Your morning cup of joe is as essential to your daily routine as checking Instagram and brushing your teeth. Heck, that daily java juice pushes you through many a tedious work meeting, early start, gym session and seemingly-never-going-to-end afternoon.
You know that there's nothing worse, then, than a sub-par mug of coffee; that steaming hot mug that promises hope, revival and happiness delivering disappointing, unduly upsetting, liquid. You know the sort: burnt beans, overly watery or seriously milky. Or, totally other end of the spectrum: eye-wateringly, up-the-nostrils and burn the oesophagus kind of strong.
Nobody has time for bad coffee. So, as coffee culture has firmly established itself in London, Foodism brings you our guide to the best coffee in London to guarantee you never drink a bad brew again.
Where to get the best coffee in London
Kaffeine London
Various locations
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In 2009, Kaffeine opened the doors to its first location with just three staff members and a vision: to become one of the pioneering coffee joints in the London. And that they have: now with two bustlingly-busy cafes, the joint has become iconic for its nutty coffee blends and iconic yellow neon signs. Be ready to elbow your way to a table, as the Kaffeine locations are always jam packed with punters enjoying flaky pastries, charcuterie-stuffed sandwiches and piping hot cortados.
Monmouth Coffee
Various locations
You'll likely have heard of Monmouth Coffee as one of the longest established coffee spots in London. It opened its doors as the City's first independent roaster in 1978 and has been up there as a contender for the best coffee in London ever since. To try Monmouth's single cone or espresso-based filter coffees, head to any of the three sites. The Covent Garden branch, albeit a little small, is its original stomping ground, and its Bermondsey roasters offers a truly immersive experience (the clue's in the name). Not got time to drink in? You can grab a bag of beans in their stores and enjoy that beautiful, beautiful coffee at home, too.
Workshop Coffee London
Various locations
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Proud baristas greet you with open arms at Workshop Coffee, where you can enjoy a deliciously smooth AeroPress blend in the sunshine at their Fitzrovia location. These guys are serious about the beans they source and serve; they constantly travel the world in search of the perfect find, frequently bringing new blends to London that have never been served before. Plus, they've got La Marzocco Linea PB machines for all your espresso dreams and a full fleet of Aeropresses ready to serve your morning mug in every store. Oh yeah.
Allpress Espresso
Various locations
The OG Michael Allpress (yes, that is his actual name) launched his much-loved espresso cart in New Zealand thirty years ago, roasting coffee in the back of his garage and delivering it to locations around Auckland. Since then, they've expanded to launch over 1,000 independent cafés around the world, including a converted joiner's factory in Dalston location. Edgy? Check. Excellent coffee? Check. What's not to love?
E5 Bakehouse
396 Mentmore Terrace, E8 3PH
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You may have guessed from the name that E5 Bakehouse is, first and foremost, a bakehouse – it doesn't take a genius to work that out. But alongside its baked-to-perfection sourdoughs, pastry swirls and cakes, the Hackney-based team serve their own small batch roasted coffee, E5 Roasthouse. No surprise, it's delicious, and the perfect compliment to warm, crunchy sourdough slathered in their homemade jam.
Caravan
Various locations
They source, roast and supply the beans for many coffee spots across London, so you know Caravan roasters know their stuff. They may be another Kiwi-owned and run London coffee joint, but their daily special roasts are worth the visit alone. And that's before we even go into their seriously good brunch and dinner offerings – buttermilk vanilla hotcakes smothered in date butter, maple syrup, double cream and thick-cut bacon, anyone?
%Arabica
Various locations
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Started in Kyoto and now boasting 187 locations around the world, %Arabica has managed to balance this impressive expansion with a continued focus on good quality coffee and an independent feel. With four shops across London, including Covent Garden and Broadway Market – beans are roasted onsite at the latter – you don’t have to go far to get your fix, either.
Ozone
Various locations
Since starting out in 1998, Ozone Coffee has brought an Antipodean coffee vibe to East London, and with it an appreciation of the drink that's just as addictive as the actual coffee it serves
Since starting out in 1998, Ozone Coffee has brought an Antipodean coffee vibe to East London, and with it an appreciation of the drink that's just as addictive as the actual coffee it serves
Since starting out in 1998, Ozone Coffee has brought an Antipodean coffee vibe to East London, and with it an appreciation of the drink that's just as addictive as the actual coffee it serves
Since starting out in 1998, Ozone Coffee has brought an Antipodean coffee vibe to East London, and with it an appreciation of the drink that's just as addictive as the actual coffee it serves
Since starting out in 1998, Ozone Coffee has brought an Antipodean coffee vibe to East London, and with it an appreciation of the drink that's just as addictive as the actual coffee it serves
Since starting out in 1998, Ozone Coffee has brought an Antipodean coffee vibe to East London, and with it an appreciation of the drink that's just as addictive as the actual coffee it serves
Since starting out in 1998, Ozone Coffee has brought an Antipodean coffee vibe to East London, and with it an appreciation of the drink that's just as addictive as the actual coffee it serves
Since starting out in 1998, Ozone Coffee has brought an Antipodean coffee vibe to East London, and with it an appreciation of the drink that's just as addictive as the actual coffee it serves
Since starting out in 1998, Ozone Coffee has brought an Antipodean coffee vibe to East London, and with it an appreciation of the drink that's just as addictive as the actual coffee it serves
No one does coffee quite like the Kiwis, and Ozone has imported a specific brand of New Zealand-style breakfast and caffeinating that the city was sorely missing. More than simply coffee shops, the Shoreditch and London Fields Ozone locations are also gargantuan odes to good breakfast. Think Chilli XO eggs on a bed of labneh mopped up with sourdough and the classic Kiwi feast of mince on toast. The coffee is cracking, too,
Catalyst
48 Grays Inn Road, WC1X 8LT
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Something of a cult favourite in London, Catalyst is so much more than just a coffee shop – although this is somewhere that takes its caffeine seriously. With a Diedrich roaster to ensure beans are toasted to perfection and more coffee tools than you can shake a stick at, any coffee enthusiast will walk in and know that Catalyst means business. But it’s the ever-changing, thoughtful food menu and rotating array of pop ups from some of the capital’s leading chefs that have truly earned Catalyst its legions of fans.
Climpson & Sons
Various locations
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Starting as a coffee cart on Broadway Market, Climpson & Sons quickly found itself a bricks and mortar store on the road with an east London roastery to boot. Keeping tired Londoners caffeinated for over two decades, the team also supply a number of cafes with their beans and have also produced one of the best coffee liqueurs around. Phew!
