Nostos Coffee
Following the success of their Battersea Park location, Nostos Coffee launched an elegant flagship store in East London’s Orchard Place district in 2024. The space features a techy “Experience Bar” offering experimental coffees, like the signature freeze-distilled flat white, and even customising their own water – though traditionalists will be comforted to discover Nostos’ extensive “regular” menu of pour-overs, espresso, batch brews and more.
Colonna & Small’s
When this internationally recognised Bath coffee shop opened its London branch in Holborn in 2023, it applied the same formula that made its first effort such a hit: a carefully curated – and constantly changing – selection from premium roasters paired with a tempting variety of cakes. Stop by the nearby Leather Lane market after lunch to sample the latest from its rare-release menu and soak in the relaxed art-studio vibe.
Prufrock Coffee
Just down the lane from Colonna & Smalls is Prufrock Coffee, a lively open-plan space majority-owned by the London-based Square Mile Coffee Roasters. In addition to an ample array of espresso-based and filter coffees made with beans from small-scale growers, the location offers courses for professionals and amateurs in its training centre, plus an in-house shop well stocked with coffee and assorted paraphernalia for home-brew aficionados.
Kaffeine
Inspired by the renowned coffee culture of his native Australia, Peter Dore-Smith became an early entrant to the capital’s speciality coffee scene when he opened Kaffeine on Great Titchfield Street in 2009. The unpretentious spot serves hearty brunches and excellent coffee to customers perched on wooden stools or basking in the sun on the benches outside. A second location opened on nearby Eastcastle Street in 2015, ensuring the caffeine needs of Fitzrovia are well and truly covered.
Kiss the Hippo
With branches dotted around the city from Shoreditch to Soho, Kiss the Hippo is a name to look out for if you’re after a reliably good cup on the fly. The eye-catching name is a tongue-in-cheek tribute to founder Can Eren’s love of nature, which is also reflected in the chain’s business ethos, with a focus on ethical sourcing and sustainable practices.
Formative
Formative embraces the UK capital’s innovative spirit with an avant-garde range of playfully named roasts like Lollipop, Choc Nuts and Fizz Apple – the latter of which is cofermented with green apples. For those unable to drop into the minimalist, white-tiled space in Butler Place for a brew by the 2023 UK barista champion Ian Kissick, beans can also be purchased online.
View this post on Instagram
View this post on Instagram
Qima Cafe
Yemeni speciality coffee exporter Qima Coffee follows its beans from tree to cup at its super-central concept cafe near Regent’s Park, where it pairs them with an indulgent patisserie selection that’s anything but an afterthought. Also on the menu is qishr, a traditional Yemeni hot drink made from the dried, spiced husks of coffee cherries; be sure to try Qima’s signature qishr latte. If you don’t manage to snag a table in Fitzrovia, try your luck at the new Covent Garden shop, which opened earlier this year.
Special Guests
Set in swish Marylebone, Special Guests is the place to go for über-niche coffees and blink-and-you’ll-miss-them micro-lots – in short, a truly premium experience. Sit at the bar to get the run-down on the roasts available from the endlessly knowledgeable baristas, or to sample a few cups for comparison. The menu changes every six weeks.
Batch Baby
The forte of this East London spot is – of course – the batch-brew menu, which is constantly updated with new releases from local and European roasters. However, all your favourite espresso-based drinks are also available, along with a selection of toasties and a seductive pastries, to be savoured in an airy, mid-century space that’s perfect for a laid-back cup.
Dark Arts Coffee
Championing independent coffee, Dark Arts Coffee manages all roasting, quality control and production on the same site as their espresso bar in Hackney and serves it in two branches in Soho and Shoreditch (housed in a jeweller’s and a streetwear boutique, respectively). The coffee is invariably delicious, and the aesthetic is pure East London cool, as reflected in the cheeky names they give each roast, along with their wittily sloganed merch.
Share with your friends
