London
10 Best Coffee Shops in London
These 10 London coffee shops cover distinct reasons to stop: carefully prepared espresso, single-origin and guest beans, quiet gardens, pastries, matcha, takeaway convenience and laptop-friendly seating. Use the comparison to choose a setting and drinks menu that fit the occasion.
How we rank this list
We kept the coffee shops in London with a strong reputation among their customers and put the most dedicated ones first, also looking at how each presents its work on its own website.
A few businesses pay to stand out, always after passing our editorial review and with a label that says so.
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Compare 10 Cafes in London
Archetype Coffee
Archetype Coffee is a small coffee shop on a side street, centred on carefully made coffee and a personal, welcoming atmosphere. Its compact setting suits a quick takeaway as well as a quiet catch-up, with cosy seating and a barista-led sense of community. It is less suited to visitors who need generous seating or a laptop workspace.
Strengths: Coffee is prepared with particular care, including well-frothed milk
Coffee drinkers looking for a small, personal caféFriends meeting for a relaxed catch-up31 Riding House St, London W1W 7DY, United KingdomEspressoBase
EspressoBase is a casual coffee cart in a hidden Bloomsbury garden, serving speciality espresso drinks and Italian-style brews alongside a small sweets menu. It suits coffee enthusiasts and passers-by looking for single-estate beans, small-batch brewed coffee or a quiet outdoor seat. The garden setting gives the coffee stop a secluded, leafy feel away from the surrounding city noise.
Strengths: A coffee cart set in a hidden garden
Speciality espresso and filter coffeeCoffee enthusiasts interested in single-estate beansA quiet outdoor coffee breakSt Georges Court, Bloomsbury Way, London WC1A 2SE, United KingdomHideaway Coffee House
Hideaway Coffee House is a compact coffee shop tucked into a courtyard down a small alley in Soho. Its relaxed setting, small garden and outdoor seating suit takeaway coffees or a quiet stop while exploring the area, with pastries and breakfast options also available. The venue is charming but limited in size, so it is better suited to a brief visit than spacious sit-down working.
Strengths: A tucked-away courtyard location with a small garden
A coffee stop away from the bustle of SohoTakeaway coffee, pastries or breakfastVisitors who enjoy a compact courtyard setting7 Farrier's Psge, London W1D 7DP, United KingdomRosslyn Coffee Queen Victoria Street
Rosslyn Coffee Queen Victoria Street is a small, industrial-style coffee shop serving espresso drinks, tea and baked goods, with window seating. It is suited to coffee drinkers interested in carefully prepared drinks, pour-over coffee and beans to brew at home. Guest beans change, and the range has included Brazilian and Ethiopian coffees with different flavour profiles.
Strengths: Rotating guest beans offer different coffees to try
Coffee drinkers seeking espresso drinks or pour-over coffeePeople wanting guest beans to brew at home78 Queen Victoria St, London EC4N 4SJ, United KingdomCoffee & Friends
Coffee & Friends is a London coffee shop known for quality drinks, skilled latte art and a welcoming bar area. It suits locals and visitors seeking a well-made macchiato, latte or other coffee in either a sociable setting or a quieter atmosphere. Regular service is personable, with the barista remembering returning customers’ orders.
Strengths: Latte art and good-quality beans are central to the coffee experience
Coffee drinkers seeking carefully prepared drinksVisitors wanting a friendly stop near central London attractions12 Regent Street Saint James's, London SW1Y 4PE, United KingdomSnoozzze Coffee
Snoozzze Coffee is a Clerkenwell café serving coffee, matcha, cakes, sandwiches and Korean salt bread. Cakes and sandwiches are made on the premises, with a cosy, friendly setting that welcomes dogs and offers little pet snacks behind the counter.
Strengths: Korean salt bread and Japanese-style roll cakes made or served on site
Coffee and matcha alongside freshly made cakes or sandwichesDog owners looking for a welcoming café91 Cowcross St, London EC1M 6BH, United KingdomBlank Street Coffee
Blank Street Coffee is a London coffee shop serving coffee, iced matcha and milk tea, with a broad choice of drink flavours. It suits commuters and casual visitors looking for fast, personable service, including help choosing from the menu. The drinks can be customised, such as adjusting the dilution of an espresso with hot water.
