Best Speciality Coffee Shops in London

London is leading in volume of speciality coffee shops, yet their qualities...?

Last updated 2024-10-21

At a glance:

• Special Guests Coffee, Marylebone
  
• Monmunth Coffee Company, Covent Garden
  
• Kiss the Hippo Coffee, Fitzrovia
  
• Omotesando Koffee, Fitzrovia
  
• Prufrock Coffee, Farringdon
• WatchHouse, Spitalfields
  
• Nagare Cafe, Spitalfields

Coffee is a necessity in my life. It's no wonder that discovering new coffee shops while traveling has become one of my favourite pastimes. Despite being fascinated by Nordic genre, I've come up with a list of my favourite independent speciality coffee shops in London over the last three years of living here. You simply shouldn’t miss them out if you're into speciality coffee and come to London.

Special Guests Coffee

Special Guests is the youngest independent brand in my list. Founded in 2022, it is an emerging force within the London coffee scene directed by a two-time UK Barista Championship winner, Paul Ross. Located a few steps away from the commercial area though, their first store attracts the most loyal fans - I became one of them after my first tasting.

In Special Guests, you will be presented with one of the most extensive specialty filter coffee menus showcasing some of the rarest, highest quality coffees from the world’s leading roasters. On my first visit, Paul advised and brewed me a pour-over, featured "UN017" - Yunlan Estate, Gesha. This unique washed Gesha from Yunnan, China, results in a cup of coffee with a clean and juicy flavour profile, that I could feel notes of pear, white tea and floral.

If you are a genuine artisan coffee lover expecting a quiet and pure atmosphere for a cup, you don't want to miss it.

Monmouth Coffee Company

When talking about specialty coffee in London, Monmouth is a must-mention. It’s an undisputed pioneer and one of the first to focus on the origin of the beans. I used to be a devoted subscriber (now I rarely brew coffee at home), always able to taste specialty coffee from around the world at a reasonable price.

The first store, located in Covent Garden, has nearly 50 years of history. I don’t know much about its past, but nowadays, it’s so popular that I’ve never managed to snag a seat there. I usually opted for the filter coffee of the day, though I seldom got much information about it - the baristas are just too busy. Nevertheless, it came out consistently good and had never let me down.

If you're focused on the beans themselves and want to take some home, this is the place to be. But if you're looking to while away some time, the stream of visitors standing with their cups might make you think twice.

Kiss the Hippo Coffee

If I had to keep just one coffee shop on the list, I'd pick Kiss the Hippo without hesitation. It’s just a few seconds away from my college, and was the first artisan coffee shop I discovered in London. Kiss the Hippo is, first and foremost, a high-quality coffee roaster and opened its first store in Richmond in 2018, and I’m delighted to see it has been expanding to Fitzrovia and other key locations across London.

At Kiss the Hippo Coffee, Fitzrovia, I was always provided with friendly hospitality, and more importantly, exceptionally crafted and flavoured cups. In addition to the best-ever flat white, I love their Japanese iced coffee, a combination of pour-over and ice-blending - simply fantastic. I won’t spoil too much, but if you’re visiting Oxford Street, it is a must-stop.

Omotesando Koffee

Omotesando Koffee, hailing from Tokyo's Omotesando district, brings modern Japanese coffee culture to Fitzrovia. Following the Japanese shokunin principle, a lifelong dedication to one's craft, it has since gone truly global with outposts in Tokyo, Hong Kong, Singapore and of course London.

It never misses a spot on any list, which is why it has garnered a devoted following. If you're willing to spend some time in line, it definitely will never disappoint. I usually go for their signature Omotesando iced coffee, and always have to take it away.

Prufrock Coffee

If you’re into the specialty coffee scene and you live in London, you’ve definitely heard of Prufrock Coffee. It was founded by three coffee enthusiasts in 2009, then was acquired by social media barista James Hoffmann in 2017. It continues to be a sought-after destination for visitors from around the world, with its commitment to coffee education being what sets it apart.

Prufrock Coffee is one of those neighbourhood gems which make me a little sad about not living in Farringdon thus not having it on my doorstep. Nonetheless, I've made the visit twice and both times I've been impressed. This place has everything about crafted coffee - an extensive selection of beans, professional and friendly baristas, and a decent atmosphere. I almost wish I could order five cups at once - they all offer an exceptional and unique experience.

WatchHouse

I usually have a bias against coffee chains as most of the time, by yielding to supply chain costs and product consistency, the quality of the coffee may go down, which is unacceptable for dedicated baristas and coffee enthusiasts. WatchHouse might be an exception. Starting in South London, it now has twenty locations, all are designed to play a contemporary role in the modern coffee experience, while also preserving their unique history in the community.

Regrettably, I haven’t visited all of their stores, but the one in Spitalfields Market left a deep impression on me. It has fully retained its identity as an independent coffee shop, with modernist design perfectly blending with the original elements of its industrial heritage - not to mention the meticulously brewed cups. It has reasonable prices among all specialty coffee shops, but the quality is not compromised, whether for batch brew or flat white, far outpacing most of the well-known chain brands. If you’re looking for a decent cup of coffee and happen to be near a WatchHouse, don’t hesitate to step inside.

Nagare Cafe

Nagare means flowing like a river in Japanese. It’s another coffee shop in London with a Japanese aesthetic, blending seamlessly with the local historical charm. It calls a Grade II-listed Georgian building that sports one of Spitalfields most recognizable historic shop fronts home. The cosily minimalist interior is the perfect foil to carefully brewed espresso and filter.

The main focus here is on pour-over coffee, with a dedicated filter menu offering beans from some of the world’s top roasters, such as April from Copenhagen, Nylon from Singapore, AOMA from Osaka, Stopover from Taiwan, and Market Lane from Australia. If you’re into hand-made coffee, Nagare Cafe is definitely worth a special trip, even if, like me, you live in West London.