Share to Facebook Share to Twitter Share to Linkedin Qima Cafe, Fitzrovia, London Qima Cafe Not long ago, London was severely lacking in decent coffee shops serving proper espresso based drinks. Bar Italia in Soho and H.R.
Higgins in Mayfair were pretty much the only options. Then came the big chains like Costa Coffee, Cafe Nero and Pret with better but still fairly mediocre coffee. Then came the third wave artisan coffee, with shops popping up across the capital and today, London is on equal footing with any world city for a great cup of coffee.
Here are a few favorites with excellent coffee and good vibes, including Redemption Roasters who train and hire ex-prisoners. 1. Qima Cafe , Fitzrovia Qima Cafe Qima This “tree-to-cup” café was founded in 2022 by Faris Sheibani who has drawn upon his Yemeni heritage to offer one of best ranges of single origin coffees in London.
Yemen was the first country in the world that coffee was farmed, cultivated and traded and it continues to be recognised as a source of exceptional quality coffee. Qima started as Qima Coffee , an integrated and equitable specialty coffee sourcing and development business. Qima sources direct from smallholder farmers in Yemen, Colombia and Ecuador with the aim of generating sustainable livelihoods at scale.
Ten percent of profits are pledged to Qima Foundation, fueling strategic projects that uplift coffee-growing communities. The coffee drinks served in the cafe range from single origin pours to fancy milk-based coffees like the delicious Ruby Latte. Moorish pastries like pistachio filled croissants and canelés are all made in house by expert pastry chefs and bakers.
2. Workshop coffee , Fitzrovia Workshop Workshop Founded in 2011, Workshop Coffee sources, roasts and serves quality coffee in a congenial cafe just off Upper Regent street with comfortable indoor seating. Committed to exposing the unique flavours of each bean, Workshop collaborates with producers at the source, fostering long-term relationships and practicing sustainability.
Roasting takes place in Hatfield by an expert team. A small selection of carefully selected pastries, including a made offsite, is also on offer. MORE FOR YOU Netflix’s Best New Movie Arrives With A Perfect 100% Critic Score ‘Emily In Paris’ Dethroned In Netflix’s Top 10 List By A New Show NYT ‘Strands’ Hints, Spangram And Answers For Tuesday, August 20th 3.
Crol & Co , Bermondsey Crol & Co, Bermondsey Crol & Co function loadConnatixScript(document) { if (!window.cnxel) { window.cnxel = {}; window.
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render(randId); }); })(); Founded by Vanessa and Nico in 2017, Crol & Co’s journey began with a chance discovery—an abandoned betting shop in South Bermondsey. Their imagination and entrepreneurial spirit transformed it into Crol & Co, South Bermondsey, setting the blueprint for two additional future venues, all in south London. Independent coffee shop by day and buzzy bar at night, the location just off Bermondsey street is particularly good.
The superb cappuccino is just the right mix of strength and smoothness, served up by some of the best baristas in the capital. Homemade cakes add to the pleasure of a visit here. 4.
H. R. Higgins Mr Tony and David Higgins Georgina Harrison Photography This old school, family-owned coffee house has been in the heart of Mayfair since 1942.
Since 1986, H.R. Higgins has been at 79 Duke Street, just off hectic Oxford Street, selling and serving beautiful tea and coffee.
The ground floor shop has the same look it would have had in the 1940s, with original copper weighing scales and vintage containers for a large selection of blended and single origin coffee and loose leaf tea from around the world. The cafe downstairs features chic interior design by British fashion and textile designer Ann Louise Roswald. Try the 1942 Blend Coffee with flavors of chocolate, cherry and hazelnut a blend from Brazil, Colombia and Costa Rica.
H. R. Higgins received the Royal Warrant in 1979, becoming Coffee Merchants by Appointment to Her Majesty the Queen.
If you can, join owners David and Mr Tony for an evening Coffee Tasting Masterclass. 1942 Blend Coffee Chocolate, Cherry, HazelnutOriginBrazil, Colombia, Costa Rica 5. Redemption Roasters , Bloomsbury, Holborn, Dulwich plus 7 other locations Redemption Roasters, Dulwich Redemption Roasters Excellent coffee aside, Redemption Roasters is a coffee shop that must be visited to support its fine aim of training prison leavers and people at risk of offending with the skills they need to gain secure and meaningful employment.
They even have a roastery inside HMP The Mount and coffee academies inside HMP High Down and HMP Pentonville. Each cafe across London employs up to five prison residents at a time and teaches them practical skills in coffee roasting, production and logistics. Once they leave prison, Redemption works to place them in a suitable role either in one of their coffee shops, or within our wider network of partners.
If placed at one of the shops, graduates work alongside a team of highly skilled baristas and managers. 6. Kiss the Hippo Coffee ,Fitzrovia and 7 other locations Kiss The Hippo Kiss The Hippo Kiss the Hippo opened their first cafe in 2018 in Richmond and since then have been carefully expanding to key locations across London.
Coffee beans are sourced ethically, opting for organic certified coffee and paying at least 50% above the Fair Trade price. They’ve already won the UK Barista Championships three years running and run a SCA Certified Premier Training Campus where aspiring baristas from far and wide come to learn how it’s done. The single origin and blends change regularly and are all superb and beautifully prepared.
Flavor is key and their coffee experts are always seeking bold beans and exciting origins. Coffee beans are roasted externally on the Loring Smart Roaster, the world’s most environmentally-friendly coffee roaster. 7.
Bar Italia , Soho The Bar Italia in Frith Street, Soho In Pictures via Getty Images For many years, Bar Italia in Soho was the best, if not the only place, in London to get a cup of proper espresso-based coffee and today it still serves up a superior cup of coffee and fine Italian cakes and pastries. Bar Italia was opened by Luigi and Caterina Polledri in 1949 and is now run by their grandson Antony. It still has the look of a classic Italian cafe.
An interesting, fun fact is this is where television was invented. John Logie Baird demonstrated his television system in the same building above what is now the bar in January 1926. 8.
Gail’s, Soho, Bloomsbury and many other locations Gail's Gail's Gail’s is the largest of the independent coffee shops included here, with dozens of branches in London alone but it’s managed to maintain its artisan feel, serving excellent coffee and delicious baked goods. The lattes are smooth, creamy yet strong and the constantly changing array of breads and cakes are reason enough for their popularity. A coffee and a cinnamon bun at one of their cozy cafes are one of the best ways to start the day.
9. Omotesando Coffee , Fitzrovia Omotesando Coffee Omotesando Coffee Blond wood is the focus of the decor at this Japanese minimalist chic cafe on Newman Street in Fitzrovia. Seating is on bar stools along the window.
Even the cakes are minimalist with only one choice when we visited. But this is a coffee shop for true connoisseurs. Coffee comes from the Omotesando district of Tokyo and the brand’s founder Eiichi Kunitomo built his business on the concept of shokunin, an unwavering dedication to one’s craft.
The result is a cup of coffee that will never disappoint..