Strengths: The menu includes a variety of iced-matcha flavours
People wanting coffee, iced matcha or milk teaCustomers who appreciate quick service and help choosing a drink80 Kingsway, London WC2B 6AG, United KingdomBlank Street Coffee
Blank Street Coffee is a casual, cosy coffee shop offering dine-in, takeaway and outdoor seating, with coffee, matcha, tea, breakfast, lunch, desserts and vegan and vegetarian options. It suits commuters, solo visitors and people working on a laptop, with opening reported as late as 10pm at the featured branch. Drinks such as matcha and espresso are prepared visibly at the counter.
Strengths: Espresso and matcha preparation can be watched at the counter
Coffee, matcha and quick bitesLaptop work, solo visits and takeaway110 New Oxford St, London WC1A 1HD, United KingdomFormative Coffee
Formative Coffee is a London coffee shop focused on specialty coffee, with coffee purchases, subscriptions and wholesale options. It suits drinkers interested in tasting notes and distinctive brewing styles, including espresso, filter and cold brew. The coffee is presented with careful attention to sourcing, serving and presentation, while the shop also sells coffee for home use and offers free UK shipping on coffee purchases.
Strengths: Coffee is organised around detailed tasting profiles
Coffee drinkers interested in specialty tasting notesCustomers buying coffee for home or through a subscriptionBusinesses seeking a wholesale coffee supplier4 Butler Pl, London SW1H 0QD, United KingdomOrigin Coffee (Charlotte Road)
Origin Coffee on Charlotte Road is a minimalist espresso bar specialising in carefully sourced single-origin coffees. Its calm, modern space works well for a relaxed coffee, reading or laptop time, with tables and bar seating. The drinks range includes espresso-based coffees and creative seasonal cold brews, while pastries are also available.
Strengths: Specialises in single-origin coffees
Coffee drinkers seeking single-origin beansPeople wanting a calm place to read or workVisitors interested in creative cold-brew drinks65 Charlotte Rd, London EC2A 3PE, United Kingdom
Each map number points to a business in the list.
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Coffee experiences in this London shortlist
- Espresso and milk drinksRosslyn, Origin Coffee, Coffee & Friends and EspressoBase are described around espresso-led drinks, with latte art or Italian-style brewing highlighted in some listings.
- Filter, cold brew and distinctive beansOrigin offers single-origin coffee and seasonal cold brews; Formative covers espresso, filter and cold brew, while Rosslyn has rotating guest beans.
- Coffee to take homeRosslyn sells beans for home brewing, and Formative offers coffee purchases, subscriptions and wholesale options.
- Food and alternative drinksPastries, breakfast, cakes, sandwiches, matcha, tea and milk tea appear across the shortlist, with Snoozzze noted for Korean salt bread and cakes.
- Outdoor or laptop-friendly settingsHideaway and EspressoBase provide garden or outdoor settings, while Origin and one Blank Street listing are described as suitable for reading or laptop time.
How to choose a London coffee shop
- Pick the drink style firstSpeciality drinkers can compare single-origin, pour-over, filter or cold-brew options; casual visitors may prefer a broader coffee, matcha or milk-tea menu.
- Match the space to your visitSmall venues such as Hideaway, Rosslyn and Archetype suit brief stops, whereas Origin and one Blank Street listing describe tables or laptop use.
- Check the food requirementFor more than a pastry, compare cafés listing breakfast, lunch, cakes, sandwiches or Korean salt bread.
- Consider home brewingRosslyn and Formative are the clearest choices if you want beans, subscriptions or coffee for preparation beyond the café.
Questions people often ask
Which coffee shops are best suited to laptop time?
Origin Coffee on Charlotte Road is described as suitable for reading or laptop time, and one Blank Street Coffee listing also mentions laptop work. Archetype is explicitly less suited to laptop use.
Where can I buy coffee beans?
Rosslyn sells beans for home brewing, while Formative offers coffee purchases, subscriptions and wholesale options.
Do these cafés offer matcha or tea?
Blank Street Coffee offers iced matcha and milk tea, while the other supplied descriptions mention matcha or tea at selected branches, including Snoozzze.
Which options have outdoor seating or gardens?
Hideaway has a courtyard, small garden and outdoor seating. EspressoBase is a coffee cart in a hidden Bloomsbury garden, and one Blank Street listing describes outdoor seating.
