An (almost) definitive list of places to get great coffee in London
As any London visitor with a taste for good coffee knows, the English seem to have a very hard time with espresso. Whether this is from ignorance or lack of care or both, well, it’s not my place to say. I will say, however, that I am completely fucking sick of drinking milky crap lattes from huuuuge takeaway cups.
2007 World Barista Champion, James Hoffman (of Square Mile Coffee Roasters and probably one of the very few people in this city not from Australia or New Zealand who knows anything about coffee) was kind enough to respond to my request for a list of good coffee spots recently.
The first two on his list are the obvious: Flat White and Milkbar in Soho. Both of these places make very, very good coffee and really set the standard for all of the others on this list as far as I’m concerned.
Fun tip: look out for the guy with the ginger beard at Flat White. If you tug on his ZZ Top hard enough (it’s not real) they’ll give you a free stamp on your loyalty card and maybe a muffin.
James also suggests Fernandez and Wells in Soho and Bea’s of Bloomsbury in the city. Out East he recommends the coffee cart at Whitecross street market, Taste of Bitter Love on Hackney Road, The Pavilion Café at Victoria Park and not to forget Monmouth in Covent Garden and two separate stands at the Borough Market. There’s also a really good cafe at the Broadway market although I can’t think of its name right now called Climpson and Sons.
And yes, the coffee situation here really is dire enough to require a list like this. If you have any other suggestions, put them in the comments.
2 Comments