally-specific way – this is one aspect of Omotesando that sets it apart. This coffee shop values engagement over efficiency, putting the experience front and centre.
Prufrock Koffee
Prufrock Koffee has been on a journey until it was taken over by Square Mile and modernized; it was nothing to write home about; but since its transition, it has been revitalised by some of the city’s best-known roasters. Now Prufrock has a brand new establishment and a bright future.
There is no shortage of choice at Prufrock Koffee; the brand uses some of the best-known rotors in Europe to deliver high-quality expresso and filter-based coffees. But coffee isn’t the only speciality; Prufrock also has an exciting kitchen full of delicious locally-sourced foods.
Rosslyn Koffee
Rosslyn Coffee is a collision of two worlds; they bring together the attention to detail and quality standards of the best Australian coffee houses with the comfort and familiarity of an Irish pub. What more could you ask for when you visit London for a day trip or a meet up with a friend.
Rosslyn Koffee combines these two worlds with authentic creativity so that it’s hard to tell it’s an invention rather than a distinctive cultural phenomenon. This is reflected in the surroundings and the drinks and food. Enjoy rich chocolatey espressos or light, fruity, straight coffee from filters.
Origin Coffee
Origin Coffee opened a flagship shop in Charlotte Street in 2014, and despite being a London coffee brand since 2004, the takeover began in earnest in the 2010s. Located near the British Library in Southwark, Origin Coffee sources all of its roasts from specialist Cornwall roasters.
If you’re looking for some great tasting coffee in the city that never gets boring, head to Charlotte Street and enjoys some of the latest choice blends. These blends are selected by professional Hoxton Coffee Roasters and are featured every month to keep the products interesting.
Lanark Coffee
Located in East London, Lanark is an underrated coffee shop that has pleasant surroundings and rotates its roasters regularly to keep things interesting. The most common coffee roast they use comes from Alchemy, Square Mile, and dark Arts. The menu is pared back but unique.
If you’re in the East London area and you want a reliable coffee and a delicious bite to eat, there’s no better place to visit. The hip and friendly surroundings of Lanark Coffee offer a pleasant place to rest your feet and reflect on your London excursion and coffee experience.
